Autonomous Tethered Aerostat Launch and Landing Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current tethered aerostat systems require human crews for launch and landing, leading to increased operating costs and safety hazards, especially in severe weather conditions, as they need to be available round-the-clock for immediate operations.
Innovation Solution
An automated aerostat system with a ground platform and Flight Controller that uses sensors and actuators to autonomously control altitude and attitude, enabling autonomous launch, flight, and landing, reducing the need for human intervention through a system of tethers, winches, and bridle capture mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If human crews are used for aerostat launch and landing operations, then operational control and safety monitoring are improved, but operating costs increase and safety hazards arise especially in severe weather conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The aerostat system performs launch and landing operations autonomously without human crews. The automated control system manages the entire operation sequence including tether deployment, aerostat ascent, descent, and docking, allowing the system to serve itself and eliminating the need for human intervention during hazardous operations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical operations with an automated control system that uses sensors, actuators, and control algorithms to manage aerostat launch and landing. The mechanical system is substituted with an automated electromechanical control system that can operate safely in severe weather conditions without exposing human crews to hazards
2Reliability
If human crews are available round-the-clock for aerostat operations, then immediate response to severe weather conditions is improved, but operating costs increase due to continuous crew availability requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The automated system operates autonomously without requiring human crews to be on-site, eliminating the need for round-the-clock crew availability. The system can self-monitor conditions and execute launch or landing operations automatically, maintaining immediate response capability while removing the cost burden of continuous human staffing
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the human element from the operational process, removing crews from the launch and landing sequence. This extraction eliminates the requirement for continuous human availability while preserving the system's ability to respond immediately to weather conditions through automated control
3Object-affected harmful factors
If automated control systems are implemented for aerostat launch and landing, then safety and operating costs are improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The automated control system performs multiple functions including monitoring aerostat position, controlling tether deployment, managing attitude stabilization, and coordinating docking operations. By consolidating these diverse functions into a single integrated control system, the patent manages complexity while achieving comprehensive safety and operational control
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines sensors, actuators, control algorithms, and decision-making logic into an integrated automated control system. This merging of components and functions creates a unified system that manages complexity through integration rather than through separate independent subsystems
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
The system allows for reliable and cost-effective operation of tethered aerostats with reduced human presence, enhancing safety by enabling autonomous control of aerostat movements and reducing the need for continuous crew availability, thus lowering operational costs and mitigating hazards.
Implementation Method 1
aerostat-based systems have the intrinsic advantage that their well-established core technology uses a lighter-than-air (e.g., helium-filled) lifting body to provide support even in the absence of wind
Data Source
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AI summary
Embodiments disclosed herein enable routine autonomous execution of at least some major phases of aerostat operation in response to commands from human or automated external operators, a built-in decision-making capacity, or both. Various embodiments combine one or more actively controlled tethers, aerodynamic aerostat control surfaces, mechanical assistive devices (e.g., jointed arms attached to a ground station), and/or active propulsors attached to the aerostat to govern aerostat behavior during launch, flight, and landing phases of operation. Some embodiments enable automatic autonomous performance of all phases of routine post-commissioning aerostat operation, including launch, flight, and landing, without any routine need for availability of a human crew.