# US 11,027,816 B1 · Air-buoyant structures and vehicles > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,027,816 B1 - Document ID: US11027816B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 15/997,163 - Filed: 2018-06-04 - Granted: 2021-06-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-06-05 - Assignees: Triad National Security, LLC - Applicants: Triad National Security, LLC - Inventors: Miles Frank Beaux, II; Igor Olegovich Usov; Brian M. Patterson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11027816B1 ## CPC - B64B 1/14: Outer covering - B64B 1/58: Arrangements or construction of gas-bags; Filling arrangements - B64B 1/30: Arrangement of propellers - B64B 1/44: adapted to maintain predetermined altitude - B64U 10/30: Lighter-than-air aircraft, e.g. aerostatic aircraft - B64U 20/60: UAVs characterised by the material - B64U 50/31: generated by photovoltaics - B64B: LIGHTER-THAN AIR AIRCRAFT - B64U: UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES [UAV]; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR ## Abstract Air-buoyant structures, and vehicles incorporating air-buoyant structures, are provided. Hollow, air-buoyant structures may include a shell of ultra-low density aerogel material, foam material, or vapor-expanded material that is strong and stiff enough to withstand atmospheric pressure and lightweight enough to achieve buoyancy in air under evacuation. The shell may be reinforced with a suitable reinforcing material, such as helical nanofibers. The air-buoyant structures may also include vacuum pumps and valves operably connected to or integrated with the hollow shell. The vacuum pumps and valves may be configured to pump air out of the hollow shell and allow air back into the hollow shell to control buoyancy. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An air-buoyant structure, comprising: a shell comprising an aerogel material, a foam material, a vapor-expanded material, or any combination thereof; a cavity defined by the shell and located within the shell that is under reduced pressure conditions as compared to atmospheric pressure at a specific altitude; and a plurality of vacuum pumps and valves integrated with the shell, wherein the plurality of vacuum pumps and valves are configured to maintain the reduced pressure conditions within the cavity by pumping air out of the cavity. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The air-buoyant structure of claim 1, wherein the shell is reinforced with helical nanofibers. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The air-buoyant structure of claim 1, wherein the plurality of vacuum pumps and valves are configured to pump air out of and allow air into the cavity to control buoyancy of the air-buoyant structure. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The air-buoyant structure of claim 1, wherein the plurality of vacuum pumps and valves comprise at least one roughing pump. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The air-buoyant structure of claim 1, wherein the air-buoyant structure is operably connected to or included as part of an assembly with one or more other air-buoyant structures. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The air-buoyant structure of claim 5, wherein the assembly is an air-buoyant platform. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The air-buoyant structure of claim 5, wherein at least two of the air buoyant structures have different shapes. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The air-buoyant structure of claim 1, wherein the shell is torus-shaped, pill-shaped, spherical, cylindrical, or a lattice support matrix. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The air-buoyant structure of claim 1, wherein the shell is formed from interconnected tubes. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The air-buoyant structure of claim 1, wherein the shell is built around a payload. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The air-buoyant structure of claim 1, wherein the air-buoyant structure is part of a vehicle. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The air-buoyant structure of claim 1, wherein the shell comprises at least one solar panel, at least one propeller and/or at least one cyclorotor, at least one payload, control circuitry, at least one battery, at least one instrument, or any combination thereof. ### Claim 13 An air-buoyant vehicle, comprising: a shell; a cavity defined by the shell and located within the shell; a plurality of vacuum pumps and valves integrated with the shell, wherein the plurality of vacuum pumps and valves are configured to pump air out of and allow air into the cavity to control buoyancy of the shell. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The air-buoyant vehicle of claim 13, wherein the air-buoyant vehicle comprises at least one solar panel, at least one propeller and/or at least one cyclorotor, at least one payload, control circuitry, at least one battery, at least one instrument, or any combination thereof. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The air-buoyant vehicle of claim 13, further comprising: at least one payload. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The air-buoyant vehicle of claim 15, wherein the payload is interchangeable such that the air-buoyant vehicle can support different missions. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The air-buoyant vehicle of claim 15, wherein the payload is suspended from the shell. ### Claim 18 An air-buoyant platform, comprising: a platform; and a plurality of air-buoyant structures operably connected to the platform, wherein the plurality of air-buoyant structures, when evacuated, are configured to lift the air-buoyant platform into the air, the plurality of air-buoyant structures comprise: a shell comprising an aerogel material, a foam material, a vapor-expanded material, or any combination thereof, a cavity defined by the shell and located within the shell that is under reduced pressure conditions as compared to atmospheric pressure at a specific altitude, and a plurality of vacuum pumps and valves integrated with the shell, and the plurality of vacuum pumps and valves are configured to maintain the reduced pressure conditions within the respective cavity by pumping air out of the respective cavity. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The air-buoyant structure of claim 1, wherein the shell comprises the aerogel material alone with a density of 0.0011 to 0.5 grams per cubic centimeter (g/cm3).