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About the Project

BACKGROUND INFORMATION​

  • The Eclipse Ballooning project consisted of 57 teams across the U.S. that launched high-altitude balloons during the Great American Eclipse on August 21, 2017.

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  • The author was a member of the CWU Near Space Observation Team. The team was responsible for designing and building the payloads, operating payload programs, operating the tracking system and analyzing data.

 

  • Some of the payloads flown included:

    • A video payload that recorded video of the eclipse and live streamed video feed​ during the eclipse.

    • A still image payload

    • An iridium satellite tracker

    • A go-pro camera

    • A gas sensor

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  • At any given location along the path of totality, a full total eclipse is only visible for about 2-3 minutes. For a balloon to ascend to around 80,000 to 100,000 feet, it takes about an hour. Therefore, the timing of the launch of the balloon was critical.​​​

HOW DO BALLOONS WORK?

  • Per Boyle’s law, pressure and volume of a confined gas are inversely proportional.

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  • Since the pressure in the atmosphere decreases with altitude, as a high-altitude balloon ascends, it also expands.

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  • Because of the gradient in pressure in the atmosphere, the balloon is constantly ascending and constantly expanding until it reaches a volume that the latex balloon cannot support and the balloon bursts. This determines the maximum altitude of the balloon and the length of time that the balloon stays afloat.

PROBLEM STATEMENT

  • The problem with this is that we want the balloon to maintain a desired altitude for a period of time.

FUNCTION STATEMENT

  • A device is needed that will regulate the volume of gas inside of a high-altitude balloon for the balloon to maintain a desired altitude.

REQUIREMENTS

  • The following requirements are given for this project:

    • Must be able to hold helium with leakage of only 1% per hour.

    • Must be able to fit inside of a 1.5 inch diameter balloon neck.

    • Must be able to operate autonomously once balloon is launched

    • Must be able to support 12 lbs.

    • Must be able to maintain altitude of at least 70,000 feet for 15 minutes or  more.

    • Must be able to be re-used a minimum of ten times.

    • Must be able to operate under temperatures of at least -60 degrees Fahrenheit.

    • Must cost less than $200 to manufacture and operate

    • Must weigh less than a total of 5 lbs.

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