The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 10, 2017
Filed:
Sep. 23, 2016
World View Enterprises Inc., Tucson, AZ (US);
Taber Kyle MacCallum, Tucson, AZ (US);
Sebastian Padilla, Tucson, AZ (US);
Rodger Farley, Columbia, MD (US);
Iain Beveridge, Tucson, AZ (US);
G. Ryan Lee, Tucson, AZ (US);
Tim Basta, Tucson, AZ (US);
Jared Leidich, Denver, CO (US);
John Straus, Tucson, AZ (US);
John Z. Maccagnano, Tucson, AZ (US);
World View Enterprises Inc., Tucson, AZ (US);
Abstract
A high altitude lighter-than-air (LTA) system can include a zero-pressure balloon (ZPB) attached in tandem with one or more variable ballast air super-pressure balloons (SPB). The ZPB provides lift for the system while the SPB uses a centrifugal compressor to provide a variable amount of ballast air by pumping in or expelling out ambient air. A solar array coupled with an elongated ladder assembly can be coupled to a payload support for a payload carried by the LTA system. Various advanced performance targets relating to ascent rate, descent rate, range and maximum altitude are achievable with various scaled versions of the basic design of the LTA system. Advanced navigation and control techniques, such as efficient high altitude station-keeping approaches, are made possible with the LTA system.