Extruded drum surface for storage of tether
AssigneeGoogle Inc.
InventorsDamon Vander Lind, Brian Hachtmann
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A drum for storing an electrically conductive tether having a first end secured to an aerial vehicle and a second end secured to a ground station that includes a drum frame rotatable about a drum axis, a drum surface positioned over the drum frame comprising a spiral extrusion wrapped around the drum frame, wherein the extrusion has a cross-section having an upper surface that is shaped to conform to an outer surface of the electrically conductive tether, and wherein the extrusion is adapted for dissipating heat generated through a transfer of electricity from the aerial vehicle to a ground station through the electrically conductive tether.
Claims20
A drum for storing an electrically conductive tether having a first end secured to an aerial vehicle and a second end secured to a ground station, comprising:
- a drum frame rotatable about a drum axis;
- a drum surface positioned over the drum frame comprising a spiral extrusion wrapped around the drum frame;
- wherein the extrusion has a cross-section having an upper surface that is shaped to conform to an outer surface of the electrically conductive tether;
- and
- wherein a spacing is provided which allows air flow between longitudinally extending sides of adjacent wraps of the spiral extrusion, wherein the longitudinally extending sides of adjacent wraps are not in contact with each other.
A drum for storing an electrically conductive tether having a first end secured to an aerial vehicle and a second end secured to a ground station, comprising:
- a drum frame rotatable about a drum axis;
- a drum surface positioned over the drum frame comprising a spiral extrusion wrapped around the drum frame;
- wherein the extrusion has a cross-section having an upper surface that is shaped to conform to an outer surface of the electrically conductive tether;
- wherein the extrusion is adapted for dissipating heat generated through a transfer of electricity from the aerial vehicle to the ground station through the electrically conductive tether;
- and
- wherein transverse holes are provided in the spiral extrusion to allow for the flow of air beneath the upper surface of the extrusion.
A drum for storing an electrically conductive tether having a first end secured to an aerial vehicle and a second end secured to a ground station, comprising:
- a drum frame rotatable about a drum axis;
- a drum surface positioned over the drum frame comprising a spiral extrusion wrapped around the drum frame;
- wherein the extrusion has a cross-section having an upper surface that is shaped to conform to an outer surface of the electrically conductive tether;
- wherein the extrusion is adapted for dissipating heat generated through a transfer of electricity from the aerial vehicle to the ground station through the electrically conductive tether;
- and
- wherein a levelwind is positioned over the drum and the levelwind comprises a tether guide adapted for positioning over a groove in a wrap of the extrusion and an extension guide attached to the tether guide that is adapted to ride in an adjacent or forward groove of the extrusion when the tether is wound onto the drum.
A drum for storing an electrically conductive tether having a first end secured to an aerial vehicle and a second end secured to a ground station, comprising:
- a drum frame rotatable about a drum axis;
- a drum surface positioned over the drum frame comprising a spiral extrusion wrapped around the drum frame;
- wherein the extrusion has a cross-section having an upper surface that is shaped to conform to an outer surface of the electrically conductive tether;
- wherein the extrusion is adapted for dissipating heat generated through a transfer of electricity from the aerial vehicle to the ground station through the electrically conductive tether;
- wherein a cross-section of the electrically conductive tether is non-circular and includes an outward extension;
- wherein the upper surface of the extrusion includes a downwardly extending slot adapted to receive the outward extension on the tether;
- and
- wherein the outward extension and the downwardly extending slot cooperate to guide the tether onto the drum when the tether is wound onto the drum.
An airborne wind turbine system, comprising:
- an aerial vehicle;
- an electrically conductive tether having a first end secured to the aerial vehicle and a second end secured to a ground station;
- a drum frame rotatable about a drum axis, the drum frame positioned with the ground station;
- a drum surface positioned over the drum frame comprising a spiral extrusion wrapped around the drum frame;
- wherein the extrusion has a cross-section having an upper surface that is shaped to conform to an outer surface of the electrically conductive tether;
- wherein the cross section is shaped to allow for a flow of air between longitudinally extending sides of adjacent wraps of the spiral extrusion;
- and
- wherein a spacing is provided which allows air flow between the longitudinally extending sides of adjacent wraps of the spiral extrusion, wherein the longitudinally extending sides of adjacent wraps are not in contact with each other.
A method of forming a drum for storing an electrically conductive tether, comprising the steps of:
- positioning a drum frame rotatable about a drum axis in front of an outlet of an extrusion machine;
- extruding an extrusion material over the drum frame to form an extrusion;
- bending the extrusion over the drum frame as the drum frame is rotating to form a drum surface that is a spiral extrusion wrapped around the drum frame;
- providing the extrusion with a cross-section having an upper surface that is shaped to conform to an outer surface of the electrically conductive tether;
- providing a spacing which allows air flow between longitudinally extending sides of adjacent wraps of the spiral extrusion, wherein the longitudinally extending sides of adjacent wraps are not in contact with each other;
- and
- securing the spiral extrusion to the drum frame.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.