JP2017154595A - Captive balloon system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a captive balloon system which can control a mooring position of a baloon.SOLUTION: A captive balloon system in which a balloon body and a mooring device are connected to each other via a mooring cable. The balloon body has a main envelope, and a first side envelope and a second side envelope which are attached to the main envelope, and the mooring device has a tension control device which controls a tensile force of the mooring cable. By controlling the tensile force of an operation cable, relative positions of the main envelope, and the first and second side envelopes can be changed. Preferably, the mooring device controls the tensile force of the mooring cable so that a front part of the baloon body approaches a horizontal position as an air velocity is decreased, and the front part of the ballon body is gradually directed upwards as an air velocity is increased. All of the main envelope, and the first and second side envelopes can be so made as to have a cylindrical shape.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

  The present invention relates to a moored balloon system, and more particularly to a moored balloon system capable of suppressing movement of a balloon.

  Moored balloons are used for relay stations for observation, advertisement, and wireless communication. The conventional mooring balloon has a configuration in which the balloon is connected by a rope (mooring line) from the ground, and therefore the mooring range (the floating range of the balloon) is limited to the rope range. However, it was difficult to operate during strong winds because it caused an accident such as a balloon being blown by a wind and colliding with a building.

  Patent Document 1 describes a scoop (curtain-like member attached to the lower part of the balloon body for stabilizing the attitude of the balloon) from a portion with a high transmittance and a portion with a low transmittance so that the nose is directed to the windward. To stabilize the wind (stable weather).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-7899

  When used in places where buildings such as urban areas are dense, or when aiming at aerial photography of a very narrow range, limit the floating range of the balloon to a range narrower than the range specified by the rope It will be necessary. In Patent Document 1, even if the wind vane stability of the balloon can be realized, it is not possible to prevent the balloon from being swept away by the influence of the wind.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a moored balloon system capable of controlling the mooring position of the balloon.

  The mooring balloon system according to the present invention can control the mooring position of the balloon body by having the following configuration. The mooring balloon system according to the present invention is a mooring balloon system in which a balloon body and a mooring device are connected via a mooring line.

  The balloon body has a main envelope, a first side envelope and a second side envelope attached to the main envelope, and a control rope connected to at least one of the main envelope and the first and second side envelopes. And have. The envelope is also called a spherical skin and seals a light gas such as helium or hydrogen inside. It is preferable that the balloon body has a wind-stable structure so that the nose faces the windward side.

  By controlling the tension of the control rope, the relative positions of the main envelope, the first side envelope, and the second side envelope can be changed.

That is, in the moored balloon system according to the present invention, the shape of the balloon body can be changed by controlling the tension of the control rope. The force applied by the wind to the balloon body can be changed by changing the shape of the balloon. Therefore, it is possible to control the balloon body so that it does not move or to move the balloon body to a desired position by adjusting the force applied to the balloon body by the wind force and the mooring line tension. is there.

  In the present invention, the tension control of the control rope may be performed by a machine or may be performed manually. When tension control is performed by a machine, the mooring device can be provided with a tension control device that controls the tension of the control rope. The device (motor or the like) that actually applies tension to the control line may be on the balloon side (in the air) or on the mooring device side (the ground).

  For example, the mooring balloon system in the present invention can be configured to have a motor connected to the control line. In this case, the relative positions of the main envelope, the first side envelope, and the second side envelope can be changed by adjusting the tension of the control rope in accordance with an instruction from the tension control device. is there. The control line and the motor may or may not be connected to the mooring line. For example, the shape of the balloon can be changed by having a plurality of control lines that connect the ends of the mooring lines and a plurality of different positions of the balloon body, and controlling the tension of each control line with a motor. Alternatively, the shape of the balloon can be changed by controlling the tension of the control line having both ends connected to the balloon body with a motor.

  Further, the mooring balloon system according to the present invention can be configured such that the control line also serves as the mooring line, and the control line is connected to the mooring device. In this case, the mooring device can change the relative positions of the main envelope, the first side envelope, and the second side envelope by adjusting the tension of the control rope in accordance with an instruction from the tension control device. It is.

  In either case, it is not necessary to individually control the tension of each control line one by one, and the tension of a plurality of control lines may be collectively controlled in an appropriate unit.

  The mooring device in the present invention preferably controls the tension of the control line based on the wind speed and direction of the wind received by the balloon and the tension of the control line or the mooring line. What is necessary is just to acquire the wind speed and wind direction of the wind which a balloon receives with the wind speed sensor and wind direction sensor with which the balloon main body was equipped. What kind of wind and tension should be used to determine how to control the tension of the control line according to a predetermined rule. This rule can be formulated based on dynamic calculation, or can be formulated by machine learning using an actual machine or a simulation.

