초록 ▼

A cyclical thermal management system is provided for responding to diurnal heating and nocturnal cooling cycles to maintain a high altitude platform in a geostatic position for long periods of time. The novel cyclical thermal management system utilizes solar energy collection devices to collect sola

A cyclical thermal management system is provided for responding to diurnal heating and nocturnal cooling cycles to maintain a high altitude platform in a geostatic position for long periods of time. The novel cyclical thermal management system utilizes solar energy collection devices to collect solar energy which is stored and utilized to operate physical and chemical exothermic processes for heating the lifting gas of the novel high altitude platform at night and to operate physical and chemical processes during the day for transferring the heat of the lifting gas to maintain a particular geostatic position. The cyclical thermal management system utilizes a recyclable energy storage material which is utilized in not only the cyclical thermal management of heat diurnally but also to provide for seasonal and longitudinal variation by increasing or decreasing the volume of lifting gas or by increasing or decreasing the amount of the energy storage material. The energy storage material also provides for the replacement of lost lifting gas. The novel cyclical thermal management system controls altitude and pitch attitude so that horizontal stabilizers and elevators are not necessary to maintain or control pitch and therefore become optional. The novel cyclical thermal management system is combined with other active systems for reducing the amount of heat processing through physical and chemical processes to maintain a geostatic position.

대표청구항 ▼

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] A system for maintaining altitude and pitch stability for a high altitude platform comprising:(a) a high altitude platform containing a lifting gas;(b) a telecommunications assembly;(c) thermal shutters disposed between said telecommunications assembly and said lifting ga

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] A system for maintaining altitude and pitch stability for a high altitude platform comprising:(a) a high altitude platform containing a lifting gas;(b) a telecommunications assembly;(c) thermal shutters disposed between said telecommunications assembly and said lifting gas;(d) a cyclical system for periodically heating said lifting gas by processing a recyclable energy containing material in a fuel cell to provide heat together with heat from said telecommunications assembly to increase the buoyancy of said lifting gas and employing stored water and ice produced by said fuel cell to periodically cool said lifting gas to decrease the buoyancy of said lifting gas in response to cyclical diurnal heating and nocturnal cooling; and(e) a solar energy system for obtaining solar energy to operate said cyclical system.