Atmospheric Balloon Descent System with Riser Tether
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing descent systems for high-altitude atmospheric balloons often result in uncontrolled descents due to interference between the balloon and parachute deployment, leading to fouling and unpredictable descent paths, as the balloon may tangle with the parachute or suspension lines, preventing proper deployment and causing unpredictable or rapid descents.
Innovation Solution
A descent system is configured with a system housing that includes a parachute and a riser tether, which is deployed to space the system housing and parachute away from the balloon, allowing the drogue chute to elevate the system housing relative to the balloon and payload, facilitating the deployment of the parachute above the balloon to ensure controlled descent and recovery of both the payload and balloon.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the balloon is retained with the payload and descent system, then recovery of both payload and balloon is facilitated, but the balloon may foul the parachute deployment causing uncontrolled descent
Solution Approach 1:
The descent system is divided into separate functional components: a drogue chute for initial deployment and a main parachute for controlled descent. The drogue chute is deployed first to stabilize the system and prevent the balloon from interfering with main parachute deployment, while the main parachute provides the controlled descent. This segmentation allows each component to perform its function without fouling others.
Solution Approach 2:
The drogue chute is deployed in advance before the main parachute. This preliminary action stabilizes the balloon-payload-descent system orientation and position, ensuring that when the main parachute is subsequently deployed, the balloon cannot foul the deployment. The drogue chute performs the preparatory function of positioning the system correctly for the main parachute deployment.
2Ease of operation
If the drogue chute is deployed to space the system housing away from the balloon, then parachute deployment is facilitated, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The drogue chute and main parachute are integrated into a single descent system housing that is attached to the balloon-payload assembly. Both parachutes share common mounting structures and deployment mechanisms, reducing overall system complexity despite the added functionality. The housing contains both parachute packs and coordinates their sequential deployment.
Solution Approach 2:
The descent system housing serves multiple functions: it contains both the drogue chute and main parachute, provides the deployment mechanism for both, and acts as the structural connection point to the balloon-payload system. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components and simplifies the overall system architecture.
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 solution effectively prevents fouling during parachute deployment, ensuring a controlled and predictable descent of both the payload and balloon by maintaining the parachute's deployment above the balloon, thereby ensuring reliable and consistent descent and recovery of the entire balloon system.
Implementation Method 1
A drogue chute is deployed from the system housing and the descent system ascends relative to the payload and the atmospheric balloon through drag on the drogue chute
Implementation Method 2
The parachute, elevated above the atmospheric balloon fills according to dynamic pressure (e.g., based on velocity of descent, drag, density of air at altitude and the like). The deployed parachute slows descent of the attached payload and the deflated balloon
Implementation Method 3
The riser tether suspends both the payload and the deflated (or deflating) atmospheric balloon therebelow and corresponding spaces the descent system and the parachute therein away from the balloon
Data Source
AI summary
An atmospheric balloon descent system includes a system housing having a drogue chamber containing a drogue chute and a parachute chamber containing a parachute. The parachute coupled with the drogue chute with a drogue tether. A riser tether extends between a descent system end portion and a balloon system end portion, and the descent system end portion is coupled with the parachute. A drogue cover release is coupled between the riser tether and the drogue cover. The descent system transitions between riser deployment and parachute deployment configurations. In the riser deployment configuration the system housing is decoupled from the atmospheric balloon system and the riser tether is deployed between the system housing and the atmospheric balloon system. In the parachute deployment configuration the deployed riser tether opens the drogue chamber and deploys the drogue chute and the deployed drogue chute opens the parachute chamber and deploys the parachute.