Power generation via a solar montgolfier balloon
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
B64B-001/40
B64B-001/62
H02K-099/00
출원번호
US-0010043
(2013-08-26)
등록번호
US-9045213
(2015-06-02)
발명자
/ 주소
DeVaul, Richard Wayne
출원인 / 주소
Google Inc.
대리인 / 주소
McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff LLP
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
5인용 특허 :
23
초록▼
Example embodiments may facilitate altitude control by a balloon in a balloon network in a manner that also can generate power. An example method involves regulating buoyancy of the balloon by solar heating atmospheric air drawn into the balloon through a first opening of an envelope of the balloon
Example embodiments may facilitate altitude control by a balloon in a balloon network in a manner that also can generate power. An example method involves regulating buoyancy of the balloon by solar heating atmospheric air drawn into the balloon through a first opening of an envelope of the balloon and venting heated air in the balloon out through a second opening of the envelope. Atmospheric air heated within the envelope could supply the balloon's buoyancy. The method may further involve capturing a portion of energy of the heated air as it is venting out of the balloon through the second opening, converting a portion of the captured energy into electrical energy, and storing the electrical energy. The balloon could also be configured with a heat engine for converting heat energy into mechanical and/or electrical energy.
대표청구항▼
1. A method comprising: regulating buoyancy of a balloon in high altitude flight by solar heating ambient atmospheric air drawn from outside the balloon into the balloon through a first opening and venting heated air in the balloon out through a second opening, wherein the balloon comprises an envel
1. A method comprising: regulating buoyancy of a balloon in high altitude flight by solar heating ambient atmospheric air drawn from outside the balloon into the balloon through a first opening and venting heated air in the balloon out through a second opening, wherein the balloon comprises an envelope including the first opening and the second opening, and wherein lift gas for balloon buoyancy comprises atmospheric air heated within the envelope;capturing a portion of energy of the heated air as it is venting out of the balloon through the second opening;converting a portion of the captured energy into electrical energy; andstoring the electrical energy. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein regulating the buoyancy of the balloon comprises determining a balance between an increase in buoyancy from heating the air in the balloon and a decrease in buoyancy from venting hot air out of the balloon, wherein the balance comprises a net buoyancy that causes the balloon to float at a given altitude. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein solar heating ambient atmospheric air drawn from outside the balloon into the balloon through the first opening comprises using solar energy captured by a portion of a surface of the envelope to heat air in the balloon. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second opening is adjustable, and wherein venting the heated air in the balloon out through the second opening comprises releasing the heated air at a controlled rate through the second opening from inside the envelope to outside the envelope. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the balloon further comprises a first low-pressure air turbine at the second opening and a battery, wherein capturing the portion of energy of the heated air as it is venting out of the balloon through the second opening comprises passing a first portion of the heated air through the first low-pressure air turbine to generate rotational energy,wherein converting the portion of the captured energy into electrical energy comprises generating electricity from the rotational energy generated by the first low-pressure air turbine,and wherein storing the electrical energy comprises using a portion of the generated electricity to charge the battery. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the balloon further comprises a second low-pressure air turbine at a third opening of the envelope, the second low-pressure air turbine being configured to rotate in a direction opposite that of the first low-pressure air turbine, and wherein the method further comprises venting a second portion of the heated air out the third opening and through the second low-pressure air turbine to (i) generate additional electricity from additional rotational energy, and (ii) cancel angular momentum of the first low-pressure air turbine. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second opening and the third opening are configured together as a single opening. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the balloon further comprises a battery and one or more electrically-powered devices, wherein storing the electrical energy comprises using a portion of the electrical energy to at least partially charge the battery,and wherein the method further comprises using a portion of electricity from the at least partially charged battery to operate the one or more electrically-powered devices. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the balloon is configured with a heat engine having a hot side in the heated atmospheric air within the envelope and a cold side in cooler air in the atmosphere outside the envelope, and wherein the method further comprises:operating the heat engine using a temperature differential between the hot side of the heat engine and the cold side of the heat engine to convert a portion of heat energy of the heated atmospheric air within the envelope into mechanical energy;using a portion of the mechanical energy to generate electrical energy; andstoring the generated electrical energy. 