Westinghouse Electric Corporation

United States of America As Represented by the Secretary of the Air Force

Glenn R Beach

Myron S Wheeler

Paul R Jakubowski

Marcus Slobins

An improved tether having a central strength member comprised of layers of synthetic fibers surrounded by a thin weatherproof plastic barrier. A current carrying metallic braid surrounds the weatherproof barrier and in a portion of the tether is of a higher strength and denser weave copper than in other areas. An outer protective jacket surrounds the metallic braid and one or more windows are formed by removing a short longitudinal section of the outer jacket above an area of the tether which has the high density metallic braid. The weatherproof barrier, at least in the area where windows are formed, is heat sealed to form a seamless barrier. A relatively soft copper wire is wound around the metallic braid in the window area so as to transfer lightning induced currents in the metallic braid of the tether to a grounding system. The tether may be used in conjunction with an aerostat with the mooring system for the aerostat including a flying sheave which contacts one or more of the windows formed in the tether to complete the discharge path to a ground rod electrically connected to the mooring system.

Lightning hardened tether cable and an aerostat tethered to a mooring

An electromechanical tow cable which includes a central strength member comprised of a plurality of yarns of electrically conducting aramid fibers. The electrically conducting central member is surrounded by a dielectric medium on the surface of which is located two or more groups of electrically conducting wires circumferentially separated by electrically insulating sections. An outer electrically insulating jacket forms a protection for the cable. The central conducting strength member may be utilized for the application of a relatively high voltage which utilizes one of the conducting wire groups as a ground return. Another one of the conducting wire groups may be utilized for a relatively lower voltage which may utilize the same conductor group as the high voltage for a ground return.

Small diameter tow cable

The aerostat-supported antenna/tether cable of a communication system is protected from destructive corona discharges by a dual corona ring assembly which attaches the feed cable of the transmitter to the antenna. The voltage divider assembly includes upper and lower corona rings which have a space between them which is an isolated and corona-free attachment point for the feed cable. By attaching the voltage divider assembly to the antenna/tether cable at about 12 to 15 feet above the ground, the base of the antenna/tether cable distributes the feed voltage along its length to levels below those voltage levels in which destructive ionization may occur.

Suspended antenna with dual corona ring apparatus

A VLF communication system which utilizes the electrically conducting portions of an electromechanical cable connected to a deployed aerostat and acting as its tether so as to additionally serve as the VLF antenna.

Growing community of inventors

Columbia, MD, United States of America

Glenn R Beach