Methods and systems for winding a tether

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9352930-B2
Application number	US-201314142910-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 29, 2013
Priority date	Dec 29, 2013
Publication date	May 31, 2016
Grant date	May 31, 2016

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided to wrap a faired tether around a drum. The tether may be connected to an aerial vehicle. The method may involve guiding a faired tether around an exterior surface of a drum, wherein the drum comprises a helical shaped step around the exterior surface that is configured to mate with at least part of the faired tether, and to stack subsequent layers of wrapped tether in a staggered manner along the longitudinal axis of the drum. The faired tether may be guided onto the step using one or more level winds.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a faired tether connected to an aerial vehicle at one end of the faired tether, wherein the faired tether comprises a body portion and a tail portion and a curved transition between the body portion and the tail portion; and
a drum comprising a top, a bottom, and an exterior surface, with one or more steps forming a helical shape extending along the exterior surface,
wherein the helical shape is configured to stack layers of the faired tether in a staggered manner when the faired tether is wrapped around the one or more steps of the drum.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
one or more level winds comprising a channel for receiving the faired tether and configured to guide the faired tether to mate with a step of the one or more steps of the drum.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the faired tether comprises an aerodynamic, tesselatable shape comprising a carbon fiber material.

4. The system of claim 2 , further comprising a control station that executes instructions to move the tether through the one or more level winds.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the helical shape extends along a longitudinal axis of the drum.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the helical shape is configured to stack layers of the faired tether along the longitudinal axis of the drum.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more steps comprises a vertical portion and a ledge, and wherein when the faired tether is mated with a step of the one or more steps, a trailing edge of the tail portion of the faired tether rests on the ledge.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein when the faired tether is mated to a step of the one or more steps, a bending axis of the faired tether is substantially parallel to the vertical portion of the step.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the faired tether comprises a tension member, the tension member comprising a non-round pultrusion of carbon fiber reinforced polymer with a minor axis of inertia pointing in a direction of travel of the faired tether.

10. The system of claim 9 , further comprising at least one wire located in front of the tension member to provide a mass balance for the faired tether and prevent aeroelastic flutter.

Assignees

• Google Inc

Inventors

• Vander Lind Damon
• Patten Elias Wolfgang
• Hachtmann Brian

Classifications

• B65H54/28 Primary

  Traversing devices; Package-shaping arrangements (arrangements for preventing ribbon winding B65H54/38; grooved, slotted, or split drums for driving of packages B65H54/46) · CPC title

• B65H2701/3914

  Irregular cross section, i.e. not circular · CPC title

• B65H54/2896 Primary

  Flyers · CPC title

• B65H75/265

  Reels with grooves or grooved elements inhibiting aligned or orderly winding · CPC title

• F05B2240/921

  kept aloft due to aerodynamic effects · CPC title