公开(公告)号：US10008973B1

公开(公告)日：2018-06-26

申请号：US14985808

申请日：2015-12-31

申请人： X Development LLC

发明人： Leo Casey ,  Geoffrey Dolan

IPC分类号： H02P29/02 ,  F03D9/00 ,  F03D11/00 ,  H02P27/06

CPC分类号： F03D17/00 ,  B64C39/022 ,  B64C2201/021 ,  B64C2201/122 ,  B64D27/02 ,  B64D27/24 ,  B64F3/00 ,  F03D9/255 ,  H02M2001/0093 ,  H02P27/06 ,  H02P29/028 ,  H02P29/032 ,  Y02E10/72

摘要： This disclosure discusses systems and methods related to the following example scenarios. When an aerial vehicle of an airborne wind turbine is functioning normally in motoring mode, a voltage converter may receive a nominal voltage from a power conversion system and provide the nominal voltage to the aerial vehicle. When the aerial vehicle is experiencing a fault in motoring mode, the voltage converter may receive the nominal voltage and provide a reduced fault voltage to the aerial vehicle. When the aerial vehicle is functioning normally in power-generating mode, the voltage converter may receive the nominal voltage from the aerial vehicle and provide the nominal voltage to the power conversion system. When the aerial vehicle is experiencing a fault in power-generating mode, the voltage converter may receive a reduced fault voltage from the aerial vehicle, boost the fault voltage, and provide the boosted fault voltage to the power conversion system.

公开(公告)号：US09838081B1

公开(公告)日：2017-12-05

申请号：US14320133

申请日：2014-06-30

申请人： X Development LLC

发明人： Kurt Hallamasek ,  Geoff Dolan ,  George Edward Homsy ,  Leo Casey ,  Elias Wolfgang Patten

IPC分类号： H04B3/56

CPC分类号： H04B3/56 ,  H04B2203/54 ,  H04B2203/5404 ,  H04B2203/5429 ,  H04B2203/5491

摘要： Embodiments described herein may relate to power-line communication (PLC) systems that are suitable for high-voltage and electrically noisy applications. In one example system, PLC technology is used to carry data on at least one pair of conductors of a high-voltage (e.g., kilovolt) transmission line that is simultaneously used for power transmission. Further, in some instances, the transmission line may be part of a tether that connects an aerial vehicle to a ground station.

公开(公告)号：US09899127B2

公开(公告)日：2018-02-20

申请号：US14928850

申请日：2015-10-30

申请人： X Development LLC

发明人： Elias Wolfgang Patten ,  Damon Vander Lind ,  Leo Casey

IPC分类号： H01B7/00 ,  H01B9/00 ,  D07B1/14 ,  H01B7/04 ,  H02G11/00 ,  D07B5/00 ,  F03D5/00 ,  F03D80/00

CPC分类号： H01B9/006 ,  D07B1/147 ,  D07B1/148 ,  D07B5/006 ,  D07B2201/2087 ,  D07B2201/2088 ,  D07B2201/209 ,  D07B2201/2094 ,  D07B2205/2003 ,  D07B2205/201 ,  D07B2205/2046 ,  D07B2205/2064 ,  F03D1/02 ,  F03D5/00 ,  F03D9/25 ,  F03D9/30 ,  F03D13/20 ,  F03D80/00 ,  F05B2240/917 ,  F05B2240/921 ,  H01B7/043 ,  H02G11/00 ,  Y02E10/725 ,  D07B2801/22

摘要： A tether may include a core, a plurality of electrical conductors wound around the core, and a jacket surrounding the plurality of electrical conductors. The plurality of electrical conductors may include at least two groups of electrical conductors. Each group of electrical conductors of the at least two groups of electrical conductors may define a respective electrical path, where the respective electrical path is different from the electrical paths defined by other groups of electrical conductors of the at least two groups of the electrical conductors. Moreover, each group of electrical conductors of the at least two groups of electrical conductors is located around a respective portion of the core, such that a cross-section of each group of electrical conductors of the at least two or more electrical conductors defines a respective arc around the respective portion of the core.