10. A method comprising: increasing buoyancy of a balloon in high altitude flight by solar heating ambient atmospheric air drawn from outside the balloon into the balloon through a first opening, wherein the balloon comprises an envelope including the first opening, and wherein lift gas for balloon buoyancy comprises heated atmospheric air within the envelope;decreasing the buoyancy of the balloon by converting a portion of heat energy of the heated atmospheric air within the envelope into mechanical energy;using a portion of the mechanical energy to generate electrical energy; andstoring the generated electrical energy. 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the balloon is configured with a heat engine having a hot side in the heated atmospheric air within the envelope and a cold side in cooler air in the atmosphere outside the envelope, and wherein converting the portion of heat energy of the heated atmospheric air within the envelope into mechanical energy comprises operating the heat engine using a temperature differential between the hot side of the heat engine and the cold side of the heat engine. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the heat engine is a Stirling engine. 13. The method of claim 10, wherein the envelope includes a second opening, and wherein decreasing the buoyancy of the balloon by converting a portion of heat energy of the heated atmospheric air within the envelope into mechanical energy comprises:venting heated air in the balloon out through the second opening; andcapturing a portion of mechanical energy the venting heated air as it is venting out of the balloon through the second opening. 14. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein instructions that, upon execution by one or more processors of a system including a balloon, cause the system to carry out functions including: during high altitude flight of the balloon, regulating buoyancy of the balloon by solar heating ambient atmospheric air drawn from outside the balloon into the balloon through a first opening and venting heated air in the balloon out through a second opening, wherein the balloon comprises an envelope including the first opening and the second opening, and wherein lift gas for balloon buoyancy comprises atmospheric air heated within the envelope;capturing a portion of energy of the heated air as it is venting out of the balloon through the second opening;converting a portion of the captured energy into electrical energy; andstoring the electrical energy. 15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein regulating the buoyancy of the balloon comprises determining a balance between an increase in buoyancy from heating the air in the balloon and a decrease in buoyancy from venting hot air out of the balloon, wherein the balance comprises a net buoyancy that causes the balloon to float at a given altitude. 16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein solar heating ambient atmospheric air drawn from outside the balloon into the balloon through the first opening comprises using solar energy captured by a portion of a surface of the envelope to heat air in the balloon. 17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the second opening is adjustable, and wherein venting the heated air in the balloon out through the second opening comprises releasing the heated air at a controlled rate through the second opening from inside the envelope to outside the envelope. 18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the balloon further comprises a first low-pressure air turbine at the second opening and a battery, wherein capturing the portion of energy of the heated air as it is venting out of the balloon through the second opening comprises passing a first portion of the heated air through the first low-pressure air turbine to generate rotational energy,wherein converting the portion of the captured energy into electrical energy comprises generating electricity from the rotational energy generated by the first low-pressure air turbine,and wherein storing the electrical energy comprises using a portion of the generated electricity to charge the battery. 19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the balloon further comprises a second low-pressure air turbine at a third opening of the envelope, the second low-pressure air turbine being configured to rotate in a direction opposite that of the first low-pressure air turbine, and wherein the functions further include venting a second portion of the heated air out the third opening and through the second low-pressure air turbine to (i) generate additional electricity from additional rotational energy, and (ii) cancel angular momentum of the first low-pressure air turbine. 20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the second opening and the third opening are configured together as a single opening. 21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the balloon further comprises a battery and one or more electrically-powered devices, wherein storing the electrical energy comprises using a portion of the electrical energy to at least partially charge the battery,and wherein the functions further include using a portion of electricity from the at least partially charged battery to operate the one or more electrically-powered devices. 22. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein instructions that, upon execution by one or more processors of a system including a balloon, cause the system to carry out functions including: during high altitude flight of the balloon, increasing buoyancy of the balloon by facilitating solar heating of ambient atmospheric air drawn from outside the balloon into the balloon through a first opening, wherein the balloon comprises an envelope including the first opening, and wherein lift gas for balloon buoyancy comprises heated atmospheric air within the envelope;decreasing the buoyancy of the balloon by converting a portion of heat energy of the heated atmospheric air within the envelope into mechanical energy;using a portion of the mechanical energy to generate electrical energy; andstoring the generated electrical energy. 23. