Tubular superpressure balloon

摘要

A balloon with a generally tubular shaped balloon envelope. The tubular shaped balloon envelope may comprise a number of gores, where each gore is shaped with two elongated edges and two vertices. The vertices of each gore may be located at the top and bottom of the balloon envelope. The gore edges may be sealed together at adjacent edges to seal the balloon such that it is airtight.

主权项

1. A balloon envelope comprising:
a plurality of gores, wherein each gore has a hexagonal shape with (i) two elongated edges and (ii) two vertices, each of said gores having a top and a bottom; wherein each of said gores is positioned vertically such that the respective vertices of each gore are located at the top and the bottom of the gore, and wherein said gores are sealed together at adjacent edges to form cylindrical envelope portion, wherein the tops and bottoms of said gores are sealed together at adjacent edges and form hemispheric approximation by triangles, and wherein the tops of the gores form a top hemisphere and the bottoms of the gores form a bottom hemisphere, with the cylindrical portion in between the top hemisphere and the bottom hemisphere, when the balloon envelope is inflated to an operational pressure level that is above an ambient pressure level.