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.
Claims22
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 the cross-section of the extrusion has a first air flow channel positioned above a lower surface of the cross-section and positioned below the upper surface of the cross-section for dissipating heat generated through a transfer of electricity from the aerial vehicle to the ground station through the electrically conductive tether.
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 cross-section of the extrusion has a first air flow channel for dissipating heat generated through a transfer of electricity from the aerial vehicle to the ground station through the electrically conductive tether;
- and
- wherein the cross-section has a hollow, box-shaped cross-section.
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 cross-section of the extrusion has a first air flow channel for dissipating heat generated through a transfer of electricity from the aerial vehicle to the ground station through the electrically conductive tether;
- and
- wherein the cross-section further includes first and second side walls that downwardly extend from opposite sides of the upper surface of the extrusion, and the cross section has an open bottom.
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 the cross-section of the extrusion has a first air flow channel for dissipating heat generated through a transfer of electricity from the aerial vehicle to the ground station through the electrically conductive tether;
- and
- wherein the cross-section has a first slot extending horizontally from the leading edge of the cross-section into which a first horizontal extending portion on the trailing edge of the next adjacent wrap fits within, and a second slot located below the first slot, the second slot extending horizontally from the leading edge of the cross-section into which a second horizontally extending portion on the trailing edge of the next adjacent wrap fits within.
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;
- and
- wherein the cross-section of the extrusion has an air flow channel positioned above a lower surface of the cross-section and positioned below the upper surface of the cross-section for dissipating heat generated through a transfer of electricity from the aerial vehicle to the ground station through the electrically conductive tether.
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;
- shaping the cross-section to have an air flow channel positioned above a lower surface of the cross-section and positioned below the upper surface of the cross-section to allow for a flow of air between sides of adjacent wraps of the spiral extrusion;
- and
- securing the spiral extrusion to the drum frame.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.