Aerostat Anchoring System With Rotatable Tether Pipe
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Solution Overview
Problem
Tethered aerostats face limitations in long-term operational consistency due to helium leakage and contamination, leading to frequent maintenance and short durations of service, as existing systems lack effective gas management and sealing mechanisms for extended altitude maintenance.
Innovation Solution
A novel anchoring system with a rotatable and removable tether pipe assembly and a gas distribution plenum within the anchoring vessel, allowing for selective bi-directional gas flow, filtering, and replenishment, while maintaining airtight seals to prevent gas loss and contamination.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a tethered aerostat uses helium as lifting gas, then it achieves lighter-than-air buoyancy, but helium leakage through the thin skin and seams causes insufficient gas volume for long-term operation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the helium gas from the aerostat envelope and stores it in a separate, rigid helium tank on the ground. A flexible hose connects the tank to the envelope, allowing helium to be supplied only when needed. This separates the helium storage function from the aerostat structure, preventing loss through the envelope's thin skin and seams while maintaining buoyancy integrity during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-storing helium in a rigid tank before deployment. The helium is stored in a pressurized state in the tank and can be quickly transferred to the envelope when required, ensuring continuous availability of lifting gas without needing to refill from external sources during operation.
2Reliability
If the aerostat envelope is made flexible to maintain buoyancy, then it achieves lighter-than-air qualities, but non-buoyant contaminants build up over time due to the thin skin and seams
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the lifting gas function from the flexible envelope by using a separate rigid helium tank. The envelope no longer needs to contain helium, so contaminants that would build up in the envelope can be vented without affecting buoyancy. The rigid tank provides a stable, sealable storage environment that prevents contamination.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses a disposable or replaceable flexible envelope that can be easily discarded when contaminated, rather than attempting to maintain the envelope's integrity indefinitely. The rigid helium tank serves as a permanent, maintainable storage solution that can be refilled or serviced without replacement.
3Ease of operation
If the tether pipe assembly is made removable for aerostat retrieval, then it enables flexible deployment and recovery operations, but the system complexity increases with additional connection and sealing mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the tether system into distinct modular components: a permanent anchoring vessel, a removable tether pipe assembly, and the aerostat. The tether pipe assembly can be detached from the anchoring vessel and stored on a spool, allowing flexible deployment and recovery operations. This modular segmentation enables independent maintenance and replacement of each component.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary storage spool that mediates between the removable tether pipe assembly and the anchoring vessel. The spool provides a convenient storage and handling mechanism for the tether pipe, enabling easy attachment and detachment operations while reducing the complexity of direct connection mechanisms.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enables extended durations of uninterrupted service for tethered aerostats by effectively managing helium levels and preventing contamination, reducing the need for frequent maintenance and enhancing the reliability of altitude maintenance.
Implementation Method 1
maintaining airtight seals to prevent gas loss and contamination
Implementation Method 2
allowing for selective bi-directional gas flow, filtering, and replenishment
Implementation Method 3
lighter-than-air vehicles and, in particular, aerostats that are retained and anchored to the ground or sea via a tether
Data Source
AI summary
A tethered aerostat with a ground based deployment, extended duration and recovery system to accommodate a weather vaning deployed aerostat while maintaining a supply of a lift gas by having a rotatable tether pipe and a hollow tether. Included is a rotatable tether pipe device assembly with rotor and stator components disposed in an air tight housing assembly to provide a ground based gas maintenance system. An aerostat deployment buoyancy control maintenance and combined recovery platform is provided. The tethered aerostat systems and method increase deployment duration and allow more systems to be controlled and maintained on the ground without interrupting aerostat operational capabilities.