Firing, Regulating, and Dousing Looping Foils

Looping tethered foils in synchrony can aggregate great power to a single generator. Linked oscillators tend to naturally synch, but fine tuning of frequency is desirable. A novel approach to setting frequency is to modulate static tug by a pilot-lifter kite. More pull speeds up the orbit; less pull slows.

Like many high performance WECS, looping foil overspeed control and parking are desirable. A parafoil can be started, slowed, or doused by a simple draw-line across its span (a parafoil can also be run along a spar for stability). The conventional tip spoiler can do the same job for a rigid AWE wing. A doused foil is raised and lowered under a pilot-lifter kite.

CoolIP                       ~Dave Santos           June 27 2011           M3784

Comment and development of this topic will be occurring here.       
All, send notes, drawings, and photographs!

Terms and aspects:   

• Modulation of static tug
• draw line
• doused foil
• run along a spar
• tip spoiling     

Related links:

Commentary is welcome:

• v