Using superkites and winches to generate electric power
by Harry Valentine

Two cable winches may be mounted on the same driveshaft and operate back-to-back. The driveshaft would drive electrical generation equipment and as one winch reels out, the other winch would reel in. The cables of each winch would lead outward at an angle of 180 degrees to pulleys located 50 meters to 100 meters apart. Each cable would loop around the pulley to a sled on rails. The system of winches, cables, pulleys and two sleds on rails may all be mounted on a single structure placed on a circular rail.

Each sled would serve as the mounting point for three to six control cables of superkites. Up to 10 superkites at progressively higher elevation may be mounted in a series on each system of control cables and to each sled, giving a total of 20 superkites. One sled would be at maximum outer extension while the other sled would be at minimum inward retraction. The control cables of the kites at maximum outward extension would re-adjust to provide minimal coefficient of drag while maintaining sufficient coefficient of lift to keep the kites aloft. The adjacent set of control cables would reset to provide maximum coefficient of drag at sufficient coefficient of lift to keep those kites aloft.

Each set of kites would alternately pull on a set of cables to move a sled, activating one side of the winch system and driving electrical generation equipment. The winch driveshaft may drive two independent flywheel-equipped alternators in opposite directions using one-way clutches. Each alternator would only produce electricity when a tension load exists on the cable driving it, and would otherwise run freewheel awaiting its next generation cycle. Instead of electrical generation equipment, the winch-driveshaft may alternately drive water pumps (hydraulic storage) or air pumps (pneumatic storage).

It would be possible to employ two parallel batteries of superkites and two pairs of winch-driveshafts to drive one pair of counter-rotating alternators. One driveshaft would be hollow and contain a smaller concentric driveshaft that would be driven from the companion winch-driveshaft and drive the alternators through a second set of one-way clutches. The two sets of parallel superkites would operate 90 degrees out phase with each other. When one set of kites on one cable system reaches the end of the travel cycle, the other set of kites on the companion cable system would be in the middle of the travel cycle and would keep the electrical alternators continually rotating and producing electrical output. The rail-mounted sleds of each set of kites could be staggered at intervals of 50 meters to 100 meters.

It is possible to use two parallel sets of superkites to pull on two bidirectional winch sets that are mounted in-line (collinearly). The winch sets will drive through two sets of one-way clutches to rotate a single alternator in one direction. The cables on one winch set would pull from the top side while the cables on the complementary winch set would pull from the bottom side. An observer standing upwind of the installation would see the right-hand  kites pulling cables that drive the winch sets. The main tension load on one of the cables may pull on the top side of a winch and drive through a one-way clutch to drive the alternator in the clockwise direction.

The cable from the left side kites would pull on the bottom side of second winch set to drive through a second one-way clutch and also rotate the alternator in the same clockwise direction. A heavy flywheel or geared flywheel may be attached to the alternator to maintain momentum through the dead spot. A system of two parallel sets of superkites that connect to two sets of bi-directional winches that drive an alternator and flywheel may be suitable for outputs of up to 300 kW output. Such a layout may be able to serve a community of up to 150 homes.

A four-kite system may continuously drive a single alternator in one direction using four one-way clutches and four bi-directional winch sets. The inner set of winches on either side of the alternator would have hollow centers to allow co-axial driveshafts. Co-axial driveshafts from the inner and outer winch sets would each drive into a pair of one-way clutches and drive the alternator in the same direction without any loss of power.  A system of four parallel sets of superkites would provide smoother power flow in multi-megawatt output installations of up to 50 MW and without using a flywheel to maintain the momentum of the alternator.

Several researchers have theorized on the optimal flight path of kites used to generate electrical power at ground level. The discussion revolves around oval flight paths in both the longitudinal and transverse direction as well the figure-8 flight path in these directions. A battery of superkites with multiple control lines attached to a single sled could fly either an oval path or a figure-8 path in either the longitudinal or transverse direction. The flight paths of several parallel batteries of such kites would have to be restricted to the longitudinal or fore-and-aft directions and may likely be an oval flight path

Harry Valentine