  In addition to the above parameters, the tension control of the control line by the mooring device includes, for example, the relative position of the balloon body to the mooring device, the wind direction or the direction of the balloon body with respect to the wind, the temperature / atmospheric pressure in the sky (near the balloon body), It is also preferable to carry out based on the amount of light gas in the balloon body, the buoyancy, the position of the balloon body relative to the mooring device, and the like. Such information can be acquired from a sensor provided in the balloon or can be acquired from a sensor provided by the mooring device.

  In the mooring device according to the present invention, the lower the wind speed, the closer the horizontal height of the main envelope and the first and second side envelopes are, and the stronger the wind speed, the more the first and second side envelopes are the main envelope. It is preferable to control the tension of the control rope so that the position is lower than the envelope. In addition, the mooring device according to the present invention controls the tension of the control rope so that the balloon body becomes more horizontal as the wind speed is weaker, and the front of the balloon body faces upward as the wind speed is stronger. Is also preferable.

By adopting a horizontal shape when the wind is weak, stable floating is possible and the influence on the crosswind can be suppressed. Also, when the wind is strong, the buoyancy against the balloon body increases by raising the nose or narrowing the side envelope to hold the wind. The balloon body is pushed forward by this buoyancy and wind resistance, and further, the balance is maintained by tensioning the mooring line (or evenly tensioning the entire control line), so the movement of the balloon body can be suppressed. .

  In the present invention, the main envelope has a pair of tails, the tails are connected to the mooring device by a control line, and the tension control unit controls the tension of the control line to control the tails. It is also preferable to operate. By operating the tail, the force on the balloon body can be further controlled.

  The tension control of the control line by the mooring device can not only suppress the movement of the balloon body but also move the position of the balloon body. Furthermore, the movement of the balloon body can be suppressed at any position other than directly above the mooring device.

  In the present invention, the main envelope and the first and second side envelopes can all be cylindrical. Further, the first and second side envelopes are shorter in the longitudinal direction than the main envelope, and the gravity center positions of the first and second side envelopes are more forward than the gravity center position of the main envelope. It is preferable to be located. In this way, the buoyancy in front of the balloon body is greater than the buoyancy in the rear, and it is easy to take a posture in which the nose is lifted, and the aerodynamic control performance is improved against wind from the front.

  Moreover, in this invention, it is preferable that the said 1st and 2nd side envelope is detachable from the said main envelope in the state which maintained internal gas. It is preferable that the lightweight gas can be transported without being extracted from the envelope because it takes time to introduce the lightweight gas to be introduced into the envelope and the lightweight gas is expensive. Even if the balloon main body is large as a whole, it can be easily transported by disassembling and reducing it. In addition, operation can be started simply by attaching the side envelope to the main envelope after transportation.

  In the present invention, the mooring device is mounted on a vehicle, and the vehicle includes a support portion capable of fixing the balloon body while maintaining the gas inside the first and second side envelopes. Is preferred. It is preferable that the balloon main body with the side envelope attached thereto, the main envelope from which the side envelope is removed, or the side envelope removed from the main envelope can be fixed to the support portion. By fixing the balloon or envelope to the support part of the vehicle, it is not necessary to lift the aircraft with a crane, and a small number of people (about several people) can easily replenish and maintain the helium gas in the balloon and disassemble and combine the side envelopes. .

  In addition, the mooring balloon system according to the present invention preferably further includes a vehicle on which the mooring device and a data transmission device that acquires sensor data obtained from a sensor provided in the balloon main body and wirelessly communicates are mounted. . In this way, the balloon body can be transported by a vehicle and operated at an arbitrary location. The sensor provided in the balloon main body may be any sensor, and examples thereof include a visible light camera, a thermal camera, a temperature sensor, an atmospheric pressure sensor, and a wind speed sensor. By transmitting the sensor data wirelessly from the data transmission device, the sensor data can be confirmed by a remote device. It is also preferable to perform sensor control such as changing the shooting direction of the camera in accordance with an instruction from a remote place.

