JP2001199397A - Airship for stratosphere - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an airship for the stratosphere capable of stably flying to the stratosphere and staying in it, by largely and smoothly changing buoyant gas volume. SOLUTION: The airship for the stratosphere is raised by partitioning the inside of an air bag 10 formed with a hull envelope 11 to a buoyant gas storing part 20 and an air storing part 30 with a flexible film 12, and changing volume ratio of the buoyant gas to the air. The outer periphery of the flexible film 12 is jointed along an intermediate height position of the hull envelope 11, and its central part is joined to and supported by a suspension rope 13 of which upper and lower ends are joined on the upper surface and the lower surface of the hull envelope 11. A sloshing phenomenon of the flexible film 12 is suppressed to change the shape in a balance holding state, smooth change of the volume ratio of the buoyant gas to the air in the air storing part can be performed without deflective existence of the buoyant gas, and stably flying to the stratosphere and staying in it are allowed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an airship and, more particularly, to a stratospheric airship that divides the inside of an air sac into a gas storage section and an air storage section by a diaphragm.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, airships are mainly used for advertising at low altitudes (altitudes less than Km) where there are relatively few changes in air pressure, for relaying events, monitoring, vigilance, transportation and sightseeing. The method of changing the flying height of airships used at such low altitudes does not require a significant change in flight altitude, so determine the volume of the air sac to withstand the maximum flying height, and ballast after ascending from the ground. After climbing up and reaching the highest altitude, it is done by releasing some of the buoyant gas and replacing it with air.

On the other hand, the atmospheric density is about 14 to
In order to ascend to a high altitude (for example, altitude of 17 to 22 km) called the stratosphere, which dilutes by 1/15, a variable mechanism that greatly changes the volume of buoyant gas such as helium gas that generates buoyancy to 14 to 15 times Has become indispensable.

This variable volume mechanism is disclosed in, for example,
As disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 70597, the envelope of the air sac containing the buoyant gas is taken up by a roller, or the envelope of the air sac is rubbed and stored by a plurality of rollers arranged opposite to each other, so that the air sac volume is increased. To reduce the air buoyancy by increasing the internal pressure to reduce the air buoyancy, and conversely, to increase the air buoyancy by increasing the air sac volume and lowering the internal pressure by extending the outer skin, thereby increasing the air buoyancy. The thing which makes the surface emerge is proposed.

However, according to the airship equipped with this variable volume mechanism, the outer shape of the airship changes greatly due to the variable control of the volume of the air sac, and the aerodynamic characteristics change greatly, and the airship rises in a stable state. Hindered.

As a countermeasure against this, FIG. 9 shows a schematic side view of an airship, and FIG. 10 shows a sectional view taken along line V--V in FIG.
There is an airship containing an air sac 101 which is divided into a buoyant gas container 104 and an air container 105 by 3.

A floating gas thin film tank 106 is provided in the upper part of the floating gas storage part 104, and the shape of the hull 102, that is, the air bag 101, is provided at the front and rear of the air storage part 105.
And a baronette 107 for maintaining the shape of the airship is provided. Furthermore, a solar cell module 108 is provided on the upper surface of the air sac 101, and equipment 109, a storage battery, a fuel cell, and a payload 109 such as a mission payload device are suspended and supported at a lower portion, and the solar cell module 108 and the storage battery They are connected by a power cable 110 disposed along the outer periphery of the air sac 101.

FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along the line VI-VI of FIG. 9 in a state before the airship starts on the ground.
2, a floating gas such as helium gas is injected into the floating gas thin film tank 106 from the floating gas injection unit 111, and the valve of the floating gas injection unit 111 is closed, as shown in the sectional view taken along the line VII-VII of FIG. Thereafter, the outside air is sucked and pressurized into the air accommodating section 105 by the air suction blower 112 to maintain the shape of the hull hull 102. At this time, the air vent valve 113 of the air container 105 is closed, and the flexible membrane 10 is closed.
3 is pushed upward, and as shown in FIG. 12, the floating gas supplied into the floating gas thin film tank 106 and from the floating gas thin film tank 106 to the floating gas storage portion 104 is pressurized.

