Optimal altitude controller for super pressure aerostatic balloon

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9550558-B1
Application number	US-201615088372-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Apr 1, 2016
Priority date	May 21, 2013
Publication date	Jan 24, 2017
Grant date	Jan 24, 2017

Abstract

This disclosure relates to the use of an optimal altitude controller for super pressure aerostatic balloon in connection with a balloon network. The aerostatic balloon includes a bladder containing a gas that is lighter than the air present in the environment of the balloon. Additionally, the aerostatic balloon includes an envelope filled with air. A mass-changing unit configured to selectively add or remove air may control the amount of air in the envelope. Further, the balloon has a communication module configured to transmit data relating to a current balloon state, and receives data relating to a desired balloon state. Additionally, the balloon includes a processor configured to control the mass-changing unit based on the desired balloon state. The mass-changing unit of the aerostatic balloon may be powered by a renewable energy source, such as solar power. The mass-changing unit adds or removes air with an impeller.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for adjusting a variable-buoyancy vehicle state comprising:
determining at least one in-flight movement constraint for a variable-buoyancy fixed-volume vehicle, wherein the constraint is based on at least one of a mass of the vehicle, an altitude of the vehicle, a velocity of the vehicle, or an energy usage of the vehicle;
performing a state-change optimization to determine a fill-rate control plan based on the at least one constraint to move the variable-buoyancy vehicle from a current variable-buoyancy vehicle state to a target variable-buoyancy vehicle state, wherein the fill-rate control plan comprises at least one fill rate for a bladder of the variable-buoyancy vehicle; and
communicating the fill-rate control plan to the variable-buoyancy vehicle.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the variable-buoyancy vehicle constraint is based on a global location.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein communicating the fill-rate control plan further comprises communicating instructions for changing the variable-buoyancy vehicle mass.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the instructions for changing the variable-buoyancy vehicle mass comprise operating an impeller.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the state-change optimization is performed based on a calculation including at least one of adding ambient air to or removing ambient air from the variable-buoyancy vehicle, wherein the adding ambient air to or removing ambient air adjusts the mass.

6. An aerostatic balloon comprising:
an envelope configured to hold air;
a bladder configured to hold lift gas, wherein the bladder is located within the envelope;
a control unit configured to add or remove air from the envelope in order to change a mass of air in the envelope; and
a processing unit configured to:
determine at least one in-flight movement constraint for a variable-buoyancy fixed-volume vehicle, wherein the constraint is based on at least one of a mass of the vehicle, an altitude of the vehicle, a velocity of the vehicle, or an energy usage of the vehicle;
perform a state-change optimization to determine a fill-rate control plan based on the at least one constraint to move the variable-buoyancy vehicle from a current variable-buoyancy vehicle state to a target variable-buoyancy vehicle state, wherein the fill-rate control plan comprises at least one fill rate for a bladder of the variable-buoyancy vehicle;
operate the control unit based on the determined fill-rate control plan.

7. The aerostatic balloon of claim 6 , further comprising a communication module configured to:
transmit data indicative of a current balloon state to the processing unit, wherein the processing unit is located at central control system; and
subsequently receive the fill-rate control plan that indicates at least one intermediate balloon state and a final balloon state.

8. The aerostatic balloon of claim 7 , wherein the communication module is further configured to transmit and receive data wirelessly.

9. The aerostatic balloon of claim 8 , wherein the communication module is further configured to transmit data relating to a current balloon state at periodic intervals.

10. The aerostatic balloon of claim 6 , wherein the control unit further comprises an impeller configured to change the mass of the aerostatic balloon.

11. The aerostatic balloon of claim 6 , wherein each balloon state comprises an altitude, a system mass, and a vertical velocity.

12. The aerostatic balloon of claim 11 , wherein the current balloon state further comprises a global location.

13. The aerostatic balloon of claim 6 , wherein the processor is configured to operate the control unit in one of a power-efficient mode, a time-efficient mode, and a damped-controlled mode.

14. An article of manufacture including a non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon program instructions that, if executed by a processor in a balloon-control system, cause the balloon-control system to perform operations comprising:
determining at least one in-flight movement constraint for a variable-buoyancy fixed-volume vehicle, wherein the constraint is based on at least one of a mass of the vehicle, an altitude of the vehicle, a velocity of the vehicle, or an energy usage of the vehicle;
performing a state-change optimization to determine a fill-rate control plan based on the at least one constraint to move the variable-buoyancy vehicle from a current variable-buoyancy vehicle state to a target variable-buoyancy vehicle state, wherein the fill-rate control plan comprises at least one fill rate for a bladder of the variable-buoyancy vehicle; and
communicating the fill-rate control plan to the variable-buoyancy vehicle.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 14 , wherein the variable-buoyancy vehicle constraint is based on a global location.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 14 , wherein communicating the fill-rate control plan further comprises communicating instructions for changing the variable-buoyancy vehicle mass.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 16 , wherein the instructions for changing the variable-buoyancy vehicle mass comprise instructions for operating an impeller.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 14 , wherein the communicating is performed wirelessly.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 14 , wherein the state-change optimization is performed based on a calculation including at least one of adding ambient air to or removing ambient air from the variable-buoyancy vehicle, wherein the adding ambient air to or removing ambient air adjusts the mass.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 14 , further comprising:
transmitting data indicative of a current balloon state to the processing unit, wherein the processing unit is located at central control system; and
subsequently receiving the fill-rate control plan that indicates at least one intermediate balloon state and a final balloon state.

Assignees

• Google Inc
• X Dev Llc

Inventors

• Mathe Johan
• Boyce Jr C O Lee
• Bonawitz Keith Allen

Classifications

• G05D1/042

  specially adapted for aircraft · CPC title

• B64B1/44 Primary

  adapted to maintain predetermined altitude · CPC title