公开(公告)号：US09653909B1

公开(公告)日：2017-05-16

申请号：US14985603

申请日：2015-12-31

申请人： X Development LLC

发明人： Greg Leyh ,  George Edward Homsy ,  Leo Casey

IPC分类号： H02H7/08 ,  H02H3/20 ,  H02H7/06

CPC分类号： H02H7/06 ,  H02H7/0833

摘要： In one aspect, a method is described. The method may include operating a plurality of circuit elements, and operating a plurality of fault-mitigation circuits. Each circuit element may include an energy storage element, each individual fault-mitigation circuit may be electrically coupled in parallel to a respective circuit element, and each individual fault-mitigation circuit may include a switch. The method may include detecting an electrical fault in one of the circuit elements and cycling the switch of the fault-mitigation circuit coupled in parallel to the faulty circuit element between an open position and a closed position until the storage element of the faulty circuit element is discharged of energy, at which point the switch remains closed.

公开(公告)号：US20170107974A1

公开(公告)日：2017-04-20

申请号：US15391389

申请日：2016-12-27

申请人： X Development LLC

发明人： Andrew Goessling ,  Leo Casey

IPC分类号： F03D9/00 ,  B64C39/02 ,  B64F3/02 ,  H02K7/18 ,  F03D9/25 ,  H02M7/44 ,  H02M1/08 ,  B64D35/02 ,  F03D9/32

CPC分类号： F03D13/20 ,  B64C39/022 ,  B64D35/02 ,  B64F3/02 ,  F03D1/02 ,  F03D7/026 ,  F03D9/25 ,  F03D9/255 ,  F03D9/32 ,  F05B2240/921 ,  H02J3/382 ,  H02J3/386 ,  H02K7/183 ,  H02M1/083 ,  H02M3/24 ,  H02M7/44 ,  Y02E10/723 ,  Y02E10/725 ,  Y02E10/728 ,  Y02E10/763

摘要： A method may involve transmitting power between a tethered aerial vehicle equipped with wind turbines for generating power and a ground station configured to interconnect the generated power to an electrical distribution network. The power may be transmitted using high voltage, high frequency AC electrical signals, and transformers at the ground station and the aerial vehicle can scale the AC voltage for use at the respective locations. Converters at the ground station and the aerial vehicle can then convert the transformed voltage to DC. The AC voltage may be transmitted through the tether at a resonant frequency of the tether based in part on an internal capacitance between multiple conductive paths on the tether.

公开(公告)号：US09567979B2

公开(公告)日：2017-02-14

申请号：US14826542

申请日：2015-08-14

申请人： X Development LLC

发明人： Andrew Goessling ,  Leo Casey

IPC分类号： F03D9/00 ,  F03D7/02 ,  H02M3/24 ,  B64D35/02 ,  F03D1/02 ,  H02J3/38

CPC分类号： F03D13/20 ,  B64C39/022 ,  B64D35/02 ,  B64F3/02 ,  F03D1/02 ,  F03D7/026 ,  F03D9/002 ,  F03D9/003 ,  F03D9/25 ,  F03D9/255 ,  F03D9/32 ,  F05B2240/921 ,  H02J3/382 ,  H02J3/386 ,  H02K7/183 ,  H02M1/083 ,  H02M3/24 ,  H02M7/44 ,  Y02E10/723 ,  Y02E10/763

摘要： A method may involve transmitting power between a tethered aerial vehicle equipped with wind turbines for generating power and a ground station configured to interconnect the generated power to an electrical distribution network. The power may be transmitted using high voltage, high frequency AC electrical signals, and transformers at the ground station and the aerial vehicle can scale the AC voltage for use at the respective locations. Converters at the ground station and the aerial vehicle can then convert the transformed voltage to DC. The AC voltage may be transmitted through the tether at a resonant frequency of the tether based in part on an internal capacitance between multiple conductive paths on the tether.

摘要翻译： 一种方法可以涉及在配备有用于产生电力的风力涡轮机的拴系飞行器和配置成将所产生的功率互连到配电网络的地面站之间发射功率。 功率可以使用高压，高频交流电信号和地面站的变压器传输，飞行器可以缩放交流电压，以便在各个位置使用。 然后，地面站和航空器的转换器可将转换的电压转换成直流电。 AC电压可以部分地基于系绳上的多个导电路径之间的内部电容以系绳的谐振频率通过系绳传输。