The rise of the airship starts with the buoyancy of the buoyant gas contained in the buoyant gas storage unit 104 and the buoyant gas thin film tank 106 minus the weight of the airship, ie, excess buoyancy. Gradually decreases. As the external pressure decreases, the differential pressure between the internal pressure of the air sac 101 and the external pressure gradually increases. In order to maintain this pressure difference within a predetermined limit, the air volume is reduced and adjusted by opening the air vent valve 113 and discharging the air in the air storage portion 105. With the adjustment of the air volume, a pressure difference is generated between the inside of the floating gas thin film tank 106 and the inside of the floating gas container 104. In order to reduce the pressure difference to a predetermined value or less, the floating gas vent valve 114 is opened and the floating gas thin film tank 1 is opened.
From 06, the floating gas is sent into the floating gas storage unit 104.

The buoyant gas delivered into the buoyant gas storage section 104 is expanded to secure excess buoyancy, and the airship continues to rise, and at the same time, compensates for the reduced air volume due to air discharge, thereby increasing the volume in the hull hull 102. Air sac 1 held constant
01 is almost kept.

In the state where the airship has risen to the stratosphere, FIG.
As shown in the sectional view of FIG.
05, the air volume in the buoyant gas storage 10
The flexible membrane 103 stays in the air in a state where it is pushed down by the expanded buoyant gas in 4.

[0012]

According to the above-mentioned airship, the differential pressure between the internal pressure of the air sac 101 and the external air pressure due to the decrease in the external air pressure accompanying the rise is adjusted by reducing the volume of air in the air storage portion 105. By expanding the buoyant gas, excess buoyancy is secured, and the reduced air volume is compensated for by the increasing buoyant gas volume to keep the volume inside the air sac 101 constant, and the outer shape of the air sac 101, that is, the airship, is almost maintained. It is.

However, since the flexible membrane 103 that separates the buoyant gas accommodating section 104 and the air accommodating section 105 has a large membrane shape joined to the hull 102, the air in the air accommodating section 105 is large. It is difficult for the flexible film 103 to smoothly change following the increase in the volume of the buoyant gas accompanying the decrease in the volume. For example, as shown in FIG. There is a concern that the uneven distribution of the buoyant gas may cause the buoyancy to be unbalanced and the buoyant gas to be prevented from rising to the stratosphere in a stable state. As a result, the size of the flexible film 103 is suppressed, and the variable adjustment range of the volume ratio between the floating gas volume and the air volume is suppressed.

Further, since the load 109 is suspended and supported below the air bag 101, the load W directly acts on the lower side surface of the hull 102. As a result, FIG.
As shown in the figure, the cross-sectional shape of the air sac 101 is deformed into a substantially elliptical shape from the state shown by the one-dot chain line to distort the external shape, and the buoyant gas in the buoyant gas storage unit 104 is unevenly distributed to induce an imbalance in buoyancy. As a result of lowering the aerodynamic stability, levitation in a stable state is hindered, and a reinforcing member such as a reinforcing doubler for securing the strength of the lower side surface of the hull 102 on which the mounting load W acts is required, This causes the weight of the airship to increase.

Further, since the power cable 110 connecting the solar cell module 107 and the storage battery is disposed so as to be exposed along the outer periphery of the air bag 101, the power wiring path is long,
Power loss and weight increase, and harmful aerodynamic resistance may be caused by the power cable 110 exposed to the outside.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention, which has been made in view of the above points, is to provide a stratospheric airship capable of stably floating and staying in the stratosphere by greatly and smoothly changing a buoyant gas volume.

