Optical Tether Power for Aerial Platform Flight Time
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aerial platforms for stationary or slow-moving applications face limitations such as limited height, high operational costs, noise, short flight times, and safety hazards due to electrical tethers or combustion engines, and are not suitable for long-term deployment in various weather conditions.
Innovation Solution
An aerial platform system that receives power via optical transmission, converting laser light into electric or mechanical power using photovoltaic cells or heat engines, allowing for extended operation without the weight and safety hazards of electrical conductors and combustion fuels, and includes a tether for stability and control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If electrical conductors are used to transmit power to the aerial platform, then power transmission is achieved, but the tether becomes heavy and safety hazards increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces electrical conductors with optical fibers for power transmission. The optical fiber transmits laser light to photovoltaic cells on the aerial platform, converting optical energy to electrical energy. This substitution eliminates the need for heavy metallic conductors and their insulation, significantly reducing tether weight while maintaining power transmission capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces optical fiber as an intermediary medium to transmit power. Instead of direct electrical conduction, the system uses optical fiber to carry laser light, which is then converted to electrical power by photovoltaic cells on the platform. This intermediary approach resolves the contradiction between power transmission and weight reduction.
2Use of energy by moving object
If electrical conductors are used to transmit power to the aerial platform, then power transmission is achieved, but safety hazards increase in the presence of lightning or high-voltage power lines
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces electrical conductors with optical fibers, which are non-conductive and immune to electromagnetic interference. This substitution eliminates safety hazards associated with lightning strikes and proximity to high-voltage power lines, as optical fibers do not conduct electricity and cannot create dangerous electrical arcs or attract lightning.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical fiber creates an electrically inert transmission medium that is immune to electromagnetic hazards. By using light instead of electrical current for power transmission, the system operates in an electrically inert environment that is safe from lightning and high-voltage interference.
3Force
If combustion engines are used for propulsion, then thrust is generated, but noise increases and maintenance requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces combustion engines with electric motors for propulsion. The electric motors are powered by electrical energy received via the optical tether, eliminating combustion processes. This substitution dramatically reduces noise levels while providing equivalent or superior thrust, and eliminates the need for frequent maintenance of combustion components.
4Power
If battery or fuel tank is carried by the platform, then power for propulsion is available, but flight time is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the energy storage function from the aerial platform itself and relocates it to a ground-based laser source. Instead of carrying limited battery or fuel supplies on the platform, the system uses a tethered optical connection to continuously transmit power from an external source, enabling indefinite flight duration limited only by the tether length and ground power availability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from static energy storage (batteries or fuel tanks with fixed capacity) to dynamic energy transmission via the optical tether. The laser power source on the ground can continuously replenish energy, allowing the platform to operate indefinitely as long as the tether remains connected and the ground power source is available.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables long-term, stable, and quiet operation of aerial platforms at various altitudes, reducing operational costs and safety risks while maintaining flexibility and control in diverse weather conditions.
Implementation Method 1
an optical power source coupled to an end of the optical transmission element and operable to transmit optical power towards another end of the optical transmission element
Implementation Method 2
an optical power receiver attached to the aerial platform and coupled to the optical transmission element, and the optical power receiver is operable to receive optical power and convert at least a portion of the optical power into a second form of power
Implementation Method 3
a propulsion element operable to use at least a portion of the second form of power produced by the optical power receiver to propel the aerial platform
Data Source
AI summary
An aerial platform receives power in the form of light, for example laser light, transmitted via an optical fiber from a remote optical power source. The platform comprises a receiver which converts at least a portion of the light to a different form of power, for example electric power. The platform also comprises a propulsion element which consumes the different form of power to generate propulsive thrust. Supplying power to the aerial platform from a remote source enables the platform to remain aloft longer than a battery or fuel tank carried by the platform would allow. Transmitting the power in the form of light is preferable in many cases to transmitting electric power, because electrical conductors are generally heavier than optical fibers, and are hazardous in the presence of lightning or a high-voltage power line.