Long mission tethered aerostat and method of accomplishing
First Claim
1. A lift gas ballast system for a tethered aerostat, comprising;
- (a) a tethered aerostat;
(b) a hollow flexible feed-tube embedded inside a tether having a first end connected to said tethered aerostat said hollow flexible feed-tube having a second end;
(c) a double slip ring device secured to said second end of said hollow flexible feed-tube; and
(d) a lift gas ballast tank disposed on the ground and connected to said tethered aerostat through said double slip ring and said hollow feed-tube.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus and method for a continuous replenishing of the lift gas and maintaining the proper pressure and lift of a tethered medium altitude aerostat utilizing a novel feed tube running the entire length of the tether. A first end of the feed tube is connected to the aerostat while a second end is connected through a novel slip ring means to a pressure controlled helium ballast chamber and scrubber on the ground to maintain pressure and lift by a reversible compressing pump. A plurality of pressure and temperature sensors and tension gauges strategically placed inside and around the airship continuously monitor the temperature and pressure changes in the aerostat. A data retrieval and communication unit mounted on the aerostat collects measurement data from the pressure, temperature and tension sensors which is relayed to the ground station and the data is used to regulate lifting gas pressure inside the aerostat.
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Citations
52 Claims
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1. A lift gas ballast system for a tethered aerostat, comprising;
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(a) a tethered aerostat; (b) a hollow flexible feed-tube embedded inside a tether having a first end connected to said tethered aerostat said hollow flexible feed-tube having a second end; (c) a double slip ring device secured to said second end of said hollow flexible feed-tube; and (d) a lift gas ballast tank disposed on the ground and connected to said tethered aerostat through said double slip ring and said hollow feed-tube. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A slip ring for accommodating a weathervaning aerostat comprising:
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(a) a housing having a first end and a second end; (b) a first rotatable element disposed in said first end of said housing; (c) a second rotatable element disposed in said second end of said housing; (d) a flexible coiled tubing connecting said first rotatable element to said second rotatable element; (e) an electromagnetic coil to maintain said second rotatable element stationary with respect to said first rotatable element until a predetermined number of revolutions of said first rotatable element is exceeded. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. An airship tether comprising:
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(a) a hollow coaxial lift gas feed tube providing a bidirectional flow of a lift gas and having a wall thickness of about 0.1 to 0.40 centimeters; (b) a fibrous strengthening member surrounding said hollow coaxial lift gas feed tube; (c) an electrical cable disposed in said fibrous strengthening member; and (d) at least some optical fiber disposed in said strengthening member. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A method of extending the duration of deployment of a tethered aerostat comprising:
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(a) employing a ground based lift gas reservoir; (b) utilizing a hollow lift gas feed tube in a tether connected to said ground based lift gas reservoir; (c) deploying a tethered aerostat connected to said hollow lift gas feed tube; and (d) providing a bidirectional flow of lift gas between said tethered aerostat and said ground based lift gas reservoir. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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Specification