Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
BACKGROUND
Commercial launch of space rockets and space cargoes is still in its infancy
and until now
there has not been any commercially viable space launch venture without
significant
governmental subsidies. Numerous factors are responsible. One of them is the
high
insurance cost because nearly 5% of all launches failed and failed
catastrophically, mostly
at the ignition and lift-off, which invariably resulted in fire that destroyed
the launch
vehicle as well as the valuable cargoes. A safer method would be to use a
buoyant balloon
system as a high altitude launch pad. A space rocket would only start the
ignition and lift-
off at an altitude of ten of thousands of feet above ground, thus allowing
plenty of time for
a recovery of the valuable cargoes by mean of parachutes should a launching
failure occur.
Another factor is that the present space vehicles are venerable single-use
rockets, it would
be very difficult for them to become anymore economical.
For any space launch system to be commercially viable it would have to be not
only
affordable but also that it can be done routinely and safely.
Numerous balloon based rocket launch systems have been proposed and
experimented. But
none has gone beyond the task of launching relatively small space rockets
using
unrecoverable weather balloons. This multi-use buoyant gas and hot air hybrid
balloon
launch system proposes a lower-cost yet safer method for the launch of up to
mid-size
rockets into space, thus it promises improved economical viability to the
commercial space
ventures.
Typical balloons and airships are shown, for example, in the following
Canadian patents:
2391252 COLTING
2518970 PEDRETTI
And United States of America patents:
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6142414 DOOLITTLE
7131613 KELLY
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ARTS
Hybrid balloon system is a type of balloon that has separate chambers for a
non-heated
lifting gas such as helium as well as a heated lifting gas such as hot air.
This type of
balloon has been around for a long time. Its creator Jean-Francois Pilatre de
Rozier first
used it in the 1700s. Basically it was a hot air balloon with a large hydrogen
cell inside.
Few improvements have been made since De Rozier. A modern version of this type
of
balloon can be seen in the Breitling Orbiter 3 that rose to 39,000 feet and
circled the earth
in 20 days in 1999.
Advance in gas cell material has allowed CargoLifter AG of Germany in 2001, to
build a
200-foot-diameter helium cell that can lift 75 tons at ground level.
The use of balloons in launching of space rockets is not a new concept. Cmdr.
Lee Lewis,
Cmdr. G. Halvorson, S. F. Singer, and James Allen developed the concept
Rockoon
(Rocket/Balloon) in 1949. 8 years later in 1957, US AirForce's experimental
project
Farside using a four-stage rocket hung below a 3,750,000 cubic feet balloon
and sent it to
an altitude of 4000 miles above the earth.
Most recently, Da Vinci Project planned in 2004 to launch their Wild Fire Mark
IV space
rocket aboard a helium balloon but they never could.
Canadian Pat. No. 2391252 referred above was issued to COLTING for a spherical
shape
airship that has limited mobility. It is useful in communication and high
altitude weather
research. This airship essentially has no load-bearing structure to support
significant
weight as the present balloon system.
Canadian Pat. 2518970 issued to PEDRETTI is for an over-pressurized blimp that
has been
reinforced with tendon cables to provide greater rigidity thus increasing its
weight-bearing
capacity without which an airship would suffer a sagging to its general body
when carrying
heavy load. A tense elongated aerial structure such as this lifting body would
flex violently
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in turbulence weather while a balloon system, which has a more compact shape
with
centralizing load-bearing tendons, tends not flex at all.
US Pat. No. 6142414 issued to DOOLITTLE presents a spherical airship having a
rotor
assembly system of heavy design, comprising of very large axle with very large
mast and
very long cables. Doolittle has none of the low weight construction
represented in the
present hybrid balloon system.
US Pat. No. 7131613 issued to KELLY presents vertically lift-off airship
platform with
numerous segments and wings built for aerodynamic flight. Kelly's method for
launching
of space rockets is similar to the launching of missiles from a warplane.
Kelly does not
have a vertical rocket launching capacity of this present balloon system.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in
combination, is seen to
describe the present invention as claimed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention pertains to a hybrid balloon system utilizing a combination of a
propulsion
engine system, a buoyant gas, in the form of helium, and heated air to raise a
space rocket
to a higher altitude. The purpose is simply to put a space rocket up to where
it has a safety
margin and where the air is much thinner, thus posing less drag to the rocket
during its
flight toward space.
Accordingly, a hybrid balloon system employing a plurality of buoyant gas
cells, arranged
in symmetry about a rocket-housing tube and enclosed within a hot air balloon
system that
is also equipped with a jet engine is provided.
More specifically stated, the invention provides a hybrid balloon system of
the above
character employing elongated helium gas cells, which are bundled together
inside a
pressure resistance tent in a parallel relation, and around a centrally
positioned rocket-
housing tube.
