High altitude airship system
OwnerAllen E. Paulsoninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An inflatable airship of predetermined volume is filled with gas to lift a predetermined weight to a predetermined high altitude. An elevator module is releasably secured to a gondola attached to the airship. A cable of a length at least equal to the deployment altitude of the airship has a first end attached to the elevator module and a second end attached to a winch mounted on the gondola. The airship is raised with the elevator module anchored to the ground and the cable is unwound from the winch as the airship rises. Once the desired operating altitude is reached, the winch is reversed to wind the cable onto the winch and raise the elevator module to the gondola.
Claims37
A high altitude airship system, comprising:
- an inflatable airship of predetermined volume adapted to be filled with gas and to rise to a predetermined high altitude;
- a gondola secured to the airship;
- a weighted elevator module releasably securable to the gondola;
- a rotatable winch secured to the gondola;
- a cable having a first end attached to the elevator module and a second end attached to the winch on which the cable is wound when the elevator module is secured to the gondola;
- and
- a drive device for rotating the winch to unwind the cable as the airship separates from the elevator module, and for rotating the winch in the opposite direction to wind the cable onto the winch and raise the elevator module to the gondola when the airship reaches the predetermined high altitude.
A method of deploying an airship to a predetermined high altitude, comprising the steps of:
- supplying gas to an airship while the airship is anchored on the ground, the airship being of predetermined volume to raise a predetermined weight to a predetermined high altitude;
- releasing the airship such that the gas causes the airship to rise to the predetermined high altitude;
- as the airship rises, gradually unwinding a cable from a winch secured to the airship so that the cable is unwound continuously from the winch as the airship rises at least part of the distance to the predetermined altitude, with a first end of the cable secured to the winch and a second end of the cable secured to a weighted elevator module on the ground;
- and
- winding the cable back onto the winch in order to raise the weighted elevator module from the ground up to the airship.
A method of operating an airship, comprising the steps of:
- supplying gas to an airship while the airship is on the ground, the airship being of predetermined volume to raise a predetermined weight to a predetermined high altitude;
- releasing the airship such that it rises to the predetermined altitude;
- periodically lowering an elevator module to the ground from the airship by gradually unwinding a cable from a winch secured to the airship, the cable having a first end secured to the airship and a second end secured to the elevator module;
- loading payload and/or personnel into the elevator module;
- and
- raising the module and payload back up to the airship by winding the cable back onto the winch.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.