The present disclosure relates to an aerial vehicle with a horizontal tailplane disposed along a bottom edge of a vertical tailfin. Namely, the aerial vehicle includes an empennage attached to the fuselage via a tail boom and a tail coupling. The empennage includes a vertical tailfin that extends below the tail coupling. The empennage also includes a tube arranged along a leading edge of the vertical tailfin and below the tail coupling of the aerial vehicle. The empennage additionally includes one or more rotating actuators and a horizontal tailplane. The horizontal tailplane is coupled to the tail via the tube and includes a continuous leading edge and a cutout. The one or more rotating actuators are configured rotate the horizontal tailplane about an axis of the tube. At least a portion of the vertical tailfin is configured to pass through the cutout.

A method of using a bagged power generation system comprising windbags and waterbags integrated with drones and adapting drone technologies for harnessing wind and water power to produce electricity. An extremely scalable and environmentally friendly method, system, apparatus, equipment, techniques and ecosystem configured to produce renewable green energy with high productivity and efficiency.

A toggle release mechanism includes a base element, a toggle element and an actuating rod. The toggle element is rotatably mounted at a first end to the base element about a first axis for rotation between a locking position and a release position. The actuating rod has a central portion extending through the toggle element and first and second end portions projecting on opposed sides thereof for engagement with actuators arranged on opposed sides of the release mechanism. The actuating rod also includes a mounting flange projecting therefrom at a boundary between the central portion and a first end portion. The mounting flange has a first hole therein for receiving a first fastener. A surface of the toggle element facing the mounting flange has a bore formed therein for receiving the first fastener. The mechanism also includes a mounting element slidably received on the second end of the rod.

A release mechanism comprises a locking body mounted for reciprocating movement in a first axial direction between a locked position and a released position. A force transmitting element is coupled to the locking body for transmitting a force (F) to the locking body for moving the locking body from the locked position to the released position. A biasing element acts on the locking body in a direction for moving the locking body from the released position to the locked position. The locking body comprises a slot having a first slot portion extending in said first direction, and a second slot portion extending transversely from one side of said first slot portion at an end thereof. The slot slidably receives an actuating element therein.

Faired tethers with internal support structures providing support to strength cores, and systems therewith, are described. The faired tethers include one or more electrical conductors and one or more rigid supports that inhibit movement of a strength core within a faired tether.

System and methods for controlling the oscillation of floating ground stations in aerial wind turbine systems are disclosed. Thrusters on the ground station or on one or more aerial vehicles associated with the ground station apply a compensatory force to the oscillating ground station to reduce and/or substantially eliminate wave-induced oscillations. Submerged thrusters may also rotate the ground station to a preferred alignment direction with the waves. Additionally, control systems use environmental and/or positional sensor data to develop a predictive force profile that maps desired compensatory force magnitude versus time. The control systems use that predictive force profile to direct the thrusters to apply a varying compensatory force over time.

A ram air turbine rotor comprises at least one intra-flow path shroud structure coupled between rotor blades, along a radial position between a support disc and an outer rim. The shroud structure includes shroud sectors each coupled between a respective pair of blades. The sectors each include a first edge adjacent to leading edges of the respective pair of blades, the first edge including a first curved segment, and a second edge adjacent to trailing edges of the respective pair of blades, the second edge including a second curved segment. The curved segments are each partially defined by a respective ellipse having a semi-major axis and a semi-minor axis. The semi-major axis is a portion of a spanwise distance between the respective pair of blades. The semi-minor axis is a portion of an axial distance between the leading edge of one blade and the trailing edge of an adjacent blade.

A tether guide operable through a wide range of tether/fleeting angles while causing minimal wear and having a reduced size compared to a levelwind wheel. The tether guide may include a series of rollers approximating the curved shape and radius of levelwind wheel. The tether guide may include downward facing guide wings matched to a curved roller profile, but flaring out to capture and guide tether into rollers. Sensors may be included on the tether guide to provide information about tether location, including whether the tether is engaged in the tether guide.

Airborne turbine systems with multiple aerial vehicles connected via multiple tethers to a shared ground station are disclosed. The ground station includes a multi-tether clock-face de-twist apparatus with a de-twist element that rotates along with the looping aerial vehicles. The de-twist element may be passively rotated through torque applied via the tethers or may be actively rotated via a drive system.

A system for carrying a tether guide, including a counter-balanced support system with two pivot points, where a first pivot allows the tether guide to travel up and down and the second pivot allows the tether guide to match the tether angle. Both pivots may be passive pivots. A shuttle that carries the tether guide may be electronically cammed to follow variable pitch helical grooves of a winch drum as the tether guide traverses across the drum length.