Airborne rigid kite with on-board power plant for ship propulsion

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9784243-B2
Application number	US-201615167415-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 27, 2016
Priority date	Apr 17, 2014
Publication date	Oct 10, 2017
Grant date	Oct 10, 2017

Abstract

A vehicle-based airborne wind turbine system having an aerial wing, a plurality of rotors each having a plurality of rotatable blades positioned on the aerial wing, an electrically conductive tether secured to the aerial wing and secured to a ground station positioned on a vehicle, wherein the aerial wing is adapted to receive electrical power from the vehicle that is delivered to the aerial wing through the electrically conductive tether; wherein the aerial wing is adapted to operate in a flying mode to harness wind energy to provide a first pulling force through the tether to pull the vehicle; and wherein the aerial wing is also adapted to operate in a powered flying mode wherein the rotors may be powered so that the turbine blades serve as thrust-generating propellers to provide a second pulling force through the tether to pull the vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle-based airborne wind turbine system, comprising:
an aerial wing;
a plurality of rotors each having a plurality of rotatable blades positioned on the aerial wing;
an electrically conductive tether having a first end secured to the aerial wing and a second end secured to a ground station positioned on a vehicle;
wherein the aerial wing is adapted to receive electrical power from the vehicle that is delivered to the aerial wing through the electrically conductive tether;
wherein the aerial wing is adapted to (i) operate in a flying mode to harness wind energy to provide a first pulling force through the tether to pull the vehicle; and (ii) operate in a powered flying mode wherein the rotors may be powered so that the rotatable blades serve as thrust-generating propellers to provide a second pulling force through the tether to pull the vehicle; and
the system further including:
an electrodialysis system arranged on the vehicle and configured to extract carbon dioxide (C0 2 ) from seawater;
an electrolysis system arranged on the vehicle and configured to apply electrolysis to seawater to produce hydrogen (H 2 );
a refinery system configured to use both the H 2 produced by electrolysis system and the C0 2 extracted by the electrodialysis system to produce a fuel or chemical; and further including a water intake positioned on a bottom of the vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein when the aerial wing is operated in the powered flying mode, the rotors are powered by electrical power that is delivered from the vehicle through the electrically conductive tether.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the aerial wing is also adapted to operate in a power generation mode during the flying mode where air moving across the rotatable blades of one or more of the rotors forces them to rotate, thereby driving a generator to produce electrical energy.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein at least some of the electrical energy produced during the power generation mode is delivered through the electrically conductive tether to the vehicle.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the aerial wing provides a pulling force on the vehicle while in the flying mode or in the powered flying mode.

6. The system of claim 3 , wherein the aerial wing is adapted to operate in the powered flying mode and the power generation mode at the same time, by operating one or more of the rotors so that the rotatable blades serve as thrust-generating propellers, and by operating one or more of the rotors in the power generation mode.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the refinery system is configured to:
use both the H 2 produced by electrolysis system and the C0 2 extracted by the electrodialysis system to produce a synthetic fuel; and
convert at least some of the synthetic fuel into ethanol.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a rotatable drum positioned with the ground station;
wherein rotation of the drum causes the tether to be wrapped around the drum causing the aerial wing to be reeled in towards the ground station; and
wherein the tether may be reeled out from the rotatable drum when the aerial wing ascends.

9. The system of claim 8 , further comprising:
an aerial wing perch positioned with the ground station;
wherein the aerial wing is adapted to be parked on the aerial wing perch.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the aerial wing is adapted to fly in a hover mode where a fuselage that is attached to the aerial wing is generally perpendicular to horizontal when the aerial wing is approaching or departing the aerial wing perch.

11. An airborne wind turbine system, comprising:
an aerial wing;
a plurality of rotors each having a plurality of rotatable blades positioned on the aerial wing;
an electrically conductive tether having a first end secured to the aerial wing and a second end secured to a ground station positionable on a vehicle;
wherein the aerial wing is adapted to receive electrical power from the vehicle that is delivered to the aerial wing through the electrically conductive tether;
wherein the aerial wing is adapted to (i) operate in a flying mode to harness wind energy to provide a first pulling force through the tether to pull the vehicle; and (ii) operate in a powered flying mode wherein the rotors may be powered so that the rotatable blades serve as thrust-generating propellers to provide a second pulling force through the tether to pull the vehicle; and
the system further including:
an electrodialysis system arranged on the vehicle and configured to extract carbon dioxide (C0 2 ) from seawater;
an electrolysis system arranged on the vehicle and configured to apply electrolysis to seawater to produce hydrogen (H 2 );
a refinery system configured to use both the H 2 produced by electrolysis system and the C0 2 extracted by the electrodialysis system to produce a fuel or chemical; and further includes a water intake positioned on a bottom of the vehicle.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the aerial wing is also adapted to operate in a power generation mode during the flying mode where air moving across the rotatable blades of one or more of the rotors forces them to rotate, thereby driving a generator to produce electrical energy.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the aerial wing is adapted to operate in the powered flight mode and the power generation mode at the same time, by operating one or more of the rotors so that the rotatable blades serve as thrust-generating propellers, and by operating one or more of the rotors in the power generation mode.

14. A method of pulling a vehicle, comprising the steps of:
providing an aerial wing with a plurality of rotors each having a plurality of rotatable blades positioned on the aerial wing, and having an electrically conductive tether having a first end secured to the aerial wing and a second end secured to a ground station positioned on a vehicle, wherein the aerial wing is adapted to receive electrical power from the vehicle that is delivered to the aerial wing through the electrically conductive tether; wherein the aerial wing is adapted to operate in a flying mode to harness wind energy to provide a first pulling force through the tether to pull the vehicle; and wherein the aerial wing is also adapted to operate in a powered flying mode wherein the one or more of the rotors are powered so that the rotatable blades serve as thrust-generating propellers to provide a second pulling force through the tether to pull the vehicle;
operating the aerial wing in the powered flying mode to provide the second pulling force through the tether to pull the vehicle;
operating an electrodialysis system arranged on the vehicle to extract carbon dioxide (C0 2 ) from seawater;
operating an electrolysis system arranged on the vehicle to apply electrolysis to seawater to produce hydrogen (H 2 );
operating a refinery system arranged on the vehicle to use both the H 2 produced by the electrolysis system and the C0 2 extracted by the electrodialysis system to produce a fuel or chemical; and further including a water intake positioned on a bottom of the vehicle.

15. The method of claim 14 , further including the step of operating the aerial wing in a power generation mode during the powered flying mode where air moving across the rotatable blades of one or more of the rotors forces them to rotate, thereby driving a generator to produce electrical energy.

16. The method of claim 15 , further including the step of delivering at least some of the electrical energy produced during the power generation mode throug

Assignees

• X Dev Llc

Inventors

• Vander Lind Damon
• Van Alsenoy Thomas
• Devaul Richard Wayne

Classifications

• F03D9/25

  the apparatus being an electrical generator (F03D9/22 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F03D80/80

  Arrangement of components within nacelles or towers · CPC title

• F03D9/32 Primary

  on moving objects, e.g. vehicles · CPC title

• F03D9/11

  storing electrical energy · CPC title

• F03D9/008

  the wind motor being combined with water energy converters, e.g. a water turbine · CPC title