A control arrangement for a wind powered vehicle

Abstract

A control arrangement ( 1 ) for a kite ( 6 ) is attached to a boat ( 2 ). Without any external control or energy input the control arrangement ( 1 ) automatically tracks the movement of the kite ( 6 ) as the kite ( 6 ) moves relative to the boat ( 2 ). The control arrangement ( 1 ) ensures that the kite ( 6 ) flies so that the line of action ( 15 ) of the kite ( 6 ) always extends through the centre of lateral resistance ( 14 ) of the boat ( 2 ). This enables the kite ( 6 ) to pull the boat ( 2 ) without applying any heeling moment to the boat ( 2 ).

1 . A control arrangement for a wind powered vehicle, the arrangement comprising:
 a first elongate support member,   a second elongate support member which is pivotally mounted at a pivot point to the first support member, the second support member having a free end which is remote from the pivot point,   a flexible elongate drive line which is attachable at one end to a wind powered drive element which, in use, applies a drive force to the drive line, wherein the drive line extends slideably through a first mounting point adjacent the free end of the second support member such that the drive force applies a first moment to the second support member about the pivot point,   a biasing arrangement comprising:
 at least one additional mounting point which is provided on the second support member between the free end and the pivot point, 
 at least one further mounting point which is provided on the first support member, 
 a fixing point which is provided on one of the second support member and the first support member, and 
 a portion of the drive line which extends slideably through each additional mounting point on the second support member and each further mounting point on the first support member, wherein the portion of the drive line extends a plurality of times between the additional mounting points on the second support member and the further mounting points on the first support member, the drive line being fixed to the fixing point so that the biasing arrangement is configured to convert the drive force into a biasing force and to apply the biasing force to the second support member at the additional mounting points to at least partly cancels the first moment applied to reduce the overall moment to the second support member about the pivot point in a first plane, 
   wherein the control arrangement further comprises:   a base unit rotatably attached to the first support member, the first support member being rotatable about an axis by any number of 360° rotations or part rotations relative to the base unit and configured to rotate relative to the base unit until the second support member is aligned such that no overall moment is applied in a second plane to the second support member.   
     
     
         2 . A control arrangement according to  claim 1 , wherein the number of times the drive line extends between the additional mounting points and the further mounting points is N and each additional mounting point is positioned on the second support member at substantially 1/N of the distance between the pivot point and the free end. 
     
     
         3 . A control arrangement according to  claim 1 , wherein the number of times the drive line extends between the additional mounting points and the further mounting points is N and each further mounting point is positioned on the first support member at substantially 1/N of the distance between the pivot point and the centre of resistance to lateral movement. 
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . A control arrangement according to  claim 2 , wherein the position of each additional mounting point on the second support member between the free end and the pivot point is adjustable by a modification value which is proportional to the frictional resistance between the drive line and at least one of the mounting points. 
     
     
         9 . A control arrangement according to  claim 3 , wherein the position of each further mounting point on the first support member is adjustable by a modification value which is proportional to the frictional resistance between the drive line and at least one of the mounting points. 
     
     
         10 . A control arrangement according to  claim 1 , wherein the arrangement further comprises a resilient element which is attached to the first and second support members, the resilient element providing a resilient bias between the first and second support members to at least partly cancel a moment applied to the second support member by the weight of the second support member. 
     
     
         11 . A control arrangement according to  claim 6 , wherein the resilient element is attached to at least one extension element which is attached to one of the first and second support members. 
     
     
         12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . A control arrangement according to  claim 1 , wherein the arrangement further comprises two flexible elongate control lines which are attachable at one end to the wind powered drive element to control the wind powered drive element, wherein the control lines extend slideably through the first mounting point adjacent to the free end of the second support member. 
     
     
         14 . A control arrangement according to  claim 8 , wherein a portion of each control line is incorporated into the biasing arrangement and as such extends slideably a plurality of times between the additional mounting points and the further mounting points. 
     
     
         15 . A control arrangement according to  claim 8 , wherein the drive line extends at least partly around a rotatable element which is provided at the pivot point, the control lines extend at least partly around the rotatable element and the control lines and the drive line wind onto or reel out from the rotatable element as the rotatable element rotates. 
     
     
         16 . A control arrangement according to  claim 1 , wherein the base unit incorporates an aperture and the elongate axis of the first support member is at least partly aligned with the aperture in the base unit. 
     
     
         17 . A control arrangement according to  claim 11 , wherein the arrangement further comprises two flexible elongate control lines which are attachable at one end to the wind powered drive element to control the wind powered drive element, and wherein the control lines extend through the aperture in the base unit. 
     
     
         18 . A control arrangement according to  claim 11 , wherein the arrangement further comprises two flexible elongate control lines which are attachable at one end to the wind powered drive element to control the wind powered drive element, and wherein the arrangement further comprises two crew lines which are connected respectively to the two control lines, the crew lines extending through the aperture in the base unit. 
     
     
         19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . A control arrangement according to  claim 12 , wherein the control lines are connected to mechanical control arrangement. 
     