  Further, the present invention can be understood as a moored balloon system including at least a part of the above means. Each of the above configurations and processes can be combined with each other as long as no technical contradiction occurs.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the mooring position of a balloon main body can be controlled, for example, it can suppress moving the mooring position of a balloon main body from arbitrary positions.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a ground monitoring system using a mooring balloon system. FIG. 2A to FIG. 2D are diagrams illustrating the external shape of the balloon body. FIG. 3A to FIG. 3C are diagrams illustrating a control rope connected to the balloon body. 4 (A) and 4 (B) are diagrams illustrating the control rope connected to the balloon main body. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining control of the mooring line and the control line by the tension control device. 6 (A) and 6 (B) are diagrams illustrating control for fixing the balloon main body to a fixed point during a weak wind. FIGS. 7A and 7B are diagrams for explaining control for fixing the balloon body to a fixed point during a strong wind. FIG. 8A to FIG. 8D are diagrams illustrating control for turning the balloon body. FIGS. 9A and 9B are diagrams for explaining control for moving the balloon body backward or forward. FIG. 10A to FIG. 10D are diagrams illustrating a support portion mounted on a vehicle.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be exemplarily described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, and the like of the components described in this embodiment are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention only to those unless otherwise specified.

<System overview>
The first embodiment of the present invention is a ground monitoring system using a moored balloon system. FIG.
These show the schematic structure of the ground monitoring system which concerns on this embodiment. The ground monitoring system includes a balloon 200, a vehicle 200 including a mooring and winding device 201, and a tension control device 202, and a headquarter 300. The balloon main body 100 is placed, for example, above an intersection in an urban area, and the balloon main body 100 photographs the ground using the camera 120. An image photographed by the balloon main body 100 is transmitted from the transmission device 240 of the vehicle 200 to the transmission device 310 of the headquarter 300, and the headquarter 300 can monitor the vicinity of the balloon installation position.

  Here, when the balloon main body 100 is arranged over the city, if the balloon main body 100 moves greatly due to the influence of wind or the like, the balloon main body 100 may hit a surrounding building, which is dangerous. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the shape of the balloon main body 100 is made variable by tension control from the mooring take-up device 201, and the force applied to the balloon main body 100 is adjusted to prevent the balloon main body 100 from flowing.

<Balloon body 100>
2A to 2D are diagrams showing the structure of the balloon main body 100. FIG. 2A is a front view of the balloon body 100, FIG. 2B is a top view of the balloon body 100, FIG. 2C is a rear view of the balloon body 100, and FIG. 2D is a side view of the balloon body 100. FIG. In these drawings, for the purpose of explaining the shape of the envelope (ball skin) of the balloon main body 100, a control line connected to the balloon main body 100, a hook for fixing the control line, or a sensor included in the balloon main body 100 is provided. Etc. are omitted.

  As shown in the figure, the balloon body 100 includes side envelopes 120 a and 120 b on both sides of the main envelope 110. Each envelope has a substantially cylindrical shape, and the balloon body 100 has a triple structure in which three cylinders are arranged. Each envelope is filled with a light gas such as helium gas.

  A pair of tail vanes 112 a and 112 b are provided on the lower rear side of the main envelope 110. The tail wing 112 (hereinafter, the tail wings 112a and 112b are collectively referred to as the tail wing 112) is opened and closed by tension control from the vehicle 200 (tension control device 202) in order to stabilize the attitude of the balloon body 100. Control is possible.

  The side envelope 120 (hereinafter, the side envelopes 120 a and 120 b are collectively referred to as the side envelope 120) is shorter in length in the longitudinal direction than the main envelope 110, and the center of gravity position is smaller than the center of gravity position of the main envelope 110. Arranged on the front side. Accordingly, the balloon main body 100 takes a posture (pitch-up posture) in which the front of the nose is directed upward because the front side of the nose has a large volume of helium gas and a large buoyancy. By taking a pitch-up posture, aerodynamic control performance against wind from the front is improved.

  Since the balloon main body 100 has a wind vane stable structure in which a rotational moment is generated when receiving wind from other than the front, the balloon main body 100 automatically faces upwind when receiving wind.

  Each of the side envelopes 120a and 120b is connected to the main envelope 110 via a connection cloth (not shown). The side envelope 120 is movable with respect to the main envelope 110 within a range regulated by the connection cloth. Typically, the side envelope 120 is repositioned relative to the main envelope 110 so that the side envelope 120 opens and closes, the main envelope 110 and the side envelope 120 are substantially horizontal, and the side envelope 120 is the main envelope 110. It is possible to take a shape that is located below and holds the wind.

  The main envelope 110 and the side envelope 120 are configured to be detachable from each other while being filled with helium gas. The fastening structure of the main envelope 110 and the side envelope 120 is not particularly limited, but it needs to be strong enough to withstand the flight operation. By making the three envelopes separable, transportation on the ground becomes easy.

