airship

Abstract

The invention relates to the field of aeronautics, namely to lighter-than-air aircraft. An airship is proposed comprising a hull filled with cylindrical balloons with lighter-than-air gas and formed by a shell and frames made in the form of elastic strips, the ends of which are connected to form a closed loop. The airship additionally contains an external framework located along the nose and side parts of the hull, formed by internal and external stiffeners connected by horizontal and vertical stiffeners, wherein the frames are attached at equal distances in the lower-side part of the hull to the internal stiffeners, and the external stiffeners are located tangentially to the hull. In this case, the shell is attached to the frames in the upper and lower parts of the hull, as well as to the external stiffeners of the framework. The shell is made with tension and forms the external surface of the framework. The horizontal and vertical stiffeners form at least one deck and bulkheads, as well as a subdeck space that bears the main part of the load to shift the center of gravity to the lower part of the airship. The technical results that the claimed invention is aimed at achieving are the following: ensuring the strength of the airship; improving the aerodynamic characteristics of the airship; optimizing the internal space of the hull to place a larger number volume of plain cylindrical form gas balloons cylinders while maintaining the overall dimensions of the airship; increasing the space for placing the payload, including passengers, cargo and technological equipment; ensuring the possibility of landing both on the ground and on water.

Description

[0001] AIRSHIP

[0002] FIELD

[0003] The invention relates to the field of aeronautics, namely to lighter-than-air aircraft.

[0004] BACKGROUND

[0005] A hybrid airship of lenticular shape is known from the prior art [RU105881, B64B1 / 08, published 27.06.2011], comprising an outer air-filled shell, an outer power ring, inner power rings, a central power unit, cruise and lift-stabilizing power plants, a torus shock absorber, wherein in order to reduce the compressive load on the outer power ring and increase the load on the inner power rings and the central power unit holding the gondola, as well as to eliminate radial folds, the upper and lower parts of the outer shell correspond to a part of an ellipsoid with a height-to- diameter ratio equal to 0,6; the outer power ring is made in the form of a triangular truss; the cruise power plants are located above and below the outer power ring at the point of maximum distance of the outer power ring away from the longitudinal axis of the airship, and the lift-stabilizing stem plants are located outside the range of the jets from the cruise plants; the internal gas envelopes are attached to the gondola by means of internal rigging, and are also attached to the outer ring to prevent them from shifting when the airship tilts.

[0006] The prior art discloses an airship [US 1718343, B64B1 / 00, published 25.06.1929] comprising a centrally located deck, a part of the hull below the said deck, another part of the hull above said deck, wings connected to the airship above the said deck, control means installed on the deck, as well as compartments for passengers and crew on the deck, located along the outer edge of said upper part of the hull.

[0007] The closest to the claimed invention is a lighter-than-air aircraft [US 1718343, B64B1 / 00, published 25.06.1929], comprising a streamlined upper part of a substantially semi-elliptical cross-section, a streamlined lower part of a substantially semi-circular cross-section, an upper part hanging over the lower part, a longitudinal system of struts occupying the hanging upper part and passing through the body of the airship, wherein the said system of struts forms longitudinal inverted wind channels adjacent to the sides of the lower part of the ship, as well as lateral wind- directing surfaces passing between the longitudinal outer edges of the upper part and the adjacent edges of the said wind channels.

[0008] The objective of the claimed invention is to expand the range of functional cargo and passenger lighter-than-air aircraft.

[0009] SUMMARY OF INVENTION

[0010] The technical results that the claimed invention is aimed at achieving are the following: ensuring the strength of the airship; improving the aerodynamic characteristics of the airship; optimizing the internal space of the hull to place a larger number volume of plain cylindrical form gas balloons while maintaining the overall dimensions of the airship; increasing the space for placing the payload, including passengers, cargo and technological equipment; ensuring the possibility of landing both on the ground and on water.

