I’ve been diving deep into your tests on kite force and the way you’ve approached power in the reeling mode. Your results, especially the 23.7 W power output at 4 m/s wind speed and the L/D squared value around 7, got me thinking.
I’m playing with an idea, kind of like how a clock’s escapement mechanism works. Imagine a system that adjusts its resistance when the kite’s tension goes beyond a set threshold. So, if we hit a certain torque, we’d let the line out at 0.2 meters every second.
Let:
T = tension
T_threshold = our set threshold
Rate of line release (R):
R = 0, if T < T_threshold
R = 0.2 meters/second, if T >= T_threshold
When the tension (T) increases, motors would need compensate to keep the line payout consistent. This isn’t about spinning faster, but adding resistance.
Breaking it down:
Motor voltage is determined from a raw value and scaled.
Motor current is calculated as: Motor voltage divided by Motor’s internal resistance.
Line tension is then derived from this motor current.
The motor’s effort adjusts based on the difference between the current tension and our set threshold. It’s a feedback loop that keeps the line payout consistent, no matter the pull on the line.
Just like how cruise control in a car maintains a consistent speed regardless of uphill or downhill terrain, the motor system ensures the kite line is pulled out at a steady rate. Even if the kite’s pull varies, similar to a car facing different slopes, the system adjusts itself to keep the line’s release consistent, ensuring the kite ascends at the rate.
When orbiting, the difference between all the control lines remains relatively static, in the video below you see that during a loop only slight inputs need to be made to the tether line line while the other line orbits around
