A general calculation method to specify center-of-buoyancy for the stratospheric airship with multiple gas cells

As the lighter-than-air (LTA) flight vehicle, the stratospheric airship is a desirable platform to provide communication and surveillance services. During the ascent from sea-level to the mission altitude, the volume of the lifting gas may change significantly, which will result in the change of the center-of-buoyancy (CB). A general calculation method is developed to specify CB for the stratospheric airship with a double-ellipsoid hull and an arbitrary number of the gas cells. The cross-section-integral (CSI) method is used as a basic calculation scenario to specify CB. Considering the complexity in determining the boundary between the helium and air in the gas cell, a searching algorithm is put forward and the specification of CB can be conducted by the iterative calculation. As an important application, the stable condition of the pitch angle is analyzed when the change of CB is involved. Under different initial configurations, the stable pitch angle of the stratospheric airship during the ascent is specified and compared, which shows the advantages of the multi-gas-cell configuration. The results of this paper may provide an important reference for the engineering application of the stratospheric airship.     

基于响应面近似技术的平流层飞艇协同设计优化

针对平流层飞艇多学科设计优化问题,引入协同优化算法,分析基于响应面近似模型的协同优化方法CO/RSA的执行步骤和特点,并介绍响应面近似模型的构建方法;建立平流层飞艇各学科模型,并对学科间耦合关系进行分析;运用建立的气动/推进、结构、能源三个耦合子系统的学科分析模型和系统优化模型,以平流层飞艇总质量最小为优化目标,综合考虑浮重、推阻和能源平衡,采用CO/RSA方法对平流层飞艇进行设计优化.结果表明:所建立的平流层飞艇的MDO模型是合理的,CO/RSA算法应用于飞艇总体设计优化是有效的,研究结果可为平流层飞艇方案论证和方案设计提供参考.     

平流层飞艇的结构健康监测系统初探

文章从介绍平流层飞艇的结构健康监测定义入手,说明了该系统研究的作用和意义以及工作原理。在分析平流层飞艇运行环境和结构可能的损伤模式的基础上,从工程应用角度出发,对结构健康监测系统方案展开了研究,探讨了平流层飞艇结构健康监测系统中的一些关键因素,为今后结构健康监测系统设计提供参考。     

平流层飞艇艇务管理任务分析

针对平流层飞艇的特点,文章分析艇务管理的主要任务,并对艇务管理的任务特点探讨了艇务管理系统在设计时可采用的各种技术,为开展平流层飞艇的研制提供设计思路。     

平流层飞艇热仿真初步探讨

结合平流层的环境条件和平流层飞艇的特点，文章详细分析了影响飞艇热平衡的基本热源和换热途径，建立了平流层飞艇的传热数学模型，给出了飞艇内表面冷热部分相互之间的辐射换热模型，在此基础上，对于某概念飞艇进行了仿真分析，得出了蒙皮热点、蒙皮冷点以及艇内气体的温度，为进一步开展平流层飞艇的热分析奠定基础。     

平流层飞艇艇务管理任务分析

针对平流层飞艇的特点，文章分析艇务管理的主要任务，并对艇务管理的任务特点探讨了艇务管理系统在设计时可采用的各种技术，为开展平流层飞艇的研制提供设计思路。     

Backstepping sliding-mode control of stratospheric airships using disturbance-observer

In the presence of unknown disturbances and model parameter uncertainties, this paper develop a nonlinear backstepping sliding-mode controller (BSMC) for trajectory tracking control of a stratospheric airship using a disturbance-observer (DO). Compared with the conventional sliding mode surface (SMS) constructed by a linear combination of the errors, the new SMS manifold is selected as the last back-step error to improve independence of the adjustment of the controller gains. Furthermore, a nonlinear disturbance-observer is designed to process unknown disturbance inputs and improve the BSMC performances. The closed-loop system of trajectory tracking control plant is proved to be globally asymptotically stable by using Lyapunov theory. By comparing with traditional backstepping control and SMC design, the results obtained demonstrate the capacity of the airship to execute a realistic trajectory tracking mission, even in the presence of unknown disturbances, and aerodynamic coefficient uncertainties.     

2009年1月平流层爆发性增温期间全球电离层响应的研究

2009年1月平流层爆发性增温(Stratospheric Sudden Warming, SSW)事件是有记录以来最强、持续时间最长的一次主增温事件(Major Warming Event, MWE), 期间太阳活动和地磁活动均处于较低的水平, 因此非常有利于研究电离层对平流层增温事件的响应情况. 本文利用COSMIC (Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate)系统提供的掩星数据, 使用Kriging方法分别构建了此次SSW期间及平静期的电离层N_mF₂, h_mF₂和110～750km高度范围的垂直积分TEC (简称VTEC)地图, 同时从全球定位导航卫星系统服务组织(International GNSS Service, IGS)发布的全球电离层TEC地图(Global Ionospheric Maps, GIMs)中提取了日固坐标系(Sun-fixed, 地磁纬度和地方时)下全球TEC地图. 通过对比发现, SSW期间与平静期相比, 地磁纬度中低纬电离层参数存在早晨上升, 下午和夜间下降的现象. 利用OSTM/JASON-2卫星高度计观测值进行验证后的结果显示, 此前研究均未有提及的夜间时段电离层参数N_mF₂, h_mF₂和TEC (VTEC和IGS TEC)的下降现象的确存在.      

Simultaneous observations of Pc 1 micropulsation activity and stratospheric electrodynamic perturbations on 27 January 2003

The 2nd Polar Patrol Balloon campaign (2nd-PPB) was carried out at Syowa Station in Antarctica during 2002–2003. Identical stratospheric balloon payloads were launched as close together in time as allowed by weather conditions to constitute a cluster of balloons during their flights. A very pronounced negative ion conductivity enhancement was observed at 32 km in the stratosphere below the auroral zone on 27 January 2003 from 1500 to 2200 UT. During this event, the conductivity doubled for an interval of about 7 h. This perturbation was associated with an extensive Pc 1 or Pi 1 wave event that was observed by several Antarctic ground stations, balloon PPB 10, and the Polar spacecraft. No appreciable X-ray precipitation was observed in association with this event, which would point to >60 Mev proton precipitation as a possible magnetosphere–stratosphere coupling mechanism responsible for the conductivity enhancement. Such precipitation is consistent with the wave data. During the latter half of the event, E_z was briefly positive. There was a tropospheric Southern Ocean storm system underneath the balloon during this interval. If the event was associated with this storm system and not energetic proton precipitation, the observations imply an electrified Southern Ocean storm and major perturbations in stratospheric conductivity driven by a tropospheric disturbance. This event represents a poorly understood source for global circuit current. Precipitating energetic proton data from Akebono and NOAA POES spacecraft show significant >16 MeV precipitation was occurring at the location of PPB 8 but not PPB 10, suggesting that proton precipitation was, in fact, the responsible coupling mechanism.     

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.