Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Tech Transfer
Sensor System for Super-Pressure Balloon Performance Modeling
Project Description
Long-duration balloon flights are an exciting new area of scientific ballooning, enabled by the development of large super-pressure balloons. As these balloons represent a new form of balloon technology, it follows that there is much to be learned about how these balloons behave in flight. There is a need to collect data on the balloon platform itself in order to better characterize its in-flight behavior. A lightweight suite of sensors will be developed to quantify several variables affecting the balloon. The measurements will include gas temperature inside and outside of the balloon, balloon film strain and temperature, and the aging of the balloon film. Phase I will involve developing a gas temperature sensing approach, a film strain and aging sensing approach, and an alternate approach to film strain and temperature measurements. Taken as a group, the approaches to be investigated are seen as likely to offer promising solutions to those measurement challenges. They will be tested in the laboratory and in a balloon on the ground. The ultimate result of the project will be a sensor suite that allows super-pressure balloon behavior and flights to be accurately modeled.
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Anticipated Benefits
Other agencies engaged in the flight of large scientific balloons (e.g., NSF) will be able to make use of the sensor suite. Companies and agencies developing new types of scientific balloons will also be able to apply this sensor suite to their development efforts.
NASA will be able to use the sensor suite to quantify variables affecting the flight behavior of super-pressure balloons which are just beginning to be flown for scientific research. This data will allow NASA to more accurately model the behavior of these balloons in flight. Balloon missions sent to other planets and moons (e.g., Titan) could also benefit from this technology. More »
NASA will be able to use the sensor suite to quantify variables affecting the flight behavior of super-pressure balloons which are just beginning to be flown for scientific research. This data will allow NASA to more accurately model the behavior of these balloons in flight. Balloon missions sent to other planets and moons (e.g., Titan) could also benefit from this technology. More »
Primary U.S. Work Locations and Key Partners
| Organizations Performing Work | Role | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anasphere, Inc. | Lead Organization | Industry | Belgrade, Montana |
Goddard Space Flight Center
(GSFC)
|
Supporting Organization | NASA Center | Greenbelt, Maryland |
Primary U.S. Work Locations
-
Maryland
-
Montana
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This is a historic project that was completed before the creation of TechPort on October 1, 2012. Available data has been included. This record may contain less data than currently active projects.