GROUND STATION FOR AIRBORNE WIND TURBINE

摘要

An Airborne Wind Turbine (“AWT”) may be used to facilitate conversion of kinetic energy to electrical energy. An AWT may include an aerial vehicle that flies in a path to convert kinetic wind energy to electrical energy. The aerial vehicle may be tethered to an active azimuth ground station. In one aspect, the ground station has platform that is rotatable about an azimuth axis. The platform is coupled to an azimuth slewing bearing that is coupled an azimuth drive motor operable to rotate the platform about the azimuth axis. The platform may be coupled to a winch frame with an interior cavity. The winch frame may be coupled to a winch drum that is rotatable about a central axis. The winch drum may be coupled to a winch drum slewing bearing and a winch drum drive motor operable to rotate the winch drum about the central axis.

主权项

1. A ground station, comprising:
a tower; a platform rotatable relative to the tower via an azimuth slewing bearing; at least one azimuth drive motor coupled to the azimuth slewing bearing and configured to rotate the platform about an azimuth axis; a winch frame coupled to the platform; a winch drum rotatable relative to the winch frame via a winch slewing bearing; and at least one winch drive motor coupled to the winch slewing bearing and configured to rotate the winch drum about a central axis; wherein the winch frame comprises an interior cavity configured to house the at least one azimuth drive motor and the at least one winch motor.