[0017]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a stratospheric airship, wherein a floating gas container and an air container are formed by a flexible diaphragm in an air bag formed by a hull hull. And a stratospheric airship that variably raises the volume ratio of the buoyant gas contained in the buoyant gas storage unit to the air contained in the air storage unit, wherein the diaphragm is formed by an outer periphery of the diaphragm. Are coupled along the middle height position of the hull hull, and the center portion is connected and supported by the diaphragm support member at the middle height position of the center portion of the air sac.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the change in the shape of the diaphragm due to the change in the volume ratio of the air in the air storage portion and the buoyant gas in the floating gas storage portion is caused by the fact that the central portion of the diaphragm is formed by the diaphragm support member. Since the diaphragm is connected and supported at the intermediate height position, the central portion of the diaphragm is fixed at a substantially predetermined position to suppress the occurrence of sloshing, and the diaphragm is shaped with the central portion symmetrically or substantially symmetrically balanced. Can be changed. As a result, the buoyant gas in the buoyant gas container is always unevenly distributed, so that the balance of the buoyancy of the buoyant gas is ensured. Accordingly, the volume ratio of the buoyant gas in the buoyant gas storage unit and the air in the air storage unit can be changed significantly and smoothly, and the buoyant gas can be stably levitated and stay in the stratosphere.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the stratospheric airship according to the first aspect, the diaphragm supporting member extends vertically in the air sac and has an upper end connected to a central portion of the upper surface of the hull outer skin. The suspension rope has a lower end coupled to a central portion of a lower surface of the hull, and a central portion of the partition wall is coupled to an intermediate height position of the suspension rope.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the diaphragm supporting member for connecting and supporting the central portion of the diaphragm extends vertically in the air sac, and the upper end and the lower end are located at the center of the upper surface and the lower surface of the hull outer skin. It is easily formed by hanging ropes that are joined.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the stratospheric airship according to the second aspect, the suspension cable extends in a vertical direction through a center line extending in a front-rear direction of the air sac, and an upper end thereof is a hull. The hull outer skin is coupled to the upper surface central portion, and the lower end is coupled to the lower surface central portion of the hull.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, since the suspension cable is disposed so as to pass through the center line of the air sac, the occurrence of sloshing is suppressed, and the diaphragm is balanced symmetrically or substantially symmetrically about the center. In this state, the balance of the buoyancy of the buoyant gas is more reliably ensured, and the volume ratio of the buoyant gas and air can be changed more smoothly, and stable levitation is ensured.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the stratospheric airship of the third aspect, a plurality of the suspension ropes are arranged along the center line.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the change in the shape of the diaphragm due to the change in the volume ratio between the air volume in the air storage portion and the buoyant gas in the floating gas storage portion is such that the central portion of the diaphragm is arranged along the center line. , The central portion of the diaphragm is fixed at a plurality of points along the center line, and the occurrence of sloshing is more effectively suppressed. The shape is changed while maintaining the balance symmetrically or substantially symmetrically at the center, the left-right balance of the buoyancy of the buoyant gas is more reliably ensured, and even if the air bag is relatively large, the buoyant gas in the buoyant gas storage part is smoothly In addition, it is possible to change the volume ratio of the air in the air accommodating portion, and stable floating is provided.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the stratospheric airship according to any of the second to fourth aspects, a load supporting member disposed below a lower surface of a hull is suspended and supported at a lower end of the suspension cable. It is characterized by.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, a load is mounted on the lower end of the suspension cable, the upper end of which is connected to the center of the upper surface of the hull outer skin and which passes through the air bag and the lower end of which is connected to the lower center of the hull outer skin. Since the object support member is suspended and supported, the load of the load support member and the load directly acts on the center of the upper surface of the hull hull via the suspension cable. As a result, the load on the mounting support and the load is applied downward through the suspension cable at the center of the upper surface of the buoyant gas storage where the buoyancy of the buoyant gas acts. Suppressed, the shape of the buoyant gas storage portion is maintained, the uneven distribution of the buoyant gas is suppressed, the balance of buoyancy is maintained, and the shape of the air bag is maintained, and the aerodynamic stability of the airship is obtained.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the stratospheric airship according to the fifth aspect, the load supporting member and the load mounted on the load supporting member have outer peripheries joined to the lower surface of the hull outer skin. It is characterized by being covered with a thin film fairing that performs a rectifying function, and being restrained from swinging by the tension of the thin film fairing.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the swing of the load supporting member and the load is restrained by the tension of the thin film fairing which also has a function of rectifying the external air flow, and the load supporting member and the mounting are suspended and supported. Objects and the like can be stably held, and other means for restraining the swing can be omitted, so that the structure is simplified and the weight is reduced.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the stratospheric airship of any of the second to fourth aspects, a power cable is disposed coaxially or parallel to the suspension cable.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, by arranging the power cable so as to penetrate the inside of the air bag, the power cable can be shortened as compared with the conventional power cable wiring provided along the outer surface of the hull. , A reduction in power loss and weight, and a reduction in air resistance without exposing the power cable to the outside.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the stratospheric airship according to the seventh aspect, the power cable is disposed below the lower surface of the solar cell module disposed on the upper surface of the outer hull and the lower surface of the hull. And a power cable for wiring the load.

