A Methodology for Sizing of a Mini-Aerostat System

This paper describes a methodology for sizing and aerostatic lift determination of a relocatable mini-aerostat system. The system consists of an adequately sized spheroid double-layered envelope, below which a payload-carrying bay is mounted. The methodology can be used to determine the dimensions of the envelope to carry a given amount of payload while meeting all the user-specified operating requirements. A detailed scheme has been developed for the determination of net static and gross lift generated by the aerostat envelope as a function of operating requirements such as floating altitude, ambient temperature, pressure, superheat, superpressure, humidity, and type and purity of lifting gas. The methodology is used to size a mini-aerostat system for the provision of last-mile communication for first responders in a post disaster scenario, or at remote locations. It is seen that as the payload weight increases from 50 to 250 N, the envelope volume nearly doubles in an almost linear fashion. The methodology has been coded in an applet in Simulink ® and Python for ease of use. As a demonstration of the capability of the methodology to investigate What If scenarios, the change in size of Helium or Hydrogen filled envelope as a function to the payload and deployment location altitude has been determined, for Oblate and Prolate Spheroid shaped envelopes.