Methods and systems for transitioning an aerial vehicle between crosswind flight and hover flight

摘要

A method involves operating an aerial vehicle in a hover-flight orientation. The aerial vehicle is connected to a tether that defines a tether sphere having a radius based on a length of the tether, and the tether is connected to a ground station. The method involves positioning the aerial vehicle at a first location that is substantially on the tether sphere. The method involves transitioning the aerial vehicle from the hover-flight orientation to a forward-flight orientation, such that the aerial vehicle moves from the tether sphere. And the method involves operating the aerial vehicle in the forward-flight orientation to ascend at an angle of ascent to a second location that is substantially on the tether sphere. The first and second locations are substantially downwind of the ground station.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
operating an aerial vehicle in a crosswind-flight orientation, wherein the aerial vehicle is connected to a tether that defines a tether sphere having a radius based on a length of the tether, wherein the tether is connected to a ground station; while the aerial vehicle is in the crosswind-flight orientation, positioning the aerial vehicle at a first location that is substantially on the tether sphere, wherein the first location is substantially downwind of the ground station; transitioning the aerial vehicle from the crosswind-flight orientation to a forward-flight orientation, such that the aerial vehicle moves from the tether sphere, wherein the aerial vehicle has attached flow, and wherein a tension of the tether is reduced; and operating the aerial vehicle in the forward-flight orientation to ascend at an angle of ascent to a second location, wherein the second location is substantially downwind of the ground station, wherein the tension of the tether increases during the ascent.