Experimental investigation of transient thermal behavior of an airship under different solar radiation and airflow conditions

Knowledge of the thermal behavior of airships is crucial to the development of airship technology. An experiment apparatus is constructed to investigate the thermal response characteristics of airships, and the transient temperature distributions of both hull and inner gas are obtained under the irradiation of a solar simulator and various airflow conditions. In the course of the research, the transient temperature change of the experimental airship is measured for four airflow speeds of 0 m/s (natural convection), 3.26 m/s, 5.5 m/s and 7.0 m/s, and two incident solar radiation values of 842.4 W/m² and 972.0 W/m². The results show that solar irradiation has significant influence on the airship hull and inner gas temperatures even if the airship stays in a ground airflow environment where the heat transfer is dominated by radiation and convection. The airflow around the airship is conducive to reduce the hull temperature and temperature nonuniformity. Transient thermal response of airships rapidly varies with time under solar radiation conditions and the hull temperature remains approximately constant in ∼5–10 min. Finally, a transient thermal model of airship is developed and the model is validated through comparison with the experimental data.     

The yaw stability analysis for stratospheric airships in float situation

When a stratospheric airship free floats at pressure altitude, the sideslip angle of the airship is neither random nor against the wind, but is stable on certain values. According to classical potential flow theory, a simplified two-dimensional ellipse and three-dimensional ellipsoid are firstly analyzed respectively, which implied that the airship could present crosswind orientation. The numerical investigations (CFD) on the yaw stability based on a bare hull and a finned airship are employed for verifying the theory conclusion. It is found that the finned airships can remain stable when its sideslip Angle is 55–70°, which is less than 90° of the stable angle of the ellipsoid and bare hull, but statically unstable at low sideslip angles, its static instability is similar to that of dynamic flight. Then the fight data of three stratospheric airships is analyzed. The yaw stability in flight data generally agrees with expectations drawn of theoretical and numerical simulation. These investigations serve to provide references for yaw control and configuration design of airships.     

某高空飞艇光学吊舱热状态及飞行策略研究

使用光学遥感设备开展地球大气层临边观测是研究中高层大气目标特性变化规律的重要手段之一.光学遥感设备的热状态对其光学精度及系统信噪比控制至关重要，能够直接影响观测数据质量乃至观测任务的实现.针对中高层大气OH自由基超分辨空间外差光谱仪在高空飞艇平台探测的热状态需求，分析了光谱仪吊舱的热环境，给出了光学吊舱的热平衡控制方程，并对上升/下降段和平飞段先后开展了热状态计算，得到光学吊舱在不同状态下的温度变化规律、光电部件的温度场等计算结果.结果表明热控方案能够满足光谱仪的热状态需求.根据热状态分析计算结果，制定了飞行前后及飞行过程中光学吊舱的热控策略.本文分析方法和飞行策略可为同类飞行设备热控状态设计及研究提供数据参考.      

Effect of vapor condensation on ascending performance of stratospheric airship

This paper reports a numerical investigation on the effects of water vapor condensing inside the air bag of a stratospheric airship on its ascending performance. The kinetic and thermal model considering vapor condensation was established, based on which a computer program was written in Fortran. The simulation results show that the vapor condensation remarkably affects the kinetic and thermal characteristics of the stratospheric airship in the ascent process. During the ascent process below 11 km, a large amount of latent heat is released when the water vapor in the air inside the air bag of the stratospheric airship condenses, which results in the increase of the temperature and the reduction of the weight of the air in the air bag, causing the airship to speed up, the accelerated expansion of the helium, and the decrease of the helium temperature in the helium bag. When the flight altitude is higher than 11 km, the effect of vapor condensation on the kinetic and thermal characteristics of the stratospheric airship is negligible because vapor is virtually nonexistent in the air.     

Analysis of long-endurance station-keeping flight scenarios for stratospheric airships in the presence of thermal effects

The ability to achieve long-endurance station-keeping flights makes stratospheric airships desirable platforms for the provision of communication and surveillance services. To maintain long-endurance flights, it is necessary to consider the problem of energy consumption. In this paper, we discuss long-endurance flight scenarios of stratospheric airships in the presence of thermal effects. The balance between buoyancy and gravity is influenced by thermal effects during the diurnal cycle. We perform a theoretical analysis based on the helium’s mass, pressure differential, and altitude as the main factors. To verify the effectiveness of the control over the pressure differential and the altitude, three long-endurance flight scenarios are proposed and compared. Then, the corresponding optimization problems are constructed to determine the energy-minimum flight. Finally, further efforts are made to reduce energy consumption. The realization and limitations of two strategies for improvement are analyzed. A comparison with other scenarios shows the effectiveness of energy conservation. The study in this paper thus provides a reference for station-keeping applications of stratospheric airships.     

