Multihour Stratospheric Flights with the Heliotrope Solar Hot-Air Balloon
- Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico
- University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Standard meteorological balloons can deliver small scientific payloads to the stratosphere for a few tens of minutes, but achieving multihour level flight in this region is more difficult. We have developed a solar-powered hot-air balloon named the heliotrope that can maintain a nearly constant altitude in the upper troposphere–lower stratosphere as long as the sun is above the horizon. It can accommodate scientific payloads ranging from hundreds of grams to several kilograms. The balloon can achieve float altitudes exceeding 24 km and fly for days in the Arctic summer, although sunset provides a convenient flight termination mechanism at lower latitudes. Two people can build an envelope in about 3.5 h, and the materials cost about $30. The low cost and simplicity of the heliotrope enables a class of missions that is generally out of reach of institutions lacking specialized balloon expertise. Here, we discuss the design history, construction techniques, trajectory characteristics, and flight prediction of the heliotrope balloon. We conclude with a discussion of the physics of solar hot-air balloon flight.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation (NA-20)
- OSTI ID:
- 1632234
- Alternate ID(s):
- OSTI ID: 1617325
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, Journal Name: Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 37; ISSN 0739-0572
- Publisher:
- American Meteorological SocietyCopyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Evaluation of the EarthSHAB Stratospheric Solar Hot Air Balloon Flight Prediction Model Using Balloon Trajectory Data