Altitude release mechanism
Abstract
An altitude release mechanism for releasing a radiosonde or other measuring instrument from a balloon carrying it up into the atmosphere includes a bottle partially filled with water, a tube sealed into the bottle having one end submerged in the water in the bottle and the free end extending above the top of the bottle and a strip of water-disintegrable paper held within the free end of the tube linking the balloon to the remainder of the package. As the balloon ascends, the lowered atmospheric air pressure causes the air in the bottle to expand, forcing the water in the bottle up the tubing to wet and disintegrate the paper, releasing the package from the balloon.
- Inventors:
-
- Hinsdale, IL
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 862952
- Patent Number(s):
- 4056000
- Assignee:
- United States of America as represented by United States Energy (Washington, DC)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
G - PHYSICS G01 - MEASURING G01W - METEOROLOGY
Y - NEW / CROSS SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES Y10 - TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC Y10S - TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- altitude; release; mechanism; releasing; radiosonde; measuring; instrument; balloon; carrying; atmosphere; bottle; partially; filled; water; tube; sealed; submerged; free; extending; top; strip; water-disintegrable; paper; held; linking; remainder; package; ascends; lowered; atmospheric; air; pressure; causes; expand; forcing; tubing; wet; disintegrate; release mechanism; atmospheric air; measuring instrument; air pressure; partially filled; tube sealed; altitude release; /73/116/
Citation Formats
Kulhanek, Frank C. Altitude release mechanism. United States: N. p., 1977.
Web.
Kulhanek, Frank C. Altitude release mechanism. United States.
Kulhanek, Frank C. Sat .
"Altitude release mechanism". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/862952.
@article{osti_862952,
title = {Altitude release mechanism},
author = {Kulhanek, Frank C},
abstractNote = {An altitude release mechanism for releasing a radiosonde or other measuring instrument from a balloon carrying it up into the atmosphere includes a bottle partially filled with water, a tube sealed into the bottle having one end submerged in the water in the bottle and the free end extending above the top of the bottle and a strip of water-disintegrable paper held within the free end of the tube linking the balloon to the remainder of the package. As the balloon ascends, the lowered atmospheric air pressure causes the air in the bottle to expand, forcing the water in the bottle up the tubing to wet and disintegrate the paper, releasing the package from the balloon.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {1977},
month = {1}
}
Save to My Library
You must Sign In or Create an Account in order to save documents to your library.