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Originally Posted by Roadam
Ok you got me interested and I am brainstorming. So just pull me back in the line if necessary.  Maybe we should make a separate thread about this particular idea. Thanx to Pyro for throwing the bone. 
The thing is supposed to be at the heights of tropopause where jet stream is. Apart from that I dont see many more advantages beside that there is almost no weather changes up there. No rain and no downdrafts . So that puts the height at about 10-12km. Temperatures up there are somewhat stable at -56°C and the pressure is about 1/4 bar. |
While Pyro suggested flying in jet streams, I think that was a means for not needing propulsion other than changing altitude by venting hot air to drop or heating the air to rise. If the FBS has propulsion the the jet stream flight is optional.
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Originally Posted by Roadam
Why is geodesic structure even needed? Balloons are easier to inflate if not rigorous, thinking that light-weight ball shaped geodesic dome would be hard to stand up without support. Balloon would support its shape on its own. Any faults would be negated by many layers. Repairs can be made by moving along meshes between layers. Did I miss anything?
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It may be Pyro went with a geodesic sphere to accomodate Freezters suggestion for that, as well as that I am currently engaged in an in-depth study of Fuller's Synergetics. I see a geodesic sphere as just a closed geodesic dome and it would not collapse even sitting on the ground. If the machinery & occupants are located inside the craft, a rigid structure sounds preferrable to a flacid bag to me.
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Originally Posted by Roadam
As there is no to any kind of reactor, maybe there should be a big battery stack to storage energy for the night.
A big boost for this kind of flying vessel would be adaptive plastic solar cells, say being able to change the % of transparency/reflectivity on either side.
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Agreed on batteries to store PVC generated electricity.
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Originally Posted by Roaddddam
And by the way, using helium instead of air gives about 250% increase in lift. 600% for hydrogen . |
Agreed. Again though, Helium is a finite resources and Hydrogen is flammable and neither makes for a breathable atmosphere inside the Floating Bucky Sphere. (note: a geodesic 'sphere' is not a true sphere as it is faceted, so calculations of volume based on a sphere are going to be greater than the actual construction.)
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Originally Posted by Craigerino
No one appears to have mentioned so far what I consider a very straight-forward and proven alternative approach for heavier-than-air craft:
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I was waiting for you to mention it Craig.
I think electric propulsion sounds great on a FBS as well as winged craft. The PV panels could power those motors, make electricity to store in batteries, as well as produce Hydrogen for either added lift by itself or for burning to heat the air in the balloon.
That's all I got.
