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US 11,993,359 B2Granted
Balloon system and/or method for balloon stand-up
AssigneeSpace Perspective Inc.
InventorsJacquie Prescott, Ryan Nascimento, Taber MacCallum, Manasi Palwankar
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The system 100 can include a balloon system 110 and a set of spools 120. The system can optionally include a set of actuators 130. However, the system 100 can additionally or alternatively include any other suitable set of components. The system can function to facilitate balloon launch preparation and/or launch of a balloon vehicle system. The system can additionally function to facilitate controlled stand-up of a balloon.
Claims20
A method of balloon standup onboard a vessel, the method comprising:
- with a balloon deflated:
- wrapping the balloon through a series of spools;
- and
- attaching a base fitting of a balloon to a hardpoint on a deck of the vessel,
- wherein the balloon sequentially engages the hardpoint, a first spool, and a second spool along a deflated length of the balloon,
- wherein an apex portion of the balloon extends beyond the second spool,
- the apex portion comprising a set of fill tubes and an apex fitting;
- at least partially inflating the apex portion of the balloon with a lift gas;
- and
- paying out the balloon under tension of the apex portion, comprising:
- controlling translation of the first spool towards the second spool along a translation axis;
- translating the first spool beneath the second spool along the translation axis;
- and
- offsetting the first spool on an opposite side of the hardpoint along the translation axis relative to the second spool, thereby releasing the balloon engagement.
11 more elements
A system for balloon standup onboard a ship, comprising:
- a set of linear rails mounted to a ship deck and defining a translation axis;
- a first spool coupled to the set of linear rails and configured to translate along the translation axis of the linear rails;
- a second spool;
- a first actuator mounted to the ship deck and coupled to the second spool, the actuator configured to raise the second spool relative to the ship deck;
- a frame coupled to the set of linear rails and configured to translate along the translation axis of the linear rails;
- a third spool configured to removably mount to the frame in a first configuration and couple to the first actuator in a second configuration;
- and
- a fourth spool coupled to the set of linear rails and configured to translate along the translation axis of the linear rails;
- and
- a set of winches configured to couple to each of the frame, the first spool, and the fourth spool, the set of winches configured to regulate individual translation of the frame, the third spool, and the fourth spool along the set of linear rails.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.