According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the power cable connecting the solar cell module and the mounted object such as the storage battery mounted on the mounting support member passes through the inside of the air bag and the hull shell 11.
By arranging coaxially or in parallel with the suspension cable connecting the upper central part and the lower central part, power wiring is made in the shortest distance, compared to a conventional airship that lays a power cable along the outer periphery of the air bag. The power cable can be shortened, the power loss and the weight can be reduced, and the air resistance can be reduced without exposing the power cable to the outside.

[0033]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of a stratospheric airship according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a side view of the stratospheric airship 1, FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line II of FIG. The arrow F indicates the forward direction of the airship 1.

In the stratospheric airship 1, various devices and members are fixed to an air sac 10 having, for example, a substantially circular cross section and a substantially elliptical shape in side view.

The air sac 10 has a balloon shape of a substantially elliptical sphere formed by the hull shell 11, and a solar cell module 41 is stretched on the upper surface of the hull shell 11 with an adhesive heat insulating layer interposed therebetween. Baronets 42 and 43 are provided at the front and rear portions, respectively.

The baronets 42 and 43 are small air sacs filled with air. At low altitudes, air is introduced to maintain the pressure in the air sacs 10, and the internal pressure in the air sacs 10 generated as the altitude increases and the external pressure decreases. Air is discharged in accordance with the pressure difference to maintain the outer shape of the air sac 10, that is, the shape of the airship 1, and adjust the air capacity of the baronets 42 and 43 disposed before and after to balance the airship 1. Is held.

At the rear of the airship 1, a propulsion device 45, a stabilizer 46 and the like are provided. Below the lower surface of the hull 11, for example, equipment 47 such as equipment, a storage battery, a fuel cell, and mission payload equipment are mounted. Loaded support member 48 to be loaded
Is arranged.

Inside the air sac 10 is a flexible membrane 1 which is a flexible diaphragm.
2 divides the buoyant gas container 20 and the air container 30 into upper and lower parts. The outer periphery of the flexible membrane 12 is airtightly connected along the substantially intermediate height position of the hull 11 over the entire circumference, and the central portion is connected and supported at an intermediate height position in the air bag 10 by a diaphragm support member. Have been. The diaphragm support member extends substantially vertically through a center line a passing in the front-rear direction of the air sac 10, and is arranged in parallel along the center line a to connect the center of the upper surface and the center of the lower surface of the hull shell 11. The flexible membranes 12 are formed at substantially middle heights of the suspension cables 13.

The connection between the flexible membrane 12 and the suspension cable 13 is shown in FIG. 4 (a) as a longitudinal sectional view and FIG. 4 (b) as shown in FIG. A tubular sealing part 15 made of soft rubber or the like is fitted on the outer periphery of the lower cable 13, and a cylindrical connecting part 16 is fitted at the center with the sealing part 15.
The floating gas storage unit 20 and the air storage unit 30 are connected by a holding ring 16 composed of a pair of disk-shaped holding portions 16b connected from above and below the insertion hole 12a formed in the flexible membrane 12 from above and below. The flexible membrane 12 and the suspension cable 13 are connected in a state where airtightness is secured.

The developed shape of the flexible membrane 12 is such that the outer hull 1
1 has a shape similar to the shape of the upper half or the lower half, but includes baronets 42, 4
In order to avoid interference with the floating gas tank 21 disposed above the floating gas container 20 and the floating gas container 20, the upper and lower halves of the hull 11 are formed slightly smaller in shape than the upper and lower halves.

The floating gas thin film tank 21 has a total volume in the air bag 10, that is, about 14 times the total volume of the floating gas volume in the floating gas storage unit 20 and the floating gas thin film tank 21 and the air volume in the air storage unit 30. It is set to one-half the volume.

Further, at the lower end 13a of the suspension cable 13 connected to the center of the lower surface of the hull shell 11, disposed below the lower surface of the air bag 10, equipment, storage batteries, fuel cells, mission payload equipment, etc. The upper end of a load support member 48 on which the load 47 is mounted is suspended, and the outer periphery of the load support member 48 and the load 47 is connected to the lower surface of the hull 11 so that the external air flow is rectified. The thin film fairing 49 is also used as a support, and the swing of the load supporting member 48 is restrained by the tension of the thin film fairing 49.

Since the swing of the load supporting member 48 and the load 47 is restrained by the tension of the thin film fairing 49, the suspended load supporting member 48 and the load 47 are stably held. At the same time, it is possible to omit or simplify the other means for restraining the swing, thereby simplifying the structure and reducing the weight.

