Development of a Super-Pressure Balloon with an Improved Design

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  • IZUTSU Naoki
    Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
  • AKITA Daisuke
    Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
  • FUKE Hideyuki
    Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
  • IIJIMA Issei
    Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
  • KATO Yoichi
    Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
  • KAWADA Jiro
    Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
  • MATSUSHIMA Kiyoho
    Fujikura Parachute Company
  • MATSUZAKA Yukihiko
    Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
  • MIZUTA Eiichi
    Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
  • NAKADA Takashi
    Fujikura Parachute Company
  • NONAKA Naoki
    Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
  • SAITO Yoshitaka
    Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
  • TAKADA Atsushi
    Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
  • TAMURA Keisuke
    Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
  • YAMADA Kazuhiko
    Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
  • YOSHIDA Tetsuya
    Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency

Abstract

A zero-pressure balloon used for scientific observation in the stratosphere has an unmanageable limitation that its floating altitude decreases during a nighttime because of temperature drop of the lifting gas. Since a super-pressure balloon may not change its volume, the lifetime can extend very long. We had introduced so called the ‘lobed-pumpkin’ type of super-pressure balloon that can realize a full-scale long-duration balloon and it will be in practical use in the very near future. As for larger super-pressure balloons, however, we still have some potential difficulties to be resolved. We here propose a new design suitable for a larger super-pressure balloon, which is roughly ‘lobed pumpkin with lobed cylinder’ and can adapt a single design for balloons of a wide range of volumes. Indoor inflation tests were successfully carried out with balloons designed and made by the method. It has been shown that the limit of the resisting pressure differential for a new designed balloon is same as that of a normal lobed-pumpkin balloon.

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