Patent ID: 7504741

Claim:
A device for converting wind flow energy into mechanical energy, comprising a wind-engaging member connected to a base station by a load cable; a load cable storage means disposed at the base station, said storage means being configured to accommodate a section of the load cable; a control device configured to veer out and haul in the load cable section cyclically from and into the load cable storage means; an energy converter configured to convert the energy from the wind flow force transferred from the wind-engaging member via the load cable, and the energy from the movement of the load cable section veered out from the load cable storage means into an electrical, thermodynamic or mechanical form of energy; a steering mechanism configured to produce a steered movement about a first axis or in a first direction of the wind-engaging member relative to the airflow direction; a control unit configured to use the steering mechanism to: bring the wind-engaging member, after the load cable section has been veered out, into a flight position associated with a low tensile force; and to bring the wind-engaging member, after the section of load cable has been hauled in, into a flight position associated with a high tensile force; wherein, the wind-engaging member has an aerodynamic profile which generates an uplift force in the direction of the load cable when the airflow direction is perpendicular to the load cable; the steering mechanism is configured to generate a steered movement of the wind-engaging member, relative to the direction of airflow, in a second direction or about a second axis that is different from the said first direction or axis; and that the control unit is configured to move the wind-engaging member along a predetermined flight path in a flight plane perpendicular to the load cable.