What is a tether?
The tether is a key component in any kite power system, and is responsible for transferring the power from the kite to the ground. A tether is just a fancy word for a cable or line which attaches two objects together, in this case it keeps the kite anchored to the ground station or 'tether point' while the kite flies across the sky. This allows aerodynamic forces generated by the kite to be transferred to the ground, without the need for a giant tower, required by conventional wind turbines. The tether is one area where recent material advancements have made a huge impact on the technical and economic feasibility of a kite power system. New materials, like Dyneema [5] offer a strength to weight ratio 10X higher than steel cable.