Controllable buoyant system and method

摘要

A controllable buoyant system (10) includes a support structure having a sealed hollow enclosure (12) containing a first gas and surrounded by a second gas, either the first gas or the second gas being lighter than ambient air. The hollow enclosure is pre-filled with the first gas via a one-way valve that prevents the first gas escaping and an altitude sensor (14) generates an altitude signal indicative of a height of the support structure. A height transducer (17, 21, 61, 66, 67, 68) coupled to the hollow enclosure is responsive to the altitude signal for varying the buoyancy of the support structure. A controller (15) is coupled to the altitude sensor and to the height transducer and is responsive to the altitude signal and to at least one reference altitude signal for automatically controlling the height transducer in order to maintain the support structure buoyant at the preset altitude.

主权项

1. A controllable buoyant system comprising:
a buoyant support structure having a sealed hollow enclosure for containing a first gas having a variable height-dependent property that is used to vary the buoyancy of the support structure, said hollow enclosure being surrounded by a second gas contained within the buoyant support structure such that either the first gas or the second gas is lighter than ambient air, said hollow enclosure being pre-filled with said first gas via a one-way valve that prevents the first gas from escaping from the hollow enclosure, an altitude sensor for generating an altitude signal indicative of a height of the support structure, a height transducer responsive to the altitude signal for varying buoyancy of the support structure by changing the variable height-dependent property of the first gas inside the hollow enclosure as a function of measured height, and a controller coupled to the altitude sensor and to the height transducer and being responsive to said altitude signal and to at least one reference altitude signal for automatically controlling the height transducer in order to maintain the support structure buoyant at the preset altitude; characterized in that: the altitude sensor is capable of measuring height up to 50 m with an error of no more than ±1 meter, and the controller is adapted to control the system automatically independently of feedback control provided by the altitude sensor during an initialization phase so as to ensure that there will be sufficient ballast in order to allow control of the system throughout the operating range of the altitude sensor.