High altitude airship configuration and power technology and method for operation of same

• US 8,020,805 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2007
• Issued: 09/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The United States of America As Represented By The Secretary of Agriculture
• Original Assignee: United States Of America As Represented By The Administrator Of The National Aeronautics And Space Administration
• Inventors: Elliott, James R. Jr., Park, Yeonjoon, Choi, Sang H., King, Glen C., Kim, Jae-Woo, Chu, Sang-Hyon
• Primary Examiner(s): Swiatek; Rob
• Assistant Examiner(s): Xavier; Valentina
• Application Number:
  US11/831,233
• Publication Number:
  US 20090072078A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,512 Days
• Field of Search: 244/24, 244/30, 244/31, 244/60, 244/96, 244/125, 244/126, 244/127
• US Class Current: 244/30
• CPC Class Codes: B64B 1/06 Rigid airships; Semi-rigid airships B64B1/58 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B64B 1/20 provided with wings or stabilising surfaces tail unit construction B64B1/10; movable control surfaces B64B1/12
• CPC Class Codes: B64B 1/30 Arrangement of propellers
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/30 Lighter-than-air aircraft, e.g. aerostatic aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/20 for use as communications relays, e.g. high-altitude platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/23 for providing telephone services
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/35 for science, e.g. meteorology
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/31 generated by photovoltaics
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 10/852 comprising tellurium, selenium or sulfur
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 10/855 comprising compounds containing boron, carbon, oxygen or nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 10/857 comprising compositions changing continuously or discontinuously inside the material

Abstract

A new High Altitude Airship (HAA) capable of various extended applications and mission scenarios utilizing inventive onboard energy harvesting and power distribution systems. The power technology comprises an advanced thermoelectric (ATE) thermal energy conversion system. The high efficiency of multiple stages of ATE materials in a tandem mode, each suited for best performance within a particular temperature range, permits the ATE system to generate a high quantity of harvested energy for the extended mission scenarios. When the figure of merit 5 is considered, the cascaded efficiency of the three-stage ATE system approaches an efficiency greater than 60 percent.

Claims

1. An airship having a substantially flat upper surface and further comprising means for converting solar energy incident thereon and means for maximizing the collection of said solar energy, wherein said means for converting solar energy comprises at least one thermoelectric energy conversion device comprising a plurality of thermoelectric layers, and wherein each such layer is suited for best thermal energy conversion performance within a particular temperature range;

wherein said maximizing means comprises troughs, wherein said troughs are configured to collect and concentrate the incident solar energy and focus it onto said means for converting solar energy, wherein said maximizing means further comprises means for reorienting said airship to maintain said substantially flat upper surface oriented substantially perpendicular to the incident solar rays;

wherein said airship comprises means for power management and said reorienting means comprises a rail system configured to move said power management means, whereby the position of said power management means is maintained substantially at the nadir point of said airship;

wherein said airship further comprises at least one hangar configured for the launching of aerial vehicles, further wherein said rail system comprises means for moving said at least one hangar, whereby the position of said at least one hangar is controlled.

2. The airship of claim 1, wherein said airship is a high altitude airship.

3. The airship of claim 1, wherein each said trough comprises a reflective surface.

4. The airship of claim 1, wherein said power management means is a power management control station positioned on said lower surface of said airship.

5. The airship of claim 1, wherein at least one of said energy conversion devices is positioned along a longitudinal axis of a corresponding trough to receive said concentrated, focused solar energy reflected from said corresponding trough.

6. The airship of claim 1, wherein said plurality of thermoelectric layers comprise one or more layers of nanovoid-embedded semiconductive alloy.

7. The airship of claim 6, wherein said nanovoid-embedded semiconductive alloy is at least one of nanovoid-embedded lead telluride (PbTe) semiconductive alloy and nanovoid-embedded bismuth telluride (Bi₂Te₃) semiconductive alloy.

8. The airship of claim 7, wherein said plurality of thermoelectric layers comprise one layer of each of lattice-matched silicon germanium (SiGe) semiconductive alloy, nanovoid-embedded lead telluride (PbTe) semiconduetive alloy and nanovoid-embedded bismuth telluride (Bi₂Te₃) semiconductive alloy.

9. The airship of claim 1, wherein said position of said at least one hangar is continually maintained at or near the nadir point of said airship.

10. The airship of claim 1, further comprising an array of rectennas disposed on at least one lower surface of said airship, wherein said rectennas are configured to convert microwave energy to electrical energy.

11. The airship of claim 1, further comprising reflector means operatively connected to said airship wherein said reflector means is configured to relay received laser energy to desired locations.

12. The airship of claim 1, further characterized as having an elliptical cross-section.