Apparatus for generation and use of lift gas

• US 7,871,036 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2010
• Issued: 01/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pioneer Astronautics (Voyager Space Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Astronautics (Voyager Space Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zubrin, Robert M., Berggren, Mark H., Harber, Dan, Rose, Heather Ann
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis; Christopher P
• Application Number:
  US12/767,615
• Publication Number:
  US 20100200693A1
• Time in Patent Office: 267 Days
• Field of Search: 244/98, 244/31, 244/33, 244/63, 244/135.R, 446/220
• US Class Current: 244/98
• CPC Class Codes: B64B 1/62 Controlling gas pressure, heating, cooling, or discharging gas

Abstract

A balloon launch unit produces lift gas to enable balloon launch or to allow the prolongation of balloon flight. A method of using the balloon launch unit can include reforming a fuel source by reaction with water to generate hydrogen-rich lift gas mixtures, and injecting the lift gas into a balloon. A reforming operation can include causing the combustion of a combustible material with ambient oxygen for the release of energy; and heating a reforming combination of reaction fuel and water with the energy released from the combustion of the combustible material, to a temperature above that required for the reforming reaction wherein the fuel and water sources are reformed into lift gas. The amount of the combustible material combusted is sufficient to result in the release of enough energy to heat an amount of the reforming reaction fuel and water sources to the temperature above that required for the reforming reaction.

Claims

1. A method for producing lift gas comprising:

reforming a fuel source in a reaction with water to generate lift gas for a balloon or other flexible container, the lift gas consisting essentially of hydrogen and carbon dioxide; and

capturing the generated lift gas in the balloon or other flexible container;

wherein the fuel source is selected from the group consisting of alcohols, olefins, paraffins, ethers, aromatic hydrocarbons, propane, diesel fuel, gasoline, unrefined commercial fuels, crude oil and natural gas; and

wherein the captured lift gas can be used to launch the balloon or other flexible container or can be used to facilitate the buoyancy of the balloon or other flexible container during flight.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the lift gas is produced on board the balloon or other flexible container during flight.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the lift gas is used to launch the balloon or other flexible container.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising causing the combustion of a combustible material with ambient oxygen for the release of energy, the released energy useful in driving the reforming of the fuel source.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein water produced during the combustion of a combustible material is collected and used as the water source during the reforming of a fuel source to generate lift gas.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein water produced during the combustion of a combustible material is collected and used as ballast to be dropped off the balloon during an appropriate period of time.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the reformer fuel source and combustible material are the same.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the fuel source and combustible material are selected from the group consisting of alcohol, ether, olefin, paraffin, or aromatic hydrocarbon.

9. The method of claim 4, wherein the reformer fuel source and combustible material are not the same.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein the combustion to provide energy to drive the reforming reaction is performed in a separate chamber which exchanges heat with the reformer.

11. The method of claim 4, wherein the combustion to provide energy to drive the reforming reaction is performed in the reforming reactor itself.

12. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

the contact of a catalyst to the reforming reaction fuel source wherein the catalyst reduces the temperature required to drive the reforming reaction generation of lift gas.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the catalyst is a copper based catalyst.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the catalyst is copper on alumina or copper on zinc oxide.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the catalyst is an iron based catalyst, a nickel based catalyst, or a ruthenium based catalyst.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the lift gas is produced by a ground based unit which remains on the ground but is used to enable balloon launch.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the molecular weight of the lift gas is reduced by using a membrane or other gas separation system to remove some or all of the non-hydrogen components from the lift gas mixture.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the lift gas comprises hydrogen and carbon dioxide.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the reformed fuel is an alcohol, and wherein said alcohol is premixed with water before reformation in appropriate proportions, thereby allowing the reformer to be fed with a single feed stream.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the heat from the hot exhaust gas output from the reformer reactor is used to generate steam to feed the reformer.

21. The method of claim 11, wherein the heat from the hot exhaust gas output from the combined combustion/reformer reactor is used to generate steam to feed the combustion/reformer reactor.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the heat from the hot exhaust gas output from the reformer reactor is used to heat the combined alcohol/water mixture feeding the reformer.