The suspension cable 13 is coaxial with the suspension cable 13 or
In parallel with the solar cell module 41 and the load supporting member 48
, A power cable (not shown) for connecting a storage battery or the like, for example, is provided. In the present embodiment, a power cable is provided coaxially with the suspension cable 13.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5 in a sectional view taken along the line III-III of FIG. 2, a floating gas injection part 23 for injecting the floating gas into the floating gas thin film tank 21 is provided above the hull shell 11. A valve (not shown) is provided on the buoyant gas injection unit 23. Further, the floating gas thin film tank 21 is provided with a floating gas vent valve 24 for discharging the floating gas into the floating gas container 20.

On the other hand, the lower part of the hull 11 is
As shown in FIG.
Air intake blower 31 for pressurizing and supplying outside air to the inside and air vent valve 3 for discharging air from air storage portion 30
2 are provided.

Next, the operation of the stratospheric airship 1 configured as described above will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing the operating state of the airship 1. FIG. 7B shows a state on the ground, FIG. 7C shows an ascending and descending state, and FIG. ) Indicates the state in the stratosphere. FIG. 2C shows FIG.
2 is a sectional view taken along line III-III, and FIGS. 3B and 3D are sectional views taken along line IV-IV in FIG.

Before the airship 1 starts moving on the ground, as shown in FIG.
Floating gas such as helium gas is injected into the floating gas thin film tank 21 from the floating gas thin film tank 21.
The gas is also supplied from the inside to the inside of the floating gas storage unit 20 via the floating gas vent valve 24.

Next, the valve of the buoyant gas injection unit 23 and the air vent valve 32 are closed, and the air suction blower 31 puts the air into the air storage unit 30 by, for example, about 500 to 1000
The external air is suctioned and pressurized at a high Pa to maintain the shape of the air sac 10. In this state, as shown in FIG.
Is lifted upward by the pressurized air in the air storage unit 30 and is lifted by the floating gas storage unit 20 and the floating gas thin film tank 2.
1 is pressurized to, for example, about 500 to 1000 Pa, which is balanced with the air pressure in the air container 30.
After that, the floating gas storage unit 20 and the floating gas thin film tank 2
The levitation gas vent valve 24 that communicates with the valve 1 is closed to prepare for levitation start.

The ascending of the airship 1 starts ascending due to the buoyancy obtained by subtracting the equipment weight of the airship 1 from the buoyancy due to the buoyant gas in the buoyant gas storage unit 20 and the buoyant gas thin film tank 21, that is, excess buoyancy. As the airship 1 rises, the external air pressure gradually decreases, and as the external air pressure decreases, the differential pressure between the internal pressure of the air sac 10 and the external air pressure gradually increases. generate.

If the tension generated in the hull shell 11 becomes excessive, the hull shell 11 will be damaged, and the air vent valve 32 is required to maintain the differential pressure under a predetermined limited differential pressure in consideration of a safety margin. Is released to release the air in the air storage unit 30 to reduce the air volume and depressurize the air sac 10.

The buoyant gas pressure in the buoyant gas storage unit 20 generated as the air volume in the air storage unit 30 decreases,
The expansion of the buoyant gas in the buoyant gas storage unit 20 starts in accordance with the pressure difference between the buoyant gas and the air storage unit 30. Due to the expansion of the levitating gas, the pressure of the levitating gas in the levitating gas storage unit 20 decreases, and a differential pressure between the levitating gas in the levitating gas storage unit 20 and the levitating gas in the levitating gas thin film tank 21 starts to occur. This differential pressure generates tension in the film of the floating gas thin film tank 21. Since this tension induces breakage of the film of the floating gas thin film tank 21, the floating gas vent valve 24 is opened in a state where a predetermined limit differential pressure is reached to prevent this damage, and the floating in the floating gas thin film tank 21 is prevented. Gas storage unit 2 for floating gas
Send to 0.

The buoyant gas delivered into the buoyant gas storage unit 20 expands to compensate for the reduced air volume due to the discharge of air from the air sac 10, and as shown in FIG.
2, the volume inside the air sac 10 is kept constant, and the pressure inside the air sac 10 is reduced, so that the differential pressure between the inside of the air sac 10 and the outside air is kept below the limited differential pressure.

