Kite networks as metamaterials
2015
AWES Kite-Matter as Acoustic Metamaterial      Jan 13, 2015  M16527   by Joe Faust

The concept of periodic-lattice Metamaterials, with programmable cybernetic properties, has taken hold in Condensed Matter Physics and Smart Materials Engineering. Acoustic metamaterials are an important class of applications that already range from atomic-scale structures to mesoscale seismic protection of large engineered structures. Our phonon-based AWES share the same fundamental physics, and are in fact megascale metamaterial concepts to generate and process acoustic energy from the latent kinetic energy between wind and surface. Its only natural that we can learn a lot from all the other acoustic metamaterial science. We will make our own contributions to the thriving field, but note that its just as critical to know structural engineering scaling barriers as it is to know when such barriers are not limiting, like many tensile cases. Thus, the old hermetic formula, inverted- "as below; so above", may portend that the newborn tech on the lab benchtop will also work as vast kite-matter-
AWES Kite-Matter as Acoustic Metamaterial      Jan 13, 2015  M16528   by Dave Santos

Here is a very helpful introduction to Phononic Crystals, which allow elastic waves to be lensed and mirrored in endless ways, much as optics do for light. As you read, keep in mind that kite-pumping of polymer line is our elastic wave unit, and kite-matter is our effective medium.

We can see that kite farms made of periodic metamaterial (ordered kite-matter)would in fact be megascale phononic crystals (CC+ Open-AWE IP Pool).


Kite-matter as an effective medium in composites science-
Jalbert Kite-Matter       M16712   Jan. 29, 2015     Dave Santos

We have defined Bell Kite-Matter as consisting of sparred triangular cells. Bell based his  kite-matter on Hargrave-Matter*, which can be defined as sparred rectangular cells. We can also see cellular kite matter in traditional kites, like Chinese dragon/centipede designs. The great Jalbert gets credit for creating modern soft-cellular (non-sparred) kite matter (celled parafoils), which we can call Jalbert-Matter. 

These exciting kite forms of engineered matter are fundamentally characterized by their specific repeating (nearly) identical structural units, with unique metamaterial dynamics.

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* he "gave [Hargrave] a break" :)
Surface Acoustic Waves in Kite Lattices  Sept. 22,2015  M19107    Dave Santos

As we create and scale-up novel kite lattices, we aim to understand and apply the inherent wave mechanics available to us. A major class of waves of interest are Surface Acoustic Waves (SAWs), with standard applications ranging in scale from microchips to earthquake characterization. Wave-field physics are suited to statistical mechanical engineering.

Surfaces concentrate wave energy greatly (as Anyons), and kites, as largely quasi 1D and 2D surfaces, operate in surface modes. The Earth's surface is a primary medium for our wind-driven kite forces to act on, as a sort of mirror SAW medium. SAWs are also a hot basis for quantum computing research. As our lattices grow in depth, internal wave mechanics will apply in complex multimodal metamaterial dynamics.

There are two major kinds of SAWs for us to study for kite lattices. Longitudinal Raleigh Waves include ocean waves and and the flowing billows in our kite surfaces. Love Waves correspond to periodic crosswind motions in our kite structures (How cool is that?). Studying many SAW similarity cases will continue to inspire and inform our AWES lattice designs-