Spar Buoy Platform

Abstract

An offshore airborne wind turbine system including an aerial vehicle, an electrically conductive tether having a first end secured to the aerial vehicle and a second end secured to a platform, a rotatable drum positioned on the platform, an aerial vehicle perch extending from the platform, wherein the platform is positioned on a top of a spar buoy.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A buoy comprising:
 a first downwardly extending support leg;   a second downwardly extending support leg;   a third downwardly extending support leg;   a first cross member extending between a first end of the first support leg and a first end of a second support leg;   a second cross member extending between the first end of the second support leg and the first end of the third support leg;   a third cross member extending between a first end of the third support leg and the first end of the first support leg;   wherein second ends of the first, second, and third support legs are configured to support an airborne wind turbine system platform.   
     
     
         2 . The buoy of  claim 1 , wherein a first end of an electrically conductive tether is attachable to the platform; and
 wherein an aerial vehicle is attachable to a first end of the tether.   
     
     
         3 . The buoy of  claim 2 , wherein the airborne wind turbine system platform is positioned above the second ends of the first, second, and third support legs. 
     
     
         4 . The buoy of  claim 2 , further comprising a rotatable drum positioned on the platform. 
     
     
         5 . The buoy of  claim 2 , further comprising an aerial vehicle perch extending from the platform. 
     
     
         6 . The buoy of  claim 5 , wherein the vehicle perch is attached to a perch boom extending horizontally from the platform. 
     
     
         7 . The buoy of  claim 1 , wherein the second end of the first support leg is attached to the second end of the second support leg. 
     
     
         8 . The buoy of  claim 7 , wherein the second end of the first support leg is attached to the second end of the second support leg. 
     
     
         9 . The buoy of  claim 8 , wherein the second end of the third support leg is attached to the second end of the first second leg and attached to the second end of the second support leg. 
     
     
         10 . The buoy of  claim 1 , wherein a first connection point for attachment to a first mooring line is positioned at the first end of the first support leg;
 a second connection point for attachment to a second mooring line is positioned at the first end of the second support leg; and   a third connection point for attachment to a third mooring line is positioned at the first end of the third support leg.   
     
     
         11 . The buoy of  claim 5 , wherein the aerial vehicle perch is rotatable about a top of the buoy. 
     
     
         12 . The buoy of  claim 11 , further including a rotatable drum positioned on the platform wherein when the aerial vehicle is being reeled in and the tether is being wound onto the rotatable drum, the aerial vehicle perch is positioned in a path of the tether being wound onto the rotatable drum. 
     
     
         13 . The buoy of  claim 4 , wherein the rotatable drum has a horizontal axis of rotation.