[0011] The technical results are achieved by the fact that an airship is proposed comprising a hull filled with cylindrical balloons with lighter-than-air gas and formed by a shell and frames made in the form of elastic strips, the ends of which are connected to form a closed loop. The airship additionally contains an external framework located along the nose, tail and side parts of the hull, formed by internal and external stiffeners connected by horizontal and vertical stiffeners, wherein the frames are attached at equal distances in the lower-side part of the hull to the internal stiffeners, and the external stiffeners are located tangentially to the hull. In this case, the shell is attached to the frames in the upper and lower parts of the hull, as well as to the external stiffeners of the framework. The shell is made with tension and forms the external surface of the framework. The horizontal and vertical stiffeners form at least one deck and bulkheads, as well as a subdeck space that bears the main part of the load to shift the centre of gravity to the lower part of the airship.

[0012] In a particular embodiment of the invention, the lighter-than-air gas is helium or hydrogen.

[0013] In a particular embodiment of the invention, the closed loop has the profile of a circle or an ellipse.

[0014] In a particular embodiment of the invention, the frames are made of carbon fiber or fiberglass.

[0015] In a particular embodiment of the invention, the stiffeners are made of aircraft aluminum or carbon fiber.

[0016] In a particular embodiment of the invention, the shell is made of aircraft aluminum or carbon fiber.

[0017] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0018] Fig. 1 shows a transverse diagram of the airship.

[0019] Fig. 2 shows a longitudinal diagram of the airship (pos. 1 - side view, pos. 2 - top view).

[0020] The airship includes hull 1 (Fig. 1, Fig. 2) formed by frames 2 (Fig. 1). The airship contains an external framework 3 (Fig. 1, Fig. 2) located along the side parts of hull 1, formed by internal 4 (Fig. 1) and external 5 (Fig. 1) stiffeners connected by horizontal 6 (Fig. 1) and vertical 7 (Fig. 1) stiffeners. Frames 2 are attached at equal distances in the lower-side part of hull 1 to internal stiffeners 4, and external stiffeners 5 are located tangentially to hull 1. Hull 1 is also formed by shell 8 (Figs. 1 and 2), attached to frames 2 in the upper and lower parts of hull 1, as well as to external stiffeners 5, wherein shell 8 is made with tension and forms the external surface of framework 3.

[0021] In a particular embodiment of the invention, horizontal 6 and vertical 7 stiffeners form one deck 9 (Fig. 1) and bulkheads 10 (Fig. 1), as well as subdeck space 11 (Fig. 1). In a particular embodiment of the invention, front and rear cruise propellers 12 (Fig. 2) are secured to the framework 3.

[0022] In a particular embodiment of the invention, the airship contains three transverse tunnels: front 13 (Fig. 2), middle 14 (Fig. 2) and rear 15 (Fig. 2), located at the level of the deck 9.

[0023] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The invention is illustrated by the following examples of implementation.

[0025] Example 1. The airship includes hull 1 filled with helium cylindrical balloons and formed by frames 2 made of carbon fiber in the form of elastic strips, the ends of which are connected to form a closed loop in the form of a circle. The airship contains an external framework 3 located along the nose and side parts of hull 1, formed by internal 4 and external 5 stiffeners connected by horizontal 6 and vertical 7 stiffeners. Frames 2 are attached at equal distances in the lower-side part of hulll to internal stiffeners 4, and external stiffeners 5 are located tangentially to hull 1. Stiffeners 4, 5, 6, 7 are made of aircraft aluminium . Frame 3 in cross section has the shape of a quadrangle, one of the comers of which is convex. Hull 1 is also formed by a shell 8 attached to frames 2 in the upper and lower parts of hull 1, as well as to external stiffeners 5. The shell 8 is made of aircraft aluminum with tension due to the force of gravity pressing the framework 3 to the frames 2. The horizontal 6 and vertical 7 stiffeners form one deck 9 and bulkheads 10, as well as subdeck space 11. The deck 9 is intended to accommodate passengers and cargo. Subdeck space 11 is intended to accommodate process equipment, as well as to be the bearing part of the load in order to shift the center of gravity to the lower part of the airship.

