AIRBORNE WIND ENERGY SYSTEM WITH REDUCED INPUT TORQUE, BETTER TORQUE HANDLING AND OPTIMIZED SPEED

摘要

An airborne wind energy conversion system with lower input torque and/or better handling of the input torque. In one embodiment it has a ground generator, and a tether pulls an elongated member which is meshed with a gear of relatively small diameter. The system achieves relatively high initial RPM and relatively low initial torque. In another embodiment a wide and thin belt unwinds from a spool, having annulus-planet relation with the gear (like in a planetary gearbox). The gear is rotationally coupled to the rotor of the generator. In another aspect, the ratio of the wing air speed to the wind speed is normally below ⅔, which was taught as the optimum since Loyd.