双层乳胶气球的高空平漂机理及垂直轨迹模拟

双层乳胶气球克服了单层乳胶气球的缺点，可以在高空平漂以实现持续气象观测，但是其高空平漂受多因素影响比较复杂，特别是气球充气量主要依赖工程经验，施放成功率不高，亟需提供理论指导。通过试验数据证明了浮重平衡是双层乳胶气球实现高空平漂的必要条件，推导得出内、外球氢气充气量和昼夜温度变化对其运动的影响；建立了双层乳胶气球的几何模型和动力学模型，结合实地施放试验，对其升空和平漂过程轨迹进行模拟，由此探究了内、外球充气量对平漂高度的影响。研究结果表明:内球充气量是决定平漂高度的主要因素，并受昼夜温度变化影响，当内、外球规格分别为750g、500g，负载约1kg时，内球拉力每增大或减小0.04kg，最终平漂高度将对应升高或降低约5km，而外球充气量对其平漂高度无影响。      

综合热力学模型的平流层飞艇上升轨迹优化

针对平流层飞艇的上升轨迹优化问题,综合热力学模型进行了研究.主要分析了飞艇基本热力学行为,研究了蒙皮及内部气体的能量方程并建立了详细的飞艇动力学和运动学模型.在热力学、动力学和运动学分析的基础上,建立了以飞行时间为优化目标的平流层飞艇的轨迹优化模型.利用直接配点法将轨迹优化问题转化为非线性优化问题,再通过非线性求解器SNOPT(Sparse Nonlinear Optimizer)对不同场景的问题进行最优化轨迹求解.优化结果表明:热力学效应对优化轨迹有较大影响,在上升过程中,太阳能辐射为主要影响因素,另外风场也对换热量有一定影响.     

平流层飞艇总体设计的基础问题

平流层飞艇是一种新型的长航时临近空间飞行器，具有驻空高度高、驻空时间长、承载能力大、使用效费比高等特点，在对地观测及通信中继等领域具有广泛应用前景。但是该飞行器系统十分复杂，技术与设计实现难度大，总体设计需要考虑的基础问题及解决方案尚不完全明晰。根据平流层大气风场、温度和压力的基础特征，考虑平流层环境对平流层飞艇总体设计的影响，根据空气动力学与热力学基本理论，分析平流层飞艇的显著特征及与常规低空飞艇的区别，研究这些基础问题对平流层飞艇总体设计的影响，为平流层飞艇技术发展提供建议和参考。      

Matching trajectory optimization and nonlinear tracking control for HALE

This paper concerns optimal trajectory generation and nonlinear tracking control for stratospheric airship platform of VIA-200. To compensate for the mismatch between the point-mass model of optimal trajectory and the 6-DOF model of the nonlinear tracking problem, a new matching trajectory optimization approach is proposed. The proposed idea reduces the dissimilarity of both problems and reduces the uncertainties in the nonlinear equations of motion for stratospheric airship. In addition, its refined optimal trajectories yield better results under jet stream conditions during flight. The resultant optimal trajectories of VIA-200 are full three-dimensional ascent flight trajectories reflecting the realistic constraints of flight conditions and airship performance with and without a jet stream. Finally, 6-DOF nonlinear equations of motion are derived, including a moving wind field, and the vectorial backstepping approach is applied. The desirable tracking performance is demonstrated that application of the proposed matching optimization method enables the smooth linkage of trajectory optimization to tracking control problems.     

大气紊流下飞艇动力学建模与姿态控制

大气紊流是影响高空飞艇水平面内运动的重要原因,紊流扰动对飞艇的安全性能和定点悬停有严重影响,能否克服扰动,直接决定飞艇的载荷能力和续航时间.根据高空大气紊流的特点以及紊流风速对飞艇姿态调整的影响建立风场的传递函数模型,根据风速三角形关系建立扰动下的飞艇水平面内动力学模型,利用内模控制原理设计出内模控制器,将扰动信号反馈到系统的输入端,从而对扰动进行直接控制.仿真结果表明所设计的控制器可以有效抑制大气紊流对飞艇飞行性能的影响.