High frequency bi-directional AC power transmisssion

摘要

A method may involve transmitting power between a tethered aerial vehicle equipped with wind turbines for generating power and a ground station configured to interconnect the generated power to an electrical distribution network. The power may be transmitted using high voltage, high frequency AC electrical signals, and transformers at the ground station and the aerial vehicle can scale the AC voltage for use at the respective locations. Converters at the ground station and the aerial vehicle can then convert the transformed voltage to DC. The AC voltage may be transmitted through the tether at a resonant frequency of the tether based in part on an internal capacitance between multiple conductive paths on the tether.

主权项

1. A system comprising:
an aerial vehicle; a generator disposed in the aerial vehicle to generate power; a converter disposed in the aerial vehicle to convert the generated power to a high frequency AC voltage; a transformer disposed in the aerial vehicle to transform the high frequency AC voltage to a high voltage transmission level; a ground station coupled to the aerial vehicle; and a tether to couple the aerial vehicle with the ground station, wherein the tether transmits the transformed high frequency AC voltage to the ground station, wherein the tether includes a first conductive path and a second conductive path, and wherein the tether transmits the high frequency AC voltage by the first conductive path conducting the high frequency AC voltage with respect to the second conductive path.