  The balloon main body 100 includes a PTZ camera 151 and a thermal camera 153 for photographing the ground. The PTZ camera 151 is a camera that acquires a visible light image capable of pan / tilt / zoom control (PTZ control) by a command from the headquarters 300. The thermal camera 153 is a camera that acquires an infrared image. The PTZ camera 151 and the thermal camera 153 maintain their camera postures by three-axis cymbals 152 and 154, respectively. Images taken by the PTZ camera 151 and the thermal camera 153 are sent to the vehicle 200 and sent from the vehicle 200 to the headquarters 300.

  The balloon body 100 further includes sensors such as a GPS device 155, a wind direction / wind speed sensor 156, and an atmospheric pressure sensor 157. Position information obtained from the GPS device 155, wind direction wind speed information obtained from the wind direction wind speed sensor 156, and atmospheric pressure information obtained from the atmospheric pressure sensor 157 are sent to the vehicle 200 and used for tension control of the mooring take-up device 201.

  With reference to FIGS. 3 (A) to 3 (C) and FIGS. 4 (A) and 4 (B), the control rope connected to the balloon body will be described. 3A is a bottom view of the balloon main body 100, FIG. 3B is a front view of the balloon main body 100, FIG. 3C is a rear view of the balloon main body 100, and FIGS. 4A and 4B. FIG. 3 is a side view of the balloon main body 100, in which the control line and the control line fixing hook are not omitted.

  The main envelope 110 is provided with four control rope fixing hooks 118a and 118b on the left and right sides of the lower surface, and one hook 118c and 118d on the front and rear sides, respectively. The control ropes 141a to 141d are connected to the hooks 118a to 118d, respectively. The other ends of the control ropes 141 a to 141 d are connected to the servo motor 130. The servo motor 130 is configured to receive a tension control instruction from the tension control device 202 of the vehicle 200 and adjust the tension applied to the control ropes 141a to 141d.

  Four control rope fixing hooks 128a and 128b are attached to the outer sides of the lower surfaces of the side envelopes 120a and 120b, respectively. Control ropes 142a and 142b are connected to the hooks 128a and 128b, respectively. Similarly to the control ropes 141a to 141d, the control ropes 142a and 142b are connected to the servo motor 130 at the other end, and the tension can be adjusted.

  In the mooring balloon system according to the present embodiment, the tension of the control line is controlled from the ground, and the tension of the control line 141 of the main envelope 110 and the control line 142 of the side envelope 120 is changed to open or close the side envelope 120. can do. Further, by changing the tension between the front control rope 141c and the rear control rope 141d of the balloon main body 100, the nose of the balloon main body 100 can be controlled to be raised or lowered. In addition, the tail 112 can be opened and closed by controlling the tension of the control line 116.

  The servo motor 130 may be capable of individually adjusting the tension of each control line, or may be capable of adjusting the tensions of a plurality of control lines collectively. For example, the tension of the four control ropes 142a of the side envelope 120a can be configured to be adjusted collectively. Similarly, the four control lines 142a of the side envelope 120a can be collectively set as targets for tension control, and the eight control lines 141a and 141b of the main envelope can be set as targets for tension control. The required number of servo motors 130 is provided.

  In the vicinity of the servo motor 130, the control ropes 141 a to 141 d, 142 a, 142 b are gathered together by hooks and connected to the mooring cable 143. The other end of the mooring line 143 is connected to the mooring and winding device 201 of the vehicle 200. The mooring take-up device 201 can adjust the overall altitude of the balloon main body 100 (distance from the mooring take-up device 201) by feeding or winding the mooring line 143. A cable (such as a LAN cable) for communicating an electrical signal between the vehicle 200 and the balloon main body 100 also exists along the mooring line 143. The communication cable and the mooring cable 143 can be covered together to avoid tangling.

  Servo motors 131a and 131b are attached to the rear of the main envelope 110, and the servo motors 131a and 131b and the tail blades 112a and 112b are connected by the control ropes 116a and 116b.

<Vehicle 200>
The vehicle 200 includes a mooring winding device 201, a tension control device 202, a storage device 203, and a transmission device 204. The mooring and winding device 201 performs control for winding and unwinding the mooring line 143 connected to the balloon main body 100. The mooring winding device 201 has a servo mechanism, and controls the motor so that the target tension instructed from the tension control device 202 is applied to the mooring line 143.

  The tension control device 202 determines the tension of the control lines 141 and 142 and the mooring line 143 based on the tension of the control lines 141 and 142, the tension of the mooring lines 143, the position of the balloon main body 100, the wind direction, the wind speed, and the atmospheric pressure. Adjust the tension. In this embodiment, the target tension is determined by the tension control device 202, but a tension control device may be incorporated in the mooring winding device 201.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the tension control command for the mooring line 143 is sent from the tension control device 202 to the mooring winding device 201. On the other hand, the tension control command for the control ropes 141 and 142 is sent from the tension control device 202 to the servo motor 130 via the communication cable (collected with the mooring cable 143).

