SYSTEM AND PROCESS FOR STARTING THE FLIGHT OF POWER WING AIRFOILS, IN PARTICULAR FOR WIND GENERATOR

A system for starting the flight of power wing airfoils, in particular for a wind generator, comprising at least one wing profile, operatively connected through control tie-rods, to winches or other control mechanisms of a flight of such wing profile, and at least one autonomous transporting flying vector adapted to be connected through disengageable connecting means to at least one wing profile and to transport in flight such wing profile. A process is further described, for starting the flight of such power wing airfoils through such system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention refers to a system and to a process for starting the flight of power wing airfoils, in particular for wind generator.

Background Art

Different application fields are known in which it can be necessary to start the flight of a power wing profile, such as for example a kite-surf under conditions in which there is no wind on the ground. One of such application fields is the one dealing with electric energy wind generators, which exploit the flight of such wing profiles, like those, for example, disclosed in WO2008004261, WO2007122650, EP1672214, WO2008120257: in fact, though at certain heights there is always available an amount of wind enough to support the flight such profiles, it can happen that, on the contrary, on the ground there are situations in which wind is not enough to allow the autonomous takeoff or the start of flight of the wing profiles without external help.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, object of the present invention is solving the above prior art problems by providing a system and a process, in particular for wind generator, which allow starting the flight of power wing airfoils also without enough wind on the ground, through at least one autonomous transporting flying vector, preferably composed of a quadricopter, which takes care of transporting in flight such profile up to a height in which there is enough wind to support in flight and/or for the flight of the profile itself.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention, as will appear from the following description, are obtained with a system for starting the flight of power wing airfoils as claimed in claim1.

Moreover, the above and other objects and advantages of the invention are obtained with a process for starting the flight of power wing airfoils as claimed in claim7.

Preferred embodiments and non-trivial variations of the present invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims.

It is intended that all enclosed claims are an integral part of the present description.

It will be immediately obvious that numerous variations and modifications (for example related to shape, sizes, arrangements and parts with equivalent functionality) could be made to what is described, without departing from the scope of the invention, as appears from the enclosed claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to the Figures, it is possible to note that the system1for starting the flight of power wing airfoils7, in particular for a wind generator5, comprises:

at least one wing profile7operatively connected, through respective control tie-rods9as known in the art, to suitable winches or other control mechanisms (not shown) of the flight of the related wing profile7;

at least one autonomous transporting flying vector11adapted to be connected through disengageable connecting means13to at least one wing profile7and to transport in flight such wing profile7.

Preferably, such disengageable connecting means13are composed of at least one dragging cable15having a first end connected to such autonomous transporting flying vector11and a second opposite end to such first end equipped with at least one actuatable engaging/disengaging device17adapted to be engaged/disengaged to and from a respective engagement point arranged on the wing profile7and, for example, arranged along the attachment edge of the wing profile7itself. In a preferred alternative, as it is possible to note in particular inFIG. 4, it is possible to provide that the engagement point of the actuatable engaging/disengaging device17is arranged along the outlet edge18of the wing profile7in order to enable the starting of flight of the wing profile7, so that this latter one, once having reached the desired flight height and having been disengaged from the autonomous transporting flying vector11, can take the falling speed along the correct direction, exploiting the force of gravity and easily exit from a possible stalling situation.

Preferably, such actuatable engaging/disengaging device17is at least one electromagnetic hook and such engagement point arranged on the wing profile7is a related element made of metallic material, adapted to be magnetically connected to such electromagnetic hook. Obviously, the length, for example included between 4 m and 6 m, of the dragging cable15is the most suitable one to ensure the freedom of manoeuvre in flight of the autonomous transporting flying vector11without the flow produced by its own propellers necessarily impacts onto the wing profile7.

As it is possible to note in particular always inFIG. 4, it is also possible to provide that, in case of wing profiles7whose sizes and weights are relatively high, the starting of flight of the wing profile7can be assisted by the combined action of two or more of such autonomous transporting flying vectors11: in such case, in order to keep the geometry of the wing profile7unchanged, which could be subjected to distortions due to the combined traction exerted on different points of its own attachment or outlet edge18by two or more autonomous transporting flying vectors11, such wing profile7of the system1according to the present invention can further comprise at least one measuring system19, for example of the ultrasound type21, which high frequency triangulates the relative positions of the autonomous transporting flying vectors11and of the wing profile7.

In a preferred embodiment of the system1according to the present invention, such autonomous transporting flying vector11is a helicopter with one or more propellers, such as, for example, a quadcopter, an octocopter, a multicopter, etc., and, still more preferably, with electric supply. In fact, the electric supply of the autonomous transporting flying vector11is particularly suitable, since the manoeuvre for starting the flight of the wing profile7can be completed in few minutes and, therefore, compatibly with the energetic autonomy of such vector11, possibly allowing the vector11itself to autonomously go back to a suitable recharging station, once having taken in flight and disengaged the wing profile7itself. For such purpose, the system1according to the present invention can therefore further comprise at least one landing, storing and energy recharging station (not shown) of at least one of such autonomous transporting flying vectors11.

The present invention further refers to a process for starting the flight of power wing airfoils7, in particular for wind generator5, preferably through a system1according to the present invention as previously described, such system1in particular comprising at least one wing profile7operatively connected, through respective control tie-rods9as known in the art, to suitable winches or other control mechanisms (not shown) of the flight of the related wing profile7, and at least one autonomous transporting flying vector11adapted to be connected through disengageable connecting means13to at least one wing profile7and a transport in flight such wing profile7. In particular, the process according to the present invention comprises the steps of:

starting from a stalling position of the power wing profile7(like the one, for example, shown inFIG. 1), taking at least one autonomous transporting flying vector11next to such power wing profile7;

transporting in flight such power wing profile7through traction by such autonomous transporting flying vector11, possibly taking care of suitably unwinding the related control tie-rods9(as shown, for example, inFIG. 3);

once having reached, by such power wing profile7, a height in which there is enough wind for supporting in flight and/or the flight of the profile7, disengaging such autonomous transporting flying vector11from such power wing profile7.

Possibly, the process according to the present invention can comprise the step of taking back such autonomous transporting flying vector11to a landing, storing and energy recharging station.

It is wholly clear that the present invention further refers to at least one computer program comprising program code means which, when run on a computer, autonomously and automatically perform all or part of the steps of the above mentioned process.