US 12,312,063 B2
Apparatus, method and system for balloon altitude control by in-situ characterization and active energy management
Pradeep Shinde, Miami, FL (US)
Assigned to SPACE BALLOON TECHNOLOGIES CORP., Daytona Beach, FL (US)
Appl. No. 18/285,990
Filed by Space Balloon Technologies Corp., Miami, FL (US)
PCT Filed Apr. 5, 2022, PCT No. PCT/US2022/071552
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Oct. 6, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/217225, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 13, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/201,021, filed on Apr. 8, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0217642 A1, Jul. 4, 2024
Int. Cl. B64B 1/44 (2006.01); B64B 1/62 (2006.01)
CPC B64B 1/44 (2013.01) [B64B 1/62 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for balloon altitude control, comprising a balloon capable of withstanding extreme environmental and weather conditions at altitudes up to at least 80 km above Earth's surface and controlled and operated autonomously, the apparatus further comprising:
a. an expandable envelope capable of surrounding and containing a lift-gas, wherein said envelope is in releasable air-tight contact with a neck and is further capable of mechanical and electronic interaction with an altitude control system;
b. the lift-gas releasably contained within the envelope wherein said lift-gas is a gas that is lighter than, heavier than, or equal to an ambient fluid of an environment in which the apparatus operates; and wherein the lift-gas responds to an addition or removal of energy by expanding or contracting, and causes the envelope to expand or contract;
c. the neck being in removeable air-tight contact with the envelope, wherein said neck removably surrounds at least a portion of the altitude control system;
d. a body comprising a central housing that supports and structurally conforms to said body, and where said body is in contact with the altitude control system and a gas transport system;
e. the altitude control system being contained within and supported by the body, wherein said altitude control system further comprises a characterizer including one or more processors capable of power and data quantification and transmission; the altitude control system being configured to cause the balloon to operate in ascent, descent or stationary mode using an active energy management process to provide energy addition into the lift-gas, passive energy removal from the lift-gas, lift-gas transfer out of the envelope, or ambient fluid (air) introduction into the envelope;
f. the gas transport system being contained within and supported by the body, wherein said gas transport system is capable of facilitating passage for the lift-gas transport into and out of the envelope, facilitating a foundation for generating an electrical signal during the lift-gas transport, and facilitating the central housing support of the altitude control system, the gas transport system being for quantifying an amount of the lift-gas entering or leaving the gas transport system;
g. an active energy management system further comprising an active energy addition system with a plurality of sensors capable of detection and measurement of in-situ characteristics, and wherein the plurality of sensors are in contact with the one or more processors of the altitude control system, and the one or more processors are capable of capturing and processing data received from the plurality of sensors; and wherein said one or more processors are integrated with one or more controllers enabling receiving, storing and processing of qualitative and quantitative data from the plurality of sensors and further capable of transferring said qualitative and quantitative data to a remote station or receiver;
h. a power source;
i. an antenna component; and
k. a payload component.