Rotating Gas Injection Device for Rawinsonde Balloon Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Strong winds during inclement weather cause contortion and damage to rawinsonde balloons when helium is injected, leading to increased observational costs and manpower requirements due to the inability to reuse damaged balloons.
Innovation Solution
A rotating gas injection device featuring a handgrip, gas injection tube, ball bearing module, and outer ring cover that allows the neck of the balloon to make tight contact with the outer ring and cover, enabling rotation and preventing contortion by using the gas injection tube as a rotation axis, thereby reducing damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If gas is injected into the rawinsonde balloon during inclement weather, then the balloon can be inflated and used for observation, but strong winds cause the balloon to rotate and contort, leading to damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a protective device as an intermediary between the wind environment and the balloon neck. This device includes a cylindrical protective cover with a guide groove that allows controlled rotation while preventing uncontrolled twisting of the balloon neck, thus mediating the harmful effects of wind-induced rotation
Solution Approach 2:
The protective device incorporates dynamic elements including a rotatable cylindrical cover with guide grooves that enable controlled rotation. The structure transitions from a static protective cover to a dynamic system that can rotate with the balloon while maintaining protection, allowing the balloon to respond to wind forces without suffering damage
2Ease of manufacture
If the rawinsonde balloon is damaged due to contortion, then the balloon cannot be reused, but this increases observational costs and manpower requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The protective device is applied beforehand to cushion the balloon neck from wind-induced contortion forces. The cylindrical cover with guide grooves prevents excessive twisting before it can cause damage, enabling the balloon to withstand inclement weather conditions and be reused for subsequent observations
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
Prevents damage to rawinsonde balloons, reduces unnecessary costs, and decreases manpower consumption by allowing the balloons to be reused, ensuring reliable upper air data collection.
Implementation Method 1
a ball bearing module including an inner ring, an outer ring, and balls located between the inner ring and the outer ring, wherein the inner ring and the outer ring are rotatably engaged by means of the balls
Data Source
AI summary
A rotating gas injection device for preventing damage to a rawinsonde balloon, comprising: a handgrip part; a gas injection tube; a ball bearing module including an inner ring, an outer ring, wherein the inner ring and the outer ring are rotatably engaged by means of the balls; and an outer ring cover positioned outside of the outer ring to form space between the outer ring cover and the outer ring; wherein, after an insertion of a neck of the rawinsonde balloon into the space, a distance between the outer ring and the outer ring cover is controlled to be decreased so that the neck of the rawinsonde balloon makes tight contact, and in response to an external force exerted on the neck of the rawinsonde, the outer ring is allowed to be rotated together with the neck by means of the balls.