Poster Presentation

Pressure Method: The Accurate Filling of High Altitude Balloons

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Abstract

An important aspect of high altitude ballooning is accuracy regarding the calculation of helium inflation in the balloon. If the balloon is over-filled it will increase rapidly in velocity and burst too quickly to record data. If the balloon is under-filled the rate of ascension will be too slow or not at all. This paper highlights the importance of accuracy in helium inflation by examining a method that uses pressure to control the inflation of a high altitude balloon. On every helium tank there is a pressure gauge, which can be used to monitor the change in pressure. Using that pressure change and a non-ideal gas equation, the number of moles transferred between vessels can be calculated. The number of moles can then be used to calculate the overall volume of the balloon which then can be used to calculate the lift force. Since the tank and the balloon represent a closed system, the moles remain constant, insuring the accuracy of using the pressure method to inflate a high altitude balloon.

How to Cite:

Biver, S. M., (2015) “Pressure Method: The Accurate Filling of High Altitude Balloons”, Academic High Altitude Conference 2015(1). doi: https://doi.org//ahac.8172