Abstract
This study investigated the mechanical properties of polymeric fiber ropes for harvesting wind energy using an airborne wind rotor at high altitude. The tensile fracture load and rigidity of the ropes are very important for the safety issue and the efficiencies of the power transfer from the wind rotor to the ground. Our results suggested that the tensile fracture load of the ropes decreases as the number of torsion increases, and that there were no significant differences in the power transfer efficiencies of three rope samples used in this experiment, i.e., cotton, cremona, and nylon rope samples. Thus, our finding suggested that nylon can be a proper material in the three rope samples from the safety improvement for harvesting wind energy using an airborne wind rotor.
