Floating Performance Analysis and Extended Lifetime for High Altitude Zero Pressure Balloon

Abstract

Abstract-This paper presented modeling and simulation for zero pressure balloon trajectories. The simulation was validated by real flight data. Most effective parameters on altitude stability at floating area were investigated. Variation in temperature was the responsible mainly for change in altitude levels. Cloud cover was taken into consideration to demonstrate its influences on climbing rate during ascending and on altitude stability during floating altitude. Initial lift gas quantity was estimated and optimized. The necessary amount of ballast drops was optimized. Results showed the best launching time to improve balloon performance in floating area. Also, cloud cover was very important in balloon simulation and revealed a serious effect on floating altitude more than climbing rate in the ascending process. New estimation for lift gas quantity was useful to keep climbing rate almost constant and reasonable maintaining ascending without ballast drops to support longer lifetime aloft. Another aspect to enhance longer lifetime at floating altitude was the ballast mass consuming per night. It was optimized to avoid losses in ballast masses.Index Terms-High altitude balloons, ascending trajectory, lift gas, ballast mass.