Tethered-wing power systems are a viable possibility for collecting energy from stronger, more consistent winds found in the upper regions of the atmosphere where conventional wind turbines are incapable of reaching. To date, all of the tethered-wing systems fly with the tether oriented down-wind of the ground attachment point. Examined here are the dynamics and performance of a novel system where the tether is oriented both upwind and downwind of the ground attachment point during normal operation of the device. Certain prototypes built by Makani and Ampyx Power are considered to have motions analogous to the motions of the blade tips on conventional horizontal-axis wind turbines. If true, this system has motions that are analogous to conventional vertical-axis wind turbines. The system has a ground-based generator which is mechanical coupled to the aircraft and energy is generated on the reel-out phase of each cycle while a smaller amount of energy is consumed during the reel-in phase of each cycle. A simple model was developed which captures the dominant dynamics of this system and shows, via simulation, that the proposed system is viable and capable of stable and unstable periodic motions with a simulated closed-loop tether tension controller or a simple open loop reel-rate controller. In addition, it is capable of motions which produce net positive power. The small system examined, where parameter optimization was not performed, predicts an average cycle power of more than 500 watts in a 10 m/s wind.
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机译：系链机翼电力系统是一种可行的方法，它可以从常规风力涡轮机无法到达的大气上部区域中发现的更强，更一致的风中收集能量。迄今为止，所有系留翼系统都是在系留点的顺着系绳方向顺风飞行的。这里检查的是新颖系统的动力学和性能，其中在设备正常运行期间，系绳的方向是地面附着点的上风和下风。 Makani和Ampyx Power制造的某些原型被认为具有类似于常规水平轴风力涡轮机的叶片尖端的运动。如果为真，则该系统的运动类似于常规的垂直轴风力涡轮机。该系统具有一个基于地面的发电机，该发电机与飞机机械耦合，并且在每个周期的收卷阶段都会产生能量，而在每个周期的收卷阶段则会消耗较少的能量。开发了一个简单的模型，该模型捕获了该系统的主要动力，并通过仿真显示，所提出的系统是可行的，并且能够使用模拟的闭环系绳张力控制器或简单的开环绕线速度进行稳定和不稳定的周期性运动控制器。此外，它还具有产生净正功率的运动能力。在未执行参数优化的情况下，所检查的小型系统预测在10 m / s的风中平均循环功率将超过500瓦。
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