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Your notes are welcome: Editor@UpperWindpower.com
Most recent edit: Tuesday
October 08, 2013
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Hilary Costello
Tether Dynamics |
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Published on Oct
2, 2012 as caption to the video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIZr3R5JnEs
Most Ph.D.s focus on niche topics in a very specific field (see
here) and Hilary Costello's research project is no different. Her
ongoing PhD looks into the properties of aerodynamic stability of
very long tethers for very high balloons or very deep offshore oil
and gas platforms underwater.
Understanding tether dynamics is extremely complex with numerous
factors affecting the behaviour of a cable - from the shape and
aerodynamics of the tether to the elasticity, bending and torsion
of the materials used not to mention the changing wind speed and
temperature at heights of up to 20 km.
Testing the cable dynamics of new tether designs in the real-world
is a crucial part of the research process and by modelling and
testing cables in isolated sections, it is possible to better
understand and model how these may operate together in a larger
system.
With limited access to mile-high balloons, Hilary can often be
found in the green pastures of Cambridge University flying kites!
Join her as she explains her quest to design an aerodynamic,
stable tether that will reduce tension and, ultimately, lessen the
risk of large-scale failure.
This film is part of a project funded by the Royal Academy of
Engineering to develop the on camera communication skills of
engineers across the UK.
Find out more on the Ri Channel: http://www.richannel.org/collections/...
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http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/airbornewindenergy/conversations/topics/10284
October 8, 2013 Welcome to Airborne Wind Energy, Hilary, from the
AWES Forum (Airborne Wind Energy Systems).
Note that we intentionally design airfoil quasi-tethers to oscillate
(in "dynamic stability"), as wind energy harvesters. It is quite
hard to fair and stabilize an airborne tether without too much added
weight, complexity, and cost. As you note in your video linked
below, tether dynamics are quite amazing, and we almost daily
experience weird new effects in our quest.
Our top tether dynamicist, Dave Lang finally has some serious
competition:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIZr3R5JnEs
~Dave Santos on Oct. 8, 2013 |
To dos:
- [ ] .Ask her when she started kiting.
- [ ] .When did her project focus start on the aerodynamic
tether
- [ ] .Awareness of the various centers at stations
- [x] .Stakeholder: her
- [x] .Stakeholder: Cambridge University Engineering
Department, Churchill College; Richard Shaw; Prof. Hugh Hunt.
- [ ] .Line Encyclopedia
- [ ] Flip wings and flip-wing forum
- [ ] Skybow rotating tether, a long flip-wing
- [ ] The new Faust based-single-line Double-Flip-Wing Tether
Kite System and also the based-single-line Triple-Flip-Wing Tether
Kite System for air or underwater operations.
- [ ] History of streamlined tethers for underwater and
atmospheric tethers.
- [ ] Files concerning aerodynamic tethers.
- [ ] Patents on aerodynamic tethers
- [ ] Manufacturing schemes: foam, inflatable, high-count
multi-strand in streamline shape, multiple types of strand
inclusions (tension, optical, communications, conductive of
electricity, conduit for gases, conduit for material transport,
conduit for liquid transport, conduit for torsion transport,
conduit for transport of people ... all interior of the
streamlined tether
- [ ] Observations of kite tethers
- [ ] Aspects of long tethers: high and low frequency
mechanical oscillations, creep, stretch, elastic waves, segmented
dynamics, tension, flutter, flip-winging, surface wetness, icing,
dust, insect and bird impacts, solar radiation effects, wear,
cost, etc. See files to date. Link files to this page.
- [x] Glossary link. H, C , T
- [ ] KiteEnergy list ?
- [x] email sent to trio on Oct. 8, 2013, c/o Prof. Hugh
Hunt. CC: small group.
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| Hilary, Welcome
to the world of AWE. You
are adding your own sparks to the AWE party. And we notice, applaud,
and wish you the best on your projects. We will take it as a
privilege to hear from you about your experiences, findings,
musings, speculations, conclusions, and all related publications.
You are welcome to post to our tech group.
We have installed you, Richard Shaw, your university and
department, Prof. Hugh Hunt ... in our stakeholders page.
Please let us know if there are others who are gaining stakes into
tether dynamics in your view; thank you.
A kite system is a complex of tether coupled wing sets; the
traditional "anchor" can also be considered to be in a wing set. The
count of members in the wing sets and in the tether set may vary
from low count to high count. And the number of wings in the various
wing sets may vary in count from low to high count. The tether
dynamics of long and short tethers is core matter for kite energy
systems. Arches, dome arrays, trains, coteries, etc. bring forward
advanced tether challenges. Your work is seen as part of a very
important movement for water and air tether engineering solutions in
kite and paravane and hapa renewable-energy sectors. Your works
will be spicing a growing Line
Encyclopedia. Your works will be affecting the interests of
Airborne Wind Energy Association international (AWEIA).
We would like to see just how far kite systems may play in
projects like the SPICE (S.P.I.C.E.
Stratospheric Particle Injection for Climate Engineering). We
would be interested in how Prof. Hugh Hunt's team evaluated kite and
kytoon systems in the approach to the focus on LTA balloons for
SPICE.
Best to you and your team members,
JoeF
Upper Windpower publications
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Related items, rough
explorations:
- Richard Shaw, masters student, some special work on tethers
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- Prof. Hugh Hunt
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