US 12,012,197 B2
Strategy for safeguarding an airship in the event of heating of its solar generator
Hervé Renault, Cannes la Bocca (FR); Jean-Pierre Prost, Cannes la Bocca (FR); and Magali Mesrine, Cannes la Bocca (FR)
Assigned to THALES, Courbevoie (FR)
Filed by THALES, Courbevoie (FR)
Filed on Nov. 30, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/107,796.
Claims priority of application No. 1913802 (FR), filed on Dec. 5, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0171179 A1, Jun. 10, 2021
Int. Cl. B64B 1/42 (2006.01); B64B 1/02 (2006.01); B64B 1/40 (2006.01); B64D 27/24 (2006.01); B64D 27/353 (2024.01)
CPC B64B 1/42 (2013.01) [B64B 1/02 (2013.01); B64B 1/40 (2013.01); B64D 27/24 (2013.01); B64D 27/353 (2024.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A stratospheric airship comprising a nonrigid balloon equipped with a solar generator arranged on an upper part of the nonrigid balloon intended to be illuminated in flight by the sun, the airship comprising: at least one device for managing a position of a center of gravity of the airship; at least one device for stabilizing an attitude of the airship; and a module which controls the attitude of the airship to specifically rotate said airship by substantially 180 degrees about its longitudinal axis, in response to at least one of a speed of travel of the airship with respect to surrounding air being below a first threshold (S1) or a temperature of the solar generator being above a second threshold (S2), so as to protect the solar generator from illumination by the sun, wherein the at least one device for managing the position of the center of gravity of the airship comprises a predetermined positioning of elements carried on board the airship, so that the center of gravity of the airship is situated between its longitudinal axis (AL) and the solar generator, and wherein the at least one device for stabilizing the attitude of the airship comprises aerodynamic control surfaces.