The distinctive pressure resistance tent featured in this invention prevents
the helium cells
from sloshing about inside the hot air balloon as well as provides a proper
guiding
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structure for them to expand. With this feature the hybrid balloon launch
system can be
very economical to manufacture, operate and maintain.
It is also an object of this invention to provide a hybrid balloon system of
the above
construction that has a low center of gravity.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The description of the invention becomes clearer with drawings, which form a
part of this
specification.
FIG. 1 is the side cross sectional view of the balloon system at ground level
showing
partially inflated helium cells.
FIG. 2 is the side cross sectional view of the balloon system at a high
altitude showing the
expansion of the helium cells.
FIG. 3 is the top semi-transparent view of the balloon system showing a rocket
housing
tube bundled within four helium cells within a pressure-resistance cylindrical
shaped tent.
The radial lines on the balloon's envelope represent its load tendons.
FIG. 4 is the bottom view of the balloon system showing the interior of the
hot air balloon
through its mouth.
DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIGs. 1,2,3 and 4, respectively, designate four helium gas cells I of
elongated construction
that are arranged in parallel relation and secured rigidly at their bases to a
frame structure
that extends out from a rocket launch tube 2 (FIGs. l and 2). The main portion
of which has
a shape resembling the shape of an inverted cone. This frame structure thus
provided
would also serve as a water tank 3. It will be stated here that the features
of constructions
related to this compartment maybe of the same general construction as those
embodied in
the launch tube.
As well as depicted in FIGs. 1 and 2, is the pressure resistance tent 4,
cylindrical in form
and approximately equal in length to the helium gas cells 1 at their limit of
expansion. It
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would be made up of a thermal resistance light fabric meshed with load
tendons. It
extends in a length to contain and to girdle the helium gas cells 1 with the
launch tube 2
therein. The top end of the pressure resistant tent 4 has a centrally located
round collar 5,
that would fit loosely around the launching tube 2 to facilitate the inflation
or deflation of
the elongated helium gas cells 1 in a general longitudinal direction. Loose
straps 6 at the
base of the pressure resistant tent 4 would prevent it from being pulled over
the helium gas
cells 1. It will also be stated here that the features of constructions
related to this pressure
resistance tent maybe of the same general construction as those embodied in
the hot air
balloon.
The rocket launch tube 2, best illustrated in FIGs. 1 and 2, has an interior
diameter that is
substantially uniform in cross-section from bottom to the top and has an
extending
platform 7 adapted to receive a space rocket. This launch tube 2 is sized and
shaped to
allow a space rocket 8 to slide longitudinally upward and to be expelled from
it via an
opening top 9. It is made up of heat, pressure and fire resistance material
such as titanium
or aluminum alloys that would substantially retain its structural integrity
under the
explosive force of a rocket blast.
In addition, a plurality of water sprinkler nozzles 10 is imbedded on the
interior sidewall of
the launch tube (not shown) as well as on its exterior sidewall at the top
opening 9. During
the ignition of a space rocket, the intense heat generated by the rocket's
blast would boil
off water droplets that will be sprayed into the launch tube 2 by these
sprinkler nozzles 10
thus cooling off the exhausting gas to within tolerable temperatures.
While the balloon system is in an ascending mode, a vertically mounted jet
propulsion
system 11 that is positioned below the space rocket's extending platform 7
would
contribute a downwardly thrust as shown in FIGs. 1 and 2.
Still in reference to the FIGs. I and 2, a conventional hot air balloon of
very large size is
provided. In accordance to the art it comprises an envelope 12, suspension
cables
assemblies, 13a and 13b, and a burner assembly. A fuel supply associated with
said burner
is also provided. For clarity purpose, the conventional burner system that may
be
suspended from the mouth 14 of the envelope or rigidly supported on its
interior cablesl3b
is not shown in the drawings.
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The said envelope 12 is ideally composed of a lightweight material such as
ripstop nylon
or dacron fabric with high strength load tendons 15, which runs from the top
to the bottom
of the envelope 12, carrying the pressure load of the system.
A plurality of mechanical fasteners 16, in an encircling pattern and in a way
that conforms
to the natural contour of a balloon and where that is no substantial stress
concentration on
the envelope 12, secures it to the launch tube's wall at their intersection.
The said envelope
12 also has a carbonaceous fibers flame and scorch protective layer 17 on its
exterior upper
portion around its crown (FIG. 3) in addition to the other known to the art
flame and
scorch protective layer that coats its interior (not shown).
With reference to FIGs. 1, 2 and 4, a conventional suspension cables assembly
13a
connects the launch tube 2 at its base 18 to the envelope's mouth 14.
Additional
suspension cables assembly 13b within the hot air balloon further helps spread
the load
evenly to the other parts of the balloon's envelope 12 as shown in FIGs. 1 and
2.
Although the invention has been described in connection with a preferred
embodiment. It
should be understood that various modifications, additions and alterations may
be made to
the invention by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and
scope of the
invention as defined in the appended claims.
