Neutrally buoyant vehicle maneuvering system and methods for same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11242126-B2
Application number	US-201916560944-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 4, 2019
Priority date	Sep 4, 2018
Publication date	Feb 8, 2022
Grant date	Feb 8, 2022

Abstract

A towed atmospheric balloon system includes an atmospheric balloon including a quantity of lift gas and a neutral buoyancy towing system coupled with the atmospheric balloon. The neutral buoyancy towing system includes one or more towing thrusters configured to move the towed atmospheric balloon system in a neutrally buoyant condition between altitudes, and a power source operatively coupled with the towing thruster. Wherein a composite mass of the towed atmospheric balloon system includes component masses of the atmospheric balloon and the neutral buoyancy towing system, and the composite mass is static and neutral buoyancy is maintained with movement between altitudes. At differing altitudes the composite mass of the towed atmospheric balloon system is static and the system remains neutrally buoyant.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A towed atmospheric balloon system comprising:
an atmospheric balloon including a quantity of lift gas therein;
a neutral buoyancy towing system coupled with the atmospheric balloon, the neutral buoyancy towing system includes:
a towing thruster configured to move the towed atmospheric balloon system in a neutrally buoyant condition between altitudes; and
a power source operatively coupled with the towing thruster;

wherein a composite mass of the towed atmospheric balloon system includes component masses of the atmospheric balloon and the neutral buoyancy towing system, and the composite mass is static and neutral buoyancy are maintained with movement between altitudes; and
wherein the atmospheric balloon includes a dynamic volume that changes between altitudes while the composite mass is static and neutral buoyancy is maintained.

2. The towed atmospheric balloon system of claim 1 , wherein the towing thruster configured to move the towed atmospheric balloon system is configured to drive the towed atmospheric balloon system between altitudes.

3. The towed atmospheric balloon system of claim 1 , wherein the power source includes an electric motor and one or more of a battery or a photoelectric cell.

4. The towed atmospheric balloon system of claim 1 , wherein the towing thruster consists of at least one of a rotor, propeller, or ducted fan.

5. The towed atmospheric balloon system of claim 1 , wherein the towing thruster is configured for orientation into at least an elevator configuration and translation configuration,
in the elevator configuration the towing thruster is configured to drive the towed atmospheric balloon system between altitudes in the neutrally buoyant condition; and
in the translation configuration the towing thruster is configured to drive the towed atmospheric balloon system laterally.

6. The towed atmospheric balloon system of claim 1 , wherein the towing thruster includes one or more rotors.

7. The towed atmospheric balloon system of claim 6 , wherein the one or more rotors include one or more respective rotor axes, and the one or more respective rotor axes are in a corresponding orientation with a vertical axis of the atmospheric balloon.

8. The towed atmospheric balloon system of claim 1 , wherein the atmospheric balloon is in a sealed configuration with the quantity of lift gas.

9. The towed atmospheric balloon system of claim 8 , wherein the quantity of lift gas is a static quantity of lift gas, and the atmospheric balloon is in the sealed configuration with the static quantity of lift gas from a launch configuration through an operational configuration.

10. The towed atmospheric balloon system of claim 8 comprising a launch balloon coupled with the remainder of the towed atmospheric balloon system, and the launch balloon is configured to lift the towed atmospheric balloon system to a specified altitude.

11. The towed atmospheric balloon system of claim 10 comprising a release coupling between the launch balloon and the towed atmospheric balloon system.

12. A towed atmospheric balloon system comprising:
an atmospheric balloon including a quantity of lift gas therein; and
a neutral buoyancy towing system coupled with the atmospheric balloon, the neutral buoyancy towing system includes:
a towing thruster; and

wherein the atmospheric balloon is configured for towed movement between a plurality of altitudes including at least first and second altitudes:
at the first altitude the towed atmospheric balloon system has a first composite mass, a first volume and is neutrally buoyant;
the towing thruster is configured to move the towed atmospheric balloon system from the first altitude to at least the second altitude through towing movement; and
at the second altitude the towed atmospheric balloon system is neutrally buoyant, has a second volume different than the first volume, and has a second composite mass matching the first composite mass.

13. The towed atmospheric balloon system of claim 12 , wherein the towing thruster configured to move the towed atmospheric balloon system is configured to drive the towed atmospheric balloon system between the plurality of altitudes.

14. The towed atmospheric balloon system of claim 12 , wherein the towing thruster includes at least one rotor, and the neutral buoyancy towing system includes:
a motor operatively coupled with the at least one rotor; and
one or more of a battery or a photoelectric cell.

15. The towed atmospheric balloon system of claim 12 , wherein the towing thruster consists of at least one of a rotor, propeller, or ducted fan.

16. The towed atmospheric balloon system of claim 12 , wherein the towing thruster is configured for orientation into at least an elevator configuration and a translation configuration,
in the elevator configuration the towing thruster is configured to drive the towed atmospheric balloon system between altitudes of the plurality of altitudes; and
in the translation configuration the towing thruster is configured to drive the towed atmospheric balloon system laterally.

17. The towed atmospheric balloon system of claim 12 , wherein the atmospheric balloon includes a lift gas vent, the lift gas vent configured to vent lift gas upon achieving a specified altitude for an operational configuration.

18. The towed atmospheric balloon system of claim 17 , wherein the lift gas vent is configured to close at the specified altitude in the operational configuration, and the quantity of lift gas is a static quantity of lift gas in the operational configuration including each of the first and second altitudes.

19. A method for towing an atmospheric balloon system comprising:
positioning the atmospheric balloon system at an initial altitude, the atmospheric balloon system includes an atmospheric balloon having:
a quantity of lift gas; and
a dynamic balloon volume; and

towing the atmospheric balloon system with a neutral buoyancy towing system including at least one towing thruster, towing includes:
driving the atmospheric balloon system from a first altitude to a second altitude with a force from the at least one towing thruster, the first altitude different from the second altitude;
changing the dynamic balloon volume while driving from the first altitude to the second altitude;
maintaining neutral buoyancy of the atmospheric balloon system while driving from the first altitude to the second altitude; and
maintaining a static composite mass of the atmospheric balloon system while driving from the first altitude to the second altitude.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein maintaining neutral buoyancy of the atmospheric balloon system while driving from the first altitude to the second altitude includes maintaining neutral buoyancy throughout towing of the atmospheric balloon system.

21. The method of claim 19 , wherein towing the atmospheric balloon system includes driving the atmospheric balloon system laterally.

22. The method of claim 19 , wherein towing the atmospheric balloon system includes orienting the at least one towing thruster between elevator and translation configurations:
in the elevator configuration the at least one towing thruster is oriented to drive the atmospheric balloon system from the first altitude to the second altitude; and
in the translation configuration the at least one towing thruster is oriented to drive the atmospheric balloon system laterally.

23. The method of claim 19 , wherei

Assignees

• Raven Ind Inc

Inventors

• Smith Michael Scott

Classifications

• B64B1/44

  adapted to maintain predetermined altitude · CPC title

• B64B1/62 Primary

  Controlling gas pressure, heating, cooling, or discharging gas · CPC title

• B64B1/70 Primary

  Ballasting arrangements · CPC title

• B64B1/40

  Balloons (B64B1/58 takes precedence; toy balloons A63H27/10) · CPC title