  By adjusting the force applied to the balloon main body 100 by changing the shape of the balloon main body 100 by tension control, the balloon main body 100 is kept at a fixed point or moved to a desired position.

  The tension controller 202 acquires the current tension of each control line and mooring line from the tension sensor. The tension of the control rope is acquired by a sensor provided in the servo motor 130 and is sent to the tension control device 202 via a communication cable. The tension of the mooring line is acquired by a sensor provided in the mooring winding device 201 and sent to the tension control device 202. Further, the tension control device 202 determines the relative position of the balloon body 100 based on the position information obtained from the GPS device 155 provided in the balloon body 100 and the position information obtained from the GPS device (not shown) provided in the vehicle 200. Obtain by difference. Further, the tension control device 202 acquires the influence of the wind received by the balloon main body 100 and the atmospheric pressure in the sky from the wind direction / air velocity sensor 156 or the atmospheric pressure sensor provided in the balloon main body 100.

  It is preferable to control the tension of the control line and the mooring line in consideration of the predicted amount of helium gas in the balloon and changes in buoyancy. Therefore, the tension controller 202 also predicts the amount of helium gas in the balloon and changes in buoyancy.

  Details of how the mooring take-up device 201 and the tension control device 202 perform tension control in what situation will be described in detail later.

  The mooring winding device 201 is provided with an arm for keeping the mooring line uniform, and can suppress winding of the mooring line and wind it neatly on the winding drum. The mooring and winding device 201 includes a cable equalizing device for winding and unwinding the mooring line neatly, and has been determined so as not to get entangled even if the mooring line is frequently taken in and out.

  The mooring take-up device 201 is installed on a rotating pedestal (not shown) provided on the loading platform of the vehicle 200 and rotates in accordance with the turning of the balloon main body 100. Thereby, even if the balloon main body 100 turns, it can prevent a mooring line from getting entangled.

  The control device 202 performs overall control of each functional unit in the vehicle 200. Specifically, tension control of the mooring and winding device 201, estimation of helium gas in the balloon and changes in defects, control of the camera in the balloon, acquisition and transmission of image data sent from the balloon, and the like are performed.

The storage device 203 stores image data captured by the PZT camera 151 and the thermal camera 153 in the balloon. The transmission device 204 is a transmitter for transmitting the image data stored in the storage device 203 to the transmission device 301 of the headquarters. As a communication method, any method such as wireless LAN, cellular phone communication, satellite communication, etc. can be used. The communication between the vehicle 200 and the headquarter 300 may be wireless communication, wired communication, or a combination thereof.

  The loading platform of the vehicle 200 is provided with a support portion 210 to which the balloon main body 100 can be fixed. FIG. 10A and FIG. 10A show the structure of the support portion 210. In the present embodiment, the support unit 210 includes four support members 211 to 214 provided on the loading platform of the vehicle 200. The support members 211 to 214 are parallel to the front-rear direction of the vehicle 200, and the two support members 211 and 212 at the center are lower than the two support members 213 and 214 on the outside. The support members 211 to 214 are configured to substantially match the shape of the lower surface of the main envelope 110 filled with helium gas. Further, the height of the entire support members 211 to 214 is such that when the balloon main body with the side envelope 120 attached is fixed, the side envelope does not reach the ground, and the balloon is at a position suitable for work from the ground. The height is such that the body is located.

  FIG. 10C is a diagram showing a state when the balloon main body with the side envelope 120 attached is fixed to the support unit 210. FIG. 10D is a diagram showing a state when the balloon main body (main envelope 110) with the side envelope 120 attached is fixed to the support unit 210.

  Since the balloon main body with the side envelope 120 attached thereto can be fixed to the support portion 210, helium gas filling, envelope disassembly and attachment, and other maintenance operations can be performed in this state. In the conventional balloon system, since the work is performed by lifting the balloon with a crane, a large amount of labor and manpower is required, but according to the present embodiment, various operations can be performed with a small number of people such as several people. It becomes possible.

  Further, since the side envelope 120 can be detached from the main envelope 110, if three vehicles 200 are prepared, the balloon can be transported in the vehicle without removing the helium gas in the envelope. The reason why disassembly is required is that it is necessary to prevent the balloon from becoming larger than the vehicle width during transportation by vehicle. Since the balloon according to this embodiment can be decomposed for each envelope, the balloon can be transported while being filled with helium gas.

