A "kite carousel" may be broadly defined as a large vertical axis
transmission/generator driven by a circle of power-kites. A KiteLab Group
refinement avoids crowding kites on a turntable. Instead, the kites are anchored
spaced apart around the generator, each contributing phased tug inputs to a
massive central crankshaft, as a "rotary-engine" of potentially GW scale.

The new rigging method for easily converting a COTS parafoil into an AWES
"workhorse" can be multiplied into a kite carousel at minimal cost and
complexity. The radial pumping rope-drives are airborne, so they don't need
ground supports to keep them clear of the ground.

For a simple, cheap, and early demonstration of aggregated carousel power at a MW
scale, each kite could be manually flown, in-phase, by an expert human pilot.
Future versions would be automated in due time, with power-kite controllers like
the many in development.

• CC BY NC SA        ~Dave Santos         20March2013              AirborneWindEnergy/message/8858 

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