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US 11,072,410 B1Granted
Aerospace balloon system and method of operation
AssigneeSpace Perspective Inc.
InventorTaber MacCallum
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A balloon system including a balloon, and optionally including a payload and/or a safety module. A balloon, preferably including a balloon envelope and one or more passive vents, and optionally including one or more active valves. A method of balloon system operation, preferably including maintaining a zero-pressure balloon condition and sealing balloon vents, and optionally including ascending, descending, and/or otherwise operating the balloon system in flight.
Claims22
A method for operating a balloon system, comprising, at a zero-pressure balloon defining a balloon interior:
- while the balloon interior contains a lighter-than-air fluid, ascending to a high altitude range, wherein the balloon inflates while ascending due to a reduction in atmospheric pressure surrounding the balloon;
- and
- while in the high altitude range, while a passive vent of the zero-pressure balloon is in a first configuration, in which the balloon interior is fluidly coupled to a balloon exterior via the passive vent, passively venting a first portion of the lighter-than-air fluid via the passive vent, thereby maintaining a substantially zero pressure condition within the balloon;
- while in the high altitude range, after passively venting the first portion of the lighter-than-air fluid via the passive vent, initiating a balloon descent, comprising controlling an active valve of the balloon system to open, thereby actively venting a second portion of the lighter-than-air fluid via the active valve, wherein the active valve is distinct from the passive vent;
- and
- after passively venting the first portion of the lighter-than-air fluid via the passive vent, configuring the passive vent in a second configuration, in which the balloon interior is not fluidly coupled to the balloon exterior via the passive vent, comprising sealing the passive vent.
3 more elements
A balloon system comprising:
- a zero-pressure balloon defining a balloon interior, wherein the zero-pressure balloon is substantially fully inflated by a lighter-than-air fluid contained within the balloon interior;
- an active valve arranged at a surface of the zero-pressure balloon, the active valve operable to controllably vent lighter-than-air fluid from the balloon interior;
- a passive vent arranged at the surface of the zero-pressure balloon, the passive vent operable to transition from a first configuration to a second configuration, wherein:
- in the first configuration, the balloon interior is fluidly coupled to a balloon exterior via the passive vent, such that, while the balloon is substantially fully inflated by the lighter-than-air fluid, a substantially zero pressure condition is maintained within the balloon due to passive venting of lighter-than-air fluid via the passive vent;
- and
- in the second configuration, the passive vent is sealed and the balloon interior is not fluidly coupled to the balloon exterior via the passive vent.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.