<Headquarters 300>
The head office 300 includes a transmission device 301 and acquires image data transmitted from the balloon body 100. The headquarter 300 also includes a display device for displaying received image data and an input device for transmitting commands to the balloon body 100 or its camera.

<Tension control>
Next, the relationship between the tension control of the control line and the mooring line and the change in the shape of the balloon body 100 and the change in the force applied to the balloon body 100 will be described. 6 to 9 are diagrams for explaining the tension control, and it should be noted that the configurations of the balloon body and the control rope are not accurately shown.

6 (A) and 6 (B) are diagrams illustrating control for fixing the balloon body 100 to a fixed point during a weak wind. “Fixed to a fixed point” does not mean that the balloon main body 100 is completely stationary, but means that the balloon main body 100 does not move out of the allowable range. In the present embodiment, the balloon main body 100 may be moved in any amount in the vertical direction, and is allowed to move in the range of 5 degrees from the mooring and winding device 201 in the horizontal direction. However, the movement may be limited also in the vertical direction, and movement within a range larger than 5 degrees, for example, within 10 degrees or within 15 degrees may be allowed.

  When the wind is weak, as shown in FIG. 6A, the tension control device 202 is operated so that the main envelope 110 and the side envelope 120 have a substantially horizontal shape (hereinafter also referred to as an open shape of the side envelope 120). Control the tension of the rope. Specifically, the side envelope 120 is controlled to be opened by loosening the tension of the control ropes 118a and 118b, and the balloon main body 100 is leveled by applying substantially the same tension to the control ropes 118c and 118d. Control. The tension control device 202 or loosens the control cord 116 to control the tail 112 to face downward.

  By leveling the triple structure of the envelope, the wind can escape from the nose to the tail, enabling stable floating. Moreover, since the area which receives a cross wind reduces, the influence of a cross wind can be decreased. Moreover, the balloon main body 100 can be kept more horizontal by setting the tail wing downward.

  The mooring and winding device 201 pulls the mooring cable 143 with a tension force according to the wind force, so that a force (shown as a propulsive force) that combines the buoyancy and the tension force related to the balloon body 100 is converted into the wind balloon body. Balance with the force pushing 100 backwards. Thereby, the balloon main body 100 remains at a fixed point.

  FIGS. 7A and 7B are diagrams illustrating control for fixing the balloon main body 100 to a fixed point during a strong wind. When the wind is strong, as shown in FIG. 7A, the tension control device 202 has a shape in which the side envelope 120 is positioned below the main envelope 110 (hereinafter also referred to as a closed shape). Controls the tension of the control line. Specifically, control is performed so that the tension of the control ropes 142a and 142b is larger than the tension of the control ropes 141a to 141d. The tension controller 202 also controls the control line 141c to be larger than the control line 141d so that the front of the balloon body 100 faces upward. The tension control device 202 also increases the tension of the control rope 116 so as to control the tail 112 so as to face upward as compared with when the wind is weak.

  By closing the side envelope 120, the wind can be held. The wind from the front is collected near the main envelope 110 and escapes backward. Thereby, the buoyancy of the balloon main body 100 can be increased. Further, since the balloon body 100 is light in front and takes an upward posture by controlling the tension of the control ropes 141c and 141d, and further has the tail 112 upward, the balloon body 100 is more stable in the upward posture. Note that the balloon body may be directed upward only by the wind force without depending on the tension control of the control ropes 141c and 141d. By setting the balloon body 100 in an upward posture, the buoyancy applied to the balloon body 100 is increased, and the entire mooring line can be pulled with a stronger tension without changing the altitude of the balloon body 100. Therefore, the force (shown as propulsive force) that combines buoyancy and tension can be increased, and can be balanced with the large force that pushes the balloon body 100 backward by strong wind. Thereby, the balloon main body remains at a fixed point even in a strong wind.

Next, the control when moving the mooring point (fixed point) of the balloon body 100 will be described. FIG.
8 (A) and FIG. 8 (B) are diagrams illustrating control for directing the balloon body 100 in a direction different from the wind direction. As described above, the balloon main body 100 normally has its nose facing the windward direction due to wind vane stabilization.

In order to turn the nose to the left, the left tail 112a may be directed downward and the right tail 112b may be directed upward. Specifically, the control line 116a is controlled to be loosened and the control line 116b is wound up. By doing so, the balloon body 100 can receive a leftward rotational moment when receiving wind from the front. As a result, the balloon body 100 turns counterclockwise and is tilted (
The nose can be turned in a direction that balances with the wind from the front right). In the case of turning the nose to the right, similarly, the right tail 112b may be directed downward and the left tail 112a may be directed upward.