[0026] Example 2. The airship is made similar to example 1, with its hull 1 filled with hydrogen cylindrical balloons, and frames 2 made of fiberglass in the form of elastic strips, the ends of which are connected to form a closed loop in the form of an ellipse. Stiffeners 4, 5, 6, 7 are made of carbon fiber. To further increase strength, frames 2 are pulled together with spokes made, for instance, of metal or synthetic material. Horizontal 6 and vertical 7 stiffeners form two decks, with the upper deck intended for filling with gas fuel, and the lower deck intended for placing cargo. The shell 8 is made of carbon fiber.

[0027] Example 3. The airship is made similar to example 1, with deck 9 intended for accommodating passengers. Front and rear cruising propellers 12 are secured to framework 3. The airship additionally contains three transverse tunnels located at the level of deck 9. Front tunnel 13 is integrated with the nose cone with the pilot's cabin and serves to accommodate the power plant for the front cruising propellers 12. The second middle tunnel 14 serves to move passengers and cargo in the transverse direction between the parts of deck 9 located along the side of hull 1. Tunnel 14 is equipped at the outer ends with exits from deck 9 of the airship. Rear tunnel 15 is integrated with the tail unit and serves to accommodate the power plant for rear cruising propellers 12. Tunnels 13 and 15 serve as additional reinforcement elements for the airship structure at the attachment points of the cruising propellers 12.

[0028] The implementation of the external framework, as well as the means for fixing it to the hull, according to examples 1-3 of the claimed invention, allows for ensuring the strength of the airship. In addition, the implementation of the shell with tension affects the strength of the airship in a positive way.

[0029] Since the external framework is formed, among other things, by external stiffeners located tangentially to the hull, the external framework has triangular profile, which leads to an improvement in firmness and aerodynamic characteristics of the airship. In addition, the improvement of the airship is affected by the location of the subdeck space in the lower part of the external framework, which bears the main part of the load and is intended for the placement of process equipment, since this ensures a shift in the center of gravity to the lower part of the airship.

[0030] Due to the fact that the external framework, as the main structural element ensuring the strength of the airship, is located outside the hull, the internal volume of the hull is optimized to ensure the possibility of placing a larger number volume of standard form gas filled cylindrical balloons while maintaining the overall dimensions of the airship. The presence of the external framework and its implementation according to examples 1-3 of the claimed invention provides an increase in space for accommodating a payload, including passengers, cargo and process equipment, compared to an airship of traditional design, which assumes the presence of a relatively small gondola in its lower part, in which the said space is limited.

[0031] The arrangement of the external framework along the nose and side parts of the hull provides the possibility of landing the airship both on the ground and on water, since the lower part of the airship is free of structural elements for accommodating passengers and / or cargo, for example, a gondola.

Claims

CLAIMS1. An airship comprising a hull filled with cylindrical balloons containing lighter-than-air gas and formed by a shell and frames made in the form of elastic strips, the ends of which are connected to form a closed loop, characterized in that the airship additionally comprises an external framework located along the nose and side parts of the hull, formed by internal and external stiffeners connected by horizontal and vertical stiffeners, wherein the frames are attached at equal distances in the lower- side part of the hull to the internal stiffeners, and the external stiffeners are located tangentially to the hull, wherein the shell is attached to the frames in the upper and lower parts of the hull, as well as to the external stiffeners of the framework, wherein the shell is made with tension and forms the external surface of the hull, the horizontal and vertical stiffeners form at least one deck and bulkheads, as well as an subdeck space that bears the main part of the load to shift the center of gravity to the lower part of the airship.

2. The airship according to claim 1, wherein lighter-than-air gas is helium or hydrogen.

3. The airship according to claim 1, wherein the closed loop of the frames has the shape of a circle or an ellipse.

4. The airship according to claim 1, wherein the frames are made of carbon fiber or fiberglass.

5. The airship according to claim 1, wherein the frame stiffeners are made of aircraft aluminum or carbon fiber.

6. The airship according to claim 1, wherein the shell is made of aircraft aluminum or carbon fiber.

Images