As the airship 1 rises, the air in the air storage section 30 and the discharge of the floating gas in the floating gas thin film tank 21 into the floating gas storage section 20 are continuously repeated, whereby the air gradually increases. The air volume in the storage unit 30 is reduced, and the floating gas in the floating gas storage unit 20 is expanded so as to compensate for the reduced air volume, and the flexible membrane 12 is sequentially pushed down to keep the volume in the air sac 10 constant. In a state where the pressure inside the air sac 10 is reduced and the pressure difference between the inside of the air sac 10 and the outside air is kept below the limited pressure difference, as shown in FIG. It is raised.

The change in the shape of the flexible film 12 due to the decrease in the air volume in the air container 30 and the expansion of the buoyant gas in the buoyant gas container 20 is caused by the fact that the central portion of the flexible film 12 Of the flexible membrane 12 is fixed to a substantially predetermined position to suppress the occurrence of a sloshing phenomenon, and the flexible membrane 12 is symmetrically or substantially symmetrical about the center. It is performed while maintaining the balance.

As a result, the buoyant gas in the buoyant gas storage unit 20 is not unevenly distributed, and the buoyancy of the buoyant gas acting on the air sac 10 is balanced. Therefore, the volume ratio of the buoyant gas in the buoyant gas storage unit 20 and the air in the air storage unit 30 can be changed significantly and smoothly, and the buoyant gas can float and stay in the stratosphere in a stable state. And the enlargement of the air sac 10 becomes possible,
The airship 1 is enlarged.

Further, the upper end is connected to the center of the upper surface of the hull outer shell 11, passes through the center in the air bag 10, and the lower end is connected to the hull outer shell 1.
A load support member 48 for mounting a load 47 such as equipment, a storage battery, a fuel cell, and a mission payload device at a lower end of the suspension cable 13 connected to a lower center of a lower central portion of the lower part 1.
Is suspended, the load W of the load supporting member 48 and the load 47 directly acts on the center of the upper surface of the hull outer skin 11 via the suspension cable 13 as shown in FIG.

That is, the weight W of the load supporting portion 48 and the load 47 is lowered through the suspension cable 13 at the center of the upper surface of the hull 11 which is the center of action of the buoyancy p of the buoyant gas acting on the hull 11. , The deformation of the levitating gas container 20 due to the buoyancy p is suppressed, the upper surface shape of the levitating gas container 20 is maintained, and the uneven distribution of the levitating gas is suppressed, and
The balance of the buoyancy acting on is maintained. Note that the arrow P
Indicates the total buoyancy p. In addition, deformation of the upper surface shape of the hull outer skin 11 is suppressed, and the shape of the air sac 10 is maintained, so that the aerodynamic stability of the airship 1 is obtained.

Further, a power cable connecting the solar cell module 41 and the storage battery mounted on the mounted object support member 47 passes through the inside of the air bag 10 to connect the center of the upper surface and the center of the lower surface of the hull shell 11. By arranging coaxially or in parallel with the suspension cable 13, power wiring is made in the shortest distance,
The power cable can be shortened compared to a conventional airship where the power cable is routed along the outer circumference of the air sac, and power loss and weight can be reduced, and the air resistance can be reduced without exposing the power cable to the outside. Brought.

The stratospheric airship of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, but can be variously modified without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, in the above embodiment, a plurality of suspension ropes are arranged, but a relatively small airship can be formed by one suspension rope,
In addition, the flexible membrane was connected and supported at the mid-height position of the suspension cable, but the connection of the flexible membrane was shifted to the upper part or the lower position of the suspension cable depending on the shape and size of the baronet and the floating gas thin film tank. It is also possible to connect the suspension cable to the flexible membrane.

[0063]

According to the stratospheric airship described above,
Since the central portion of the diaphragm is connected and supported at the center intermediate height position of the air sac by the diaphragm supporting member, the central portion of the diaphragm is fixed at a predetermined position, and the volume of the air in the air storage portion and the floating gas in the floating gas storage portion The occurrence of the sloshing phenomenon of the diaphragm due to the change in the ratio is suppressed, and the shape of the diaphragm is changed while maintaining the central portion symmetrically or substantially symmetrically balanced, so that the floating gas in the floating gas storage portion is not unevenly distributed. The buoyancy balance of the buoyant gas is ensured, and the volume ratio of the buoyant gas in the buoyant gas storage unit and the air in the air storage unit can be changed significantly and smoothly, allowing the buoyant gas to stably float and stay in the stratosphere. Becomes possible.