  The balloon body 100 can be moved to a desired position by moving the balloon body 100 forward or backward with the nose of the balloon body 100 directed in a desired direction. FIG. 9A shows the control when the balloon body 100 is moved backward, and FIG. 9B shows the control when the balloon body 100 is moved forward. Basically, by weakening the tension of the entire mooring line, the propulsive force is reduced and the balloon body 100 moves backward. Conversely, by increasing the tension of the entire mooring line, the propulsive force increases and the balloon body 100 moves forward. At this time, the buoyancy may be adjusted by controlling the inclination of the entire balloon so that the vertical movement of the balloon body 100 can be suppressed.

  After the fixed point is moved to a desired position, the tension control device 202 can fix the balloon main body 100 to a new fixed point by performing tension control so that the balloon main body 100 does not move from the fixed point. That is, in this embodiment, the balloon main body 100 can be fixed to a desired fixed point.

  The above control is performed by the tension controller 202 based on the tension of each control line and mooring line, the relative position between the mooring take-up device 201 and the balloon body 100, the direction and force of the wind received by the balloon body 100, the atmospheric pressure, and the like. Can do. Specifically, a predetermined control may be performed so that the force applied to the balloon main body 100 has a predetermined direction and amount. The control model can also be generated by, for example, simulation or machine learning using an actual machine.

  In order to control the balloon main body 100, it is important to grasp the buoyancy. Changes in the amount of helium gas and buoyancy in the balloon main body 100 vary depending on the elapsed time after filling the helium gas and the influence of the climate. The control device 202 estimates changes in helium gas and buoyancy by simulation using elapsed time (dwelling time), climatic conditions (atmospheric pressure and temperature), and the transmittance of the balloon material as input parameters. The control device 202 preferably performs tension control in consideration of the estimated buoyancy of the balloon body 100.

  It is also preferable that the mooring and winding device 201 perform special control particularly in a gust or emergency. For example, during a gust of wind, the balloon body 100 is allowed to swim within an allowable range, and when the wind becomes weak, the mooring line is wound up or the balloon body 100 is moved to fix the balloon body 100 at a fixed point (a mooring position). You may perform control to return to. Further, in an emergency (emergency), the mooring and winding device 201 preferably performs forced winding of the mooring line to make an emergency return.

<Advantageous Effects of Embodiment>
According to this embodiment, the shape of the balloon main body 100 is made variable by controlling the tension of the control rope from the vehicle 200 (tension control device 202) on the ground. Thereby, the force received from the wind by the balloon main body 100 can be controlled, and the balloon main body 100 can be kept at the mooring position (fixed point) in the sky together with the control of the tension force of the mooring line. By limiting the floating range of the balloon body, the balloon can be operated even in an environment such as an urban area where there are many obstacles such as buildings.

  Further, by arranging the side envelope 120 in front of the main envelope 110, the front buoyancy is increased and a pitch-up posture is taken. Thereby, aerodynamic control performance improves with respect to the wind from the front.

Further, since the side envelope 120 can be detached from the main envelope 110, the balloon body can be disassembled and transported individually without removing expensive helium gas. Further, after the transportation, the operation can be started only by attaching the side envelope 120 to the main envelope 110 without refilling with helium gas.

<Modification>
The above embodiment is an exemplary embodiment for carrying out the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment.

  Adjustment of the tension of the control rope can be achieved by a configuration other than the above. In the above example, the control line and the mooring line are connected via a hook, but the control line and the mooring line may be connected via a balloon body. That is, one end of the mooring line may be connected to the balloon main body, and both ends of the control line may be connected to, for example, the main envelope and the side envelope. With such a configuration, the side envelope can be closed or opened by controlling the tension of the control rope.

  Further, the motor for adjusting the tension of the control rope may not be provided near the balloon main body 100. For example, each control line may be extended to the vehicle 200, and the tension of the control line may be adjusted by a motor provided in the vehicle 200. In this case, a plurality of control ropes collectively subject to tension control may be combined into one. In the configuration in which the control line is connected to the vehicle 200 (the mooring and winding device 201), the control line can also serve as the mooring line. That is, the altitude of the balloon body can be adjusted by extending or winding the entire control line.

  Further, the tension control of the control rope does not necessarily need to be performed by a machine, and the tension may be controlled manually. In the configuration in which the control rope is hung down to the vehicle 200 as described above, the operator can directly control the control rope to control the attitude and position of the balloon body.

  For example, the use of the mooring balloon system is not limited to ground monitoring in urban areas. For example, the present invention can be applied to monitoring crops on farmland. Alternatively, it can be used for advertising purposes or as a wireless communication relay station (base station). The use of the moored balloon system is not particularly limited.

