Thu, Feb 5, 2009
Four-line superkites and kite power

Hi Dave,
I have some contacts in Quebec who build superkites with four control lines. Even small superkites will exert incredible tensile pull on the control lines and can pull a man off the ground. I asked about adjusting the force on the control lines to make it go cyclic . . . . quite possible and easily done with hand movements.

The superkite is a proven piece of wind powered technology and it has potential to be developed into a wind-electric power generation. The control lines would have to be mounted on a spring-loaded sled on short rails. The rails would be mounted on a truck-type turntable and the rails could be adjustable on a transverse axis.

The use of a sled on short rails would allow for easier control over the multiple control lines. The kite would pull the sled forward against a spring and drive an electrical generator. When the sled approaches the end of the rail, two control lines would be reset so as to reduce the tensile force exerted by the kite on the sled. The spring would retract the sled and drive the electrical generator. As the sled approaches the maximum recoil position, the two control lines would reset to readjust the angle of the kite that would then exert maximum tensile force on its control lines and pull the sled forward.

Kite frame may have to made from carbon fiber or fiberglass reinforced with carbon fiber. There is a thin paper coming out of Australia called carbon nanopaper that may be suitable for high-flying power-generating superkites.

Harry Valentine

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