Further, the diaphragm supporting portion is formed by a suspension cable having an upper end connected to the center of the upper surface of the hull outer skin and passing through the air bag, and a lower end connected to the lower center of the hull outer skin. By suspending and supporting the load supporting member disposed below the lower surface of the outer hull, the load of the load supporting member and the load directly acts on the center of the upper surface of the hull outer hull via the suspension cable, and the levitation occurs. By applying the load of the mounting support and the load through the suspension cable to the center of the upper surface of the hull where gas buoyancy acts, deformation of the upper surface of the hull hull due to buoyancy is suppressed, and uneven distribution of buoyant gas is reduced. It is suppressed to maintain the balance of buoyancy, and the shape of the air sac is maintained, so that the aerodynamic stability of the airship is obtained.

By arranging the power cable coaxially or in parallel with the suspension cable in the air bag, the power cable can be shortened as compared with the wiring of the power cable provided along the hull hull. Loss and weight reduction,
In addition, the air resistance is reduced without the power cable being exposed to the outside.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing an outline of an embodiment of a stratospheric airship according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is also a longitudinal sectional view of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line II of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 4A and 4B are views for explaining a connecting portion between the flexible membrane and the suspension cable, in which FIG. 4A is a longitudinal sectional view, and FIG.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is an explanatory view showing an operation state of the airship, wherein (a) and (b) show states on the ground,
(C) is a sectional view showing an ascending / descending state, and (d) is a state in the stratosphere.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the state of operation of the mounting load.

FIG. 9 is a schematic side view schematically showing a conventional airship.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken along line VV of FIG. 9;

11 is a sectional view taken along line VI-VI of FIG. 9;

FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken along line VII-VII of FIG. 9;

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the airship stays in the stratosphere.

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing the ascending state of the airship.

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a mounting load is acting.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Stratosphere airship 10 Air sac 11 Hull hull 12 Flexible membrane (diaphragm) 13 Hanging line (diaphragm support member) 13a Lower end 20 Floating gas storage unit 21 Floating gas thin film tank 23 Floating gas injection unit 24 Floating gas vent valve 30 Air storage unit Reference Signs List 31 air intake blower 32 air vent valve 41 solar cell module 47 mounted object 48 mounted object support member 49 thin film fairing a center line

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Masaaki Sano 2-1-15 Tsudanuma, Narashino City, Chiba Prefecture (72) Inventor Junichi Kimura 1-7-2 Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Inside Fuji Heavy Industries, Ltd.

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. An air sac formed by a hull hull is vertically divided into a floating gas storage portion and an air storage portion by a flexible diaphragm, and a floating gas and an air storage portion stored in the floating gas storage portion. In a stratospheric airship that raises the volume ratio of air contained therein by varying the volume ratio, the outer periphery of the diaphragm is coupled along an intermediate height position of the outer hull of the hull, and the central portion is formed by a diaphragm support member. An airship for the stratosphere characterized by being connected and supported at an intermediate height position in the center of an air sac. 2. A hanging rope extending vertically into the air sac and having an upper end coupled to a central portion of an upper surface of a hull and a lower end coupled to a central portion of a lower surface of the hull. The stratospheric airship according to claim 1, wherein a center portion of the partition wall is connected to an intermediate height position of the suspension cable. 3. The suspension cable extends vertically along a center line extending in the front-rear direction of the air sac, and has an upper end coupled to a center of an upper surface of a hull, and a lower end disposed at a center of a lower surface of the hull. The stratospheric airship according to claim 2, wherein the airship is coupled to a section. 4. The stratospheric airship according to claim 3, wherein a plurality of the suspension ropes are arranged along the center line. 5. The stratospheric airship according to claim 2, wherein a load supporting member disposed below a lower surface of the hull is suspended and supported at a lower end of the suspension cable. 6. The load supporting member and the load mounted on the load supporting member are covered with a thin film fairing having an outer periphery coupled to a lower surface of a hull outer skin and performing a rectifying function, and the thin film fairing. 6. The stratospheric airship according to claim 5, wherein the swing is suppressed by the tension of the stratosphere. 7. The stratospheric airship according to claim 2, wherein a power cable is disposed coaxially or in parallel with the suspension cable. 8. The power cable according to claim 1, wherein the power cable is a power cable for wiring a solar cell module disposed on an upper surface of the hull and a load mounted on a lower surface of the hull. A stratospheric airship according to claim 7.