  In addition, the balloon main body has been described as an example of a shape in which three cylindrical envelopes are connected. However, as long as the balloon shape can be changed using a mooring line, the structure is not necessarily limited to the above structure. In particular, the object of the present invention can be achieved if the balloon main body can take a horizontal shape and a shape bulging upward so as to hold the wind. The balloon main body may have, for example, a shape in which four or more cylindrical envelopes are connected, or a shape in which a plurality of envelopes other than the cylindrical shape are connected.

100: Balloon body 110: Main envelopes 112a, 112b: Tail 120a, 120b: Side envelope 201: Mooring winder 202: Tension control device

Wherein by controlling the tension of the steering ropes, it is possible to change the relative position of the main envelope and said first side end bellows-flop and the second side envelope.

For example, the mooring balloon system in the present invention can be configured to have a motor connected to the control line. In this case, by adjusting the tension of the steering rope in accordance with instructions from the motor is the tension controller, changes the relative position of the main envelope and said first side end bellows-flop and the second side envelope Is possible. The control line and the motor may or may not be connected to the mooring line. For example, the shape of the balloon can be changed by having a plurality of control lines that connect the ends of the mooring lines and a plurality of different positions of the balloon body, and controlling the tension of each control line with a motor. Alternatively, the shape of the balloon can be changed by controlling the tension of the control line having both ends connected to the balloon body with a motor.

Further, the mooring balloon system according to the present invention can be configured such that the control line also serves as the mooring line, and the control line is connected to the mooring device. In this case, by adjusting the tension of the steering rope mooring device in accordance with an instruction from the tension controller, the main envelope and said first side end bellows up the relative position of the second side envelope It can be changed.

100: Balloon body 110: Main en Bellows-flop 112a, 112b: tail 120a, 120b: Side Envelope 201: mooring retractor 202: tension controller

Claims (13)

A mooring balloon system in which a balloon body and a mooring device are connected via a mooring line,
The balloon body is connected to at least one of a main envelope, a first side envelope and a second side envelope attached to the main envelope, and the main envelope and the first and second side envelopes. A control rope,
By controlling the tension of the control rope, the relative positions of the main envelope, the first side envelope and the second side envelope can be changed.
A mooring balloon system. A motor connected to the control line, and the motor adjusts the tension of the control line in accordance with an instruction from the tension control device, whereby the main envelope, the first side envelope, and the second side The relative position of the envelope can be changed,
The moored balloon system according to claim 1. The control line also serves as the mooring line, and the control line is connected to the mooring device;
The relative position of the main envelope, the first side envelope and the second side envelope can be changed by the mooring device adjusting the tension of the control rope in accordance with an instruction from the tension control device. ,
The moored balloon system according to claim 1. The balloon body has a wind speed sensor,
The mooring device controls the tension of the control rope based on the wind speed obtained from the wind speed sensor and the tension of the control rope.
The moored balloon system according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The mooring device is such that the lower the wind speed, the closer the horizontal height of the main envelope and the first and second side envelopes are, and the stronger the wind speed, the more the first and second side envelopes are from the main envelope. Control the tension of the control rope so that it is also in a low position,
The moored balloon system according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The mooring device controls the tension of the control rope so that the balloon body becomes closer to horizontal as the wind speed is weaker, and the front of the balloon body is upward as the wind speed is stronger.
The moored balloon system according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The main envelope has a pair of tails,
The tail is connected to a control line;
The tension control device also operates the tail by controlling the tension of the control rope;
The moored balloon system according to any one of claims 1 to 6. The main envelope and the first and second side envelopes are all cylindrical.
The moored balloon system according to any one of claims 1 to 7. The first and second side envelopes are shorter in the longitudinal direction than the main envelope,
The centroid position of the first and second side envelopes is located in front of the centroid position of the main envelope,
The moored balloon system according to claim 8. The first and second side envelopes are detachable from the main envelope while maintaining an internal gas.
The moored balloon system according to any one of claims 1 to 9. The mooring device is mounted on a vehicle,
The vehicle includes a support portion capable of fixing the balloon main body while maintaining the gas inside the first and second side envelopes.
The mooring balloon system according to any one of claims 1 to 10. The vehicle further includes the mooring device and a data transmission device that obtains sensor data obtained from a sensor provided in the balloon body and wirelessly communicates.
The tethered balloon system according to any one of claims 1 to 11. A vehicle equipped with the mooring device and a transmission device for transmitting sensor information acquired from a sensor mounted on the balloon body by wireless communication;
The moored balloon system according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

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