A winch for a power generating system using a tethered airborne device, the winch comprising a drum rotatable about its main axis a guiding apparatus arranged to guide an airborne device tether to wind and unwind around the drum; wherein the drum is rotatable relative to a pivot point to move in a first plane and the guiding apparatus is disposed relative to the drum to move along part of an orbital path around the drum in a second plane substantially perpendicular to the main axis of the drum, thereby allowing alignment of the winch with respect to an unwound length of the tether.

The exemplary embodiments herein provide an airborne power generation assembly comprising an airborne power generation unit, a submersible platform, an electrified tether winch attached to the submersible platform, an electrified tether connecting between the electrified tether winch and the airborne power generation unit, and a power output exiting from the submersible platform. Embodiments include an underwater docking station with a docking station tether connecting the submersible platform to the underwater docking station. The submersible platform or the underwater docking station may be anchored to the sea bed. Other embodiments include winches for the sea bed anchor tethers and docking station tether.

The TRAVELING WAVE PROPELLER, PUMP AND GENERATOR APPARATUSES, METHODS AND SYSTEMS include force or forces applied to an arc-like flexible sheet-like material to create a deformed crenated strip fin with strained-deformations. The strained-deformations take on a sinusoid-like form that express the internal energy state of the flexible sheet-like material after it has been configured into a crenated strip fin. After being incorporated into a mechanism with couplings that prevent the crenated strip fin from returning to its un-strained state, the strained-deformations persist. Actuators may be used to sequentially rotate vertebrae attached to the fins causing the travel of sinusoid-like deformations along the fins. In a fluid medium, the traveling waves of sinusoidal deformations may exert force on the fluid causing the fluid to move and/or creating thrust. Arched blades affixed to the fins facilitate propulsion on hard surfaces such as ice.

The TRAVELING WAVE PROPELLER, PUMP AND GENERATOR APPARATUSES, METHODS AND SYSTEMS include force or forces applied to an arc-like flexible sheet-like material to create a deformed crenated strip fin with strained-deformations. The strained-deformations take on a sinusoid-like form that express the internal energy state of the flexible sheet-like material after it has been configured into a crenated strip fin. After being incorporated into a mechanism with couplings that prevent the crenated strip fin from returning to its un-strained state, the strained-deformations persist. Actuators may be used to sequentially rotate vertebrae attached to the fins causing the travel of sinusoid-like deformations along the fins. In a fluid medium, the traveling waves of sinusoidal deformations may exert force on the fluid causing the fluid to move and/or creating thrust. When anchored in moving fluid, hydrodynamic loading of the fins may cause the fins to move and transmit force to an electromagnetic generator or other energy-harnessing transducer to generate electricity.

An emergency wind turbine system for an aircraft including an outer structure in which an opening is made includes an emergency wind turbine including: a mast; a turbine including a body mounted on the mast that rotates about an axis of rotation, and a single blade or two blades extending radially from the body between a blade root and a blade head; a locking device to lock rotation of the turbine body about the axis of rotation, when the emergency wind turbine moves between retracted and deployed positions, such that the blade root axis forms an acute locking angle with an orthogonal projection of the longitudinal axis of the mast over a plane substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the turbine and in which the blade root axis extends, to reduce the volume swept by the turbine when it moves between the retracted and deployed positions.

A computer-implemented method includes: monitoring, by a computer device, a charge level of a battery of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV); determining, by the computer device and based on the monitoring, the charge level is less than a threshold level; docking the UAV on a host vehicle; charging the battery using wind-induced rotation of a rotor of the UAV while the UAV is docked on the host vehicle; determining, by the computer device, the UAV is moving away from a destination while the UAV is docked on the host vehicle; and undocking the UAV from the host vehicle based on the determining the UAV is moving away from the destination.

A flying object 20 is provided with a rotor blade 200 that generates lift and thrust by rotating and a rotating electrical machine unit that rotates the rotor blade 200. The rotor blade 200 receive wind power and rotate when not flying. The rotating electrical machine unit generates electric power based on a power that rotates the rotor blades 200 when not flying. In addition, the flying object 20 may be provided with a power storage device 230 that stores electric power generated by the rotating electrical machine unit. In addition, the flying object 20 may be provided with a detachably connected cartridge 260 that has a desired function.

A computer-implemented method includes: monitoring, by a computer device, a charge level of a battery of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV); determining, by the computer device and based on the monitoring, the charge level is less than a threshold level; docking the UAV on a host vehicle; charging the battery using wind-induced rotation of a rotor of the UAV while the UAV is docked on the host vehicle; determining, by the computer device, the UAV is moving away from a destination while the UAV is docked on the host vehicle; and undocking the UAV from the host vehicle based on the determining the UAV is moving away from the destination.

The present invention relates to a high-altitude wind farm aircraft system. The aircraft has a plurality of wind turbines for capturing wind energy and converting same into electric energy which is stored in an onboard battery system. The electric energy, before storage, is stepped down by a transformer and converted into DC by an AC-DC converter. For use of the stored energy, the aircraft is brought to the ground and the batteries are removed to connect to a microgrid or any other electric circuit. The batteries can be installed again in the aircraft system for recharging with the aircraft going to high altitude for recharging the batteries. In one embodiment, the aircraft has an altitude indicator for indicating an appropriate altitude level for maximum efficiency of the system.

Airborne devices for generating power in a crosswind power generating phase, including a body and at least one non-planar wing. A control system directs the airborne device to follow a predetermined flight path of increasing altitude during the crosswind power generating phase. Wind energy conversion systems and methods including an airborne device, a tether, a generator, and a control system that directs the airborne device to follow a predetermined flight path including a crosswind power generating phase.