High altitude balloon systems and methods

A method of controlling a lighter-than-air (LTA) high altitude balloon system through a troposphere, tropopause and stratosphere, the balloon system comprising a zero-pressure balloon (ZPB) coupled with a super-pressure balloon (SPB), the SPB external to and suspended from the ZPB, a centrifugal compressor fluidly coupled with the SPB and configured to pump ambient air into the SPB, an adjustable valve fluidly coupled with the SPB and configured to release the pumped-in ambient air from the SPB, a payload support coupled with the SPB and configured to support a payload, an elongated ladder assembly coupling the payload support with the SPB such that the payload support is located above or below the SPB when the balloon system is in flight, a solar array coupled with the elongated ladder assembly, and an air hose fluidly coupled with the centrifugal compressor, wherein the centrifugal compressor is fluidly coupled with an interior volume of the SPB via the air hose, the method comprising:

• determining a first range of latitude and longitude coordinates corresponding to a first portion of the tropopause having a first plurality of altitudes corresponding respectively to a first plurality of wind directions within the tropopause;
• controllably releasing, with the adjustable valve, the ambient air from the SPB to ascend the balloon system from the determined first range of latitude and longitude coordinates within the troposphere and through the tropopause to the stratosphere, wherein the balloon system travels along a first helical trajectory through the tropopause due to the first plurality of wind directions at the first plurality of altitudes within the tropopause, wherein the balloon system ascends at a plurality of ascent rates through the tropopause, and wherein at least one of the plurality of ascent rates is at least 10,000 feet per hour;
• determining a second range of latitude and longitude coordinates corresponding to a second portion of the tropopause having a second plurality of altitudes corresponding respectively to a second plurality of wind directions within the tropopause;
• and
• controllably pumping, with the compressor, the ambient air into the SPB to descend the balloon system from the determined second range of latitude and longitude coordinates within the stratosphere and through the tropopause to the troposphere, wherein the balloon system travels along a second helical trajectory through the tropopause due to the second plurality of wind directions at the second plurality of altitudes within the tropopause, and wherein the balloon system descends at a plurality of descent rates through the tropopause, and wherein at least one of the plurality of descent rates is at least 10,000 feet per hour.

A lighter-than-air (LTA) high altitude balloon system comprising:

• a zero-pressure balloon (ZPB) configured to receive therein an LTA gas to provide an upward lifting force to the balloon system;
• a super-pressure balloon (SPB) configured to couple with the ZPB and configured to receive ambient air within an interior volume to provide a downward force to the balloon system, the SPB external to and suspended from the ZPB;
• and
• a multi-stage centrifugal compressor configured to pump the ambient air into the SPB to increase the downward force to the balloon system, wherein the multi-stage centrifugal compressor is configured to pump the ambient air into the SPB such that a resulting descent rate of the balloon system is at least 10,000 feet per hour at altitudes above 50,000 feet;
• an adjustable valve configured to release the pumped-in ambient air from the SPB to decrease the downward force to the balloon system, wherein the adjustable valve is configured to release the pumped-in ambient air from the SPB such that a resulting ascent rate of the balloon system is at least 10,000 feet per hour at altitudes above 50,000 feet;
• a payload support coupled with the SPB and configured to support a payload;
• an elongated ladder assembly coupling the payload support with the SPB such that the payload support is located above or below the SPB when the balloon system is in flight;
• a parafoil system coupled with the payload support and releasably coupled with the elongated ladder assembly in a stowed configuration, the parafoil system configured to release from the elongated ladder assembly and to deploy into a deployed flight configuration to controllably descend with the payload support to a landing site;
• and
• an air hose fluidly coupled with the multi-stage centrifugal compressor, wherein the multi-stage centrifugal compressor is fluidly coupled with the interior volume of the SPB via the air hose.