     
         21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A control arrangement according to  claim 13 , wherein the crew lines are connected to a mechanical control arrangement. 
     
     
         23 . A control arrangement according to  claim 1 , wherein the first support member is rotatable relative to the base unit about an axis aligned with a z direction, and wherein the base unit minimises or prevents movement of the first support member relative to the base unit in x, y and z directions, the x and y directions being perpendicular to one another and perpendicular to the z direction, and wherein the base unit minimises or prevents rotation of the first support member relative to the base unit about axes aligned with the x and y directions. 
     
     
         24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . A control arrangement according to  claim 1 , wherein the base unit is releasably attached to the first support member. 
     
     
         26 . A control arrangement according to  claim 1 , wherein the each further mounting point on the first support member is moveable to adjust a heeling moment applied by the control arrangement to the vehicle. 
     
     
         27 . A control arrangement according to  claim 18 , wherein the arrangement further comprises an arrangement for adjusting the position of each further mounting point automatically to stabilise the vehicle if the vehicle is subjected to a rolling moment. 
     
     
         28 . A control arrangement according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the lines is releasably attached to a releasable attachment element and wherein the length of the lines is adjustable by winding in or letting out the lines from the releasable attachment element. 
     
     
         29 . (canceled) 
     
     
         30 . A control arrangement according to  claim 1 , wherein the arrangement further comprises a wind powered drive element which is connected to one end of the drive line. 
     
     
         31 . A control arrangement according to  claim 21 , wherein the wind powered element is one of an aerofoil section, a kite and a wing. 
     
     
         32 . A control arrangement according to  claim 1 , wherein the control arrangement further comprises one or more additional drive lines. 
     
     
         33 . A vehicle comprising a control arrangement according to  claim 12 , wherein the control arrangement is mounted to the vehicle and the control lines are configured to be pulled in or let out manually by a user. 
     
     
         34 . (canceled) 
     
     
         35 . (canceled) 
     
     
         36 . A vehicle comprising a control arrangement according to  claim 13 , wherein the control arrangement is mounted to the vehicle and the crew lines are configured to be pulled in or let out manually by a user. 
     
     
         37 . (canceled) 
     
     
         38 . A vehicle according to  claim 33 , wherein the control lines are connected to one of a power bar which is mounted to the vehicle and which is operable to be controlled by the hands of a user and a foot bar which is mounted to the vehicle and which is operable to be controlled by the user's feet. 
     
     
         39 . A vehicle comprising a control arrangement according to  claim 1 , wherein the length of the second support member is selected so that the direction of the force exerted by the wind powered element on the drive line extends substantially through the centre of lateral resistance of the vehicle when there is no overall moment applied to the second support member about the pivot point or about the axis of rotation of the first support member. 
     
     
         40 . A boat comprising a control arrangement according to  claim 1 , wherein the base unit is attached to the boat. 
     
     
         41 . A boat comprising a control arrangement according to  claim 40 , wherein the base unit is attached directly to a keel, centreboard or single element comprising both a keel/centreboard and rudder which is configured to be attached to the boat. 
     
     
         42 . A boat according to  claim 40 , wherein the base unit is attached directly to a rudder which is configured to be mounted to the boat. 
     
     
         43 . A boat according to  claim 42 , wherein the rudder is mounted to the boat and the boat does not incorporate a keel or centerboard which is distinct from the rudder. 
     
     
         44 . A boat according to  claim 42 , wherein the rudder is pivotally mounted to or near the rear of the boat. 
     
     
         45 . (canceled) 
     
     
         46 . (canceled) 
     
     
         47 . (canceled) 
     
     
         48 . A boat according  claim 40 , wherein the boat is a boat selected from a group including a raft, surfboard, ship, canoe, kayak, dinghy, yacht, monohull, multihull, displacement vessel, planing vessel and a vessel supported on hydrofoils. 
     
     
         49 . A boat according  claim 40 , wherein the boat comprises at least one hydrofoil element. 
     
     
         50 . A boat according to  claim 49 , wherein each hydrofoil element is moveably mounted to the boat and the control arrangement further comprises an adjustment arrangement which is operable, in use, to adjust the angle of incidence of each hydrofoil element relative to water on which the boat is travelling to maintain each hydrofoil at a substantially constant depth below the surface of the water. 
     
     
         51 . A land based wind powered vehicle comprising a control arrangement according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         52 . A snow or ice based wind powered vehicle comprising a control arrangement according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         53 . A vehicle according to  claim 36 , wherein the crew lines are connected to one of a power bar which is mounted to the vehicle and which is operable to be controlled by the hands of a user and a foot bar which is mounted to the vehicle and which is operable to be controlled by the user's feet. 
     
     
         54 . A boat according to  claim 40 , wherein the boat comprises one of a keel, centreboard and a single element comprising both a keel/centreboard and rudder to resist lateral movement of the boat. 
     
     
         55 . A boat according to  claim 54 , wherein the longitudinal axis of the first support member is aligned with the longitudinal axis of the keel or centreboard or single element comprising both a keel/centreboard and rudder.