Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-94fs2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-03T04:13:31.909Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Buoyancy estimation of a Montgolfière in the atmosphere of Titan

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 January 2016

G. E. Dorrington
G. E. Dorrington*
Affiliation:
School of Aerospace, Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering, RMIT University, Bundoora, Australia
*
[email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Prediction of the buoyancy of a thermal balloon, or Montgolfière, intended to float in the atmosphere of Titan is discussed. A laboratory based experiment designed to measure the buoyant lift of an electrically-heated, single-wall, natural-shape balloon is described. The experimental results presented closely match an analytical model employing established heat transfer correlations with selected parameter values. When the model is extrapolated to the cryogenic conditions representative of Titan’s lower troposphere, using the same correlations and parameters, the estimated buoyancy is found to be substantially higher than has been previously predicted. To account for the buoyancy difference, it is suggested that the internal free convection heat transfer rate is significantly lower than has been assumed in previous studies. To substantiate this result, it is recommended that further experiments should be performed at higher Rayleigh numbers.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Aeronautical Journal , Volume 117 , Issue 1195 , September 2013 , pp. 943 - 957
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Aeronautical Society 2013 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Lorenz, R.D. A review of balloon concepts for Titan, J British Interplanetary Society, 2008, 61, pp 2–13.Google Scholar
2. Burr, D.M., Taylor Peron, J. and Lamb, M.P. ET AL. Fluvial features on Titan: insights from morphology and modeling, Geological Society of America Bulletin, 2012, doi: 10.1130/B30612.1.Google Scholar
3. Dorrington, G.E. Concept options for the aerial survey of Titan, Advances in Space Research, 2011, 47, pp 1–19.Google Scholar
4. Jones, J.A. and Wu, J.-J. Montgolfiere aerobots for Titan, 2006, Interplanetary Probe Workshop, IPPW-4, 27–30 June 2006, Pasadena, CA, USA.Google Scholar
5. Elliot, J.O., Reh, K. and Spilker, T. Concept for Titan exploration using a radioisotopically heated Montgolfere, 2007, IEEE Aerospace Conference, doi: 10.1109/AERO.2007.352717.Google Scholar
6. Leary, J.C., Lorenz, R.D., Strain, R.D. and Waite, J.H. Titan explorer flagship mission study, January 2008, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Public Release Version.Google Scholar
7. Lebreton, J.-P., Erd, C. and Falkner, P. et al. TSSM in situ elements, 12 February 2009, Assessment Study Report, ESA-SRE (2008), 4, (1), revision 2, European Space Agency.Google Scholar
8. Coustensis, A., Atkinson, D. and Balint, T. ET AL. Atmospheric planetary probes and balloons in the Solar System, Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Part G, J Aero Eng, 2011, 225, Issue G2, Special issue SI, pp 154–180.Google Scholar
9. Lorenz, R.D. Linear theory of optimum hot air balloon performance — application to Titan, Aeronaut J, 2008, 112, (1132), pp 353–356.Google Scholar
10. Dorrington, G.E. Comment on ‘Linear theory of optimum hot air balloon performance — application to Titan’, Aeronaut J, 2010, 114, (1161), p 698.Google Scholar
11. Dorrington, G.E. and Lorenz, R.D. Buoyancy estimation of Titan aerostat, International Planetary Probe Workshop, IPPW-9, 18-22 June 2012, Toulouse, France.Google Scholar
12. Ottig, W., Gard, L., Hammel, T. and Bennett, R. Preparation of the MMRTG for the Mars Science Laboratory mission, 2012, AIAA 2012-4062, Tenth Intenerational Energy Conversion Engineering Conference, 30 July-1 August 2012, Atlanta, GA, USA.Google Scholar
13. Samanta, A., Appelö, D., Colonius, T., Nott, J. and Hall, J. Computational modeling and experiments of natural convection for a Titan Montgolfere, AIAA J, 2010, 48, (5), pp 1007–1015.Google Scholar
14. Hall, J.L., Vargas, A., Colonius, T., Dieudonné, W., Feledman, Y., Jones, J.A. and Reh, K. Titan Montgolifiere balloon analysis and design using computational fluid dynamics simulations, 2012, International Planetary Probe Workshop, IPPW-9, 18-22 June 2012, Toulouse, France.Google Scholar
15. Feldman, Y., Colonius, T., Puaken, M., Hall, J.L. and JoneS, J.A. Numerical and experimental modeling of natural convection for a cryogenic prototype of a Titan Montgolfiere, 2011, AIAA 2011-6869, 11th Aviation Technology, Integration, and Operations (ATIO) Conference, 20-22 September 2011, Virginia Beach, VA, USA.Google Scholar
16. Dorrington, G.E. Comment on computational modeling and experiments of natural convection for a Titan Montgolfere, AIAA J, 2011, 49, (4), p 877.Google Scholar
17. Samanta, A., Appelö, D., Colonius, T., Nott, J. and Hall, J. Reply by the authors to Dorrington, G.E. AIAA J, 2011, 49, (4), pp 877–878.Google Scholar
18. Kreith, F., Thermal design of high-altitude balloons and instrument packages, ASME J Heat Transfer, 1970, 92, (3), pp 307–332.Google Scholar
19. Carlson, L.A. and Horn, W.J. New thermal and trajectory model for high altitude balloons, J Aircr, 1983, 20, (6), pp 500–507.Google Scholar
20. Niemela, J.J., Skrbek, L., Sreenivasan, K.R. and Donnell, R.J. Turbulent convection at very high Rayleigh numbers, Nature, 2000, 404, pp 837–840.Google Scholar
21. Churchill, S.W. Theoretically based correlating equations for free convection from isothermal spheres, Chemical Engineering Communications, 1983, 24, pp 339–352.Google Scholar
22. Kadoya, K. Mmatsunaga, N. and Nagashima, A. Viscosity and thermal conductivity of dry air in the gaseous phase, J Phys Chem Ref Data, 1985, 14, (4), pp 947–970.Google Scholar
23. Wen, P.H.and Dorriington, G.E., Simple method to predict balloon shape, Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part G: J Aero Eng, 2010, 224, (8), pp 897–904.Google Scholar
24. Kreith, F. and Kreider, J.F. Numerical prediction of the performance of high altitude balloon, 1974, National Centre for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Technical Note, NCAR-IN/STR-65, February 1974, Boulder, CO, USA.Google Scholar
25. Farley, R.E. BalloonAscent: 3-D simulation tool for the ascent and float of high-altitude balloons, 2005, 16th Lighter-Than-Air Systems Technology and Balloon Systems Conference, 26-28 September 2005, Arlington, VA, USA.Google Scholar
26. Tritton, D.J. Physical Fluid Dynamics, 1977, pp 136–139, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, NY, USA.Google Scholar