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein the balloon is configured with a heat engine having a hot side in the heated atmospheric air within the envelope and a cold side in cooler air in the atmosphere outside the envelope, and wherein converting the portion of heat energy of the heated atmospheric air within the envelope into mechanical energy comprises operating the heat engine using a temperature differential between the hot side of the heat engine and the cold side of the heat engine. 24. A balloon system comprising: a balloon comprising an envelope with a first opening and a second opening;one or more processors;memory accessible by the one or more processors; andcomputer-readable instructions stored in the memory that upon execution by the one or more processors cause the balloon system to carry out functions including:during high altitude flight of the balloon, regulating buoyancy of the balloon by solar heating ambient atmospheric air drawn from outside the balloon into the envelope through the first opening and venting heated air in the envelope out through the second opening, wherein lift gas for balloon buoyancy comprises atmospheric air heated within the envelope,capturing a portion of energy of the heated air as it is venting out of the envelope through the second opening,converting a portion of the captured energy into electrical energy, andstoring the electrical energy. 25. The balloon system of claim 24, wherein regulating the buoyancy of the balloon comprises determining a balance between an increase in buoyancy from heating the air in the envelope and a decrease in buoyancy from venting hot air out of the envelope, wherein the balance comprises a net buoyancy that causes the balloon to float at a given altitude. 26. The balloon system of claim 24, solar heating ambient atmospheric air drawn from outside the balloon into the envelope through the first opening comprises using solar energy captured by a portion of a surface of the envelope to heat air in the envelope. 27. The balloon system of claim 26, wherein the second opening is adjustable, and wherein venting the heated air in the balloon out through the second opening comprises releasing the heated air at a controlled rate through the second opening from inside the envelope to outside the envelope. 28. The balloon system of claim 24, wherein the balloon system further comprises a first low-pressure air turbine at the second opening and a battery, wherein capturing the portion of energy of the heated air as it is venting out of the envelope through the second opening comprises passing a first portion of the heated air through the first low-pressure air turbine to generate rotational energy,wherein converting the portion of the captured energy into electrical energy comprises generating electricity from the rotational energy generated by the first low-pressure air turbine,and wherein storing the electrical energy comprises using a portion of the generated electricity to charge the battery. 29. The balloon system of claim 28, wherein the balloon system further comprises a second low-pressure air turbine at a third opening of the envelope, the second low-pressure air turbine being configured to rotate in a direction opposite that of the first low-pressure air turbine, and wherein the functions further include venting a second portion of the heated air out the third opening and through the second low-pressure air turbine to (i) generate additional electricity from additional rotational energy, and (ii) cancel angular momentum of the first low-pressure air turbine. 30. The balloon system of claim 29, wherein the second opening and the third opening are configured together as a single opening. 31. The balloon system of claim 24, wherein the balloon system further comprises a battery and one or more electrically-powered devices, wherein storing the electrical energy comprises using a portion of the electrical energy to at least partially charge the battery,and wherein the functions further include using a portion of electricity from the at least partially charged battery to operate the one or more electrically-powered devices. 32. A balloon system comprising: a balloon comprising an envelope with a first opening;one or more processors;memory accessible by the one or more processors; andcomputer-readable instructions stored in the memory that upon execution by the one or more processors cause the balloon system to carry out functions including:during high altitude flight of the balloon, increasing buoyancy of a balloon by facilitating solar heating of ambient atmospheric air drawn from outside the balloon into the balloon through a first opening, wherein the balloon comprises an envelope including the first opening, and wherein lift gas for balloon buoyancy comprises heated atmospheric air within the envelope,decreasing the buoyancy of the balloon by converting a portion of heat energy of the heated atmospheric air within the envelope into mechanical energy,using a portion of the mechanical energy to generate electrical energy, andstoring the generated electrical energy. 33. The balloon system of claim 32, wherein the balloon is configured with a heat engine having a hot side in the heated atmospheric air within the envelope and a cold side in cooler air in the atmosphere outside the envelope, and wherein converting the portion of heat energy of the heated atmospheric air within the envelope into mechanical energy comprises operating the heat engine using a temperature differential between the hot side of the heat engine and the cold side of the heat engine. 34. The balloon system of 33, wherein the heat engine is a Stirling engine. 35. The balloon system of claim 32, wherein the envelope includes a second opening, and wherein decreasing the buoyancy of the balloon by converting a portion of heat energy of the heated atmospheric air within the envelope into mechanical energy comprises:venting heated air in the balloon out through the second opening; andcapturing a portion of mechanical energy the venting heated air as it is venting out of the balloon through the second opening.
※ AI-Helper는 부적절한 답변을 할 수 있습니다.