Drag plate for controlled descent of balloon
View Patent ↗A balloon is provided having a balloon envelope, a payload positioned beneath the balloon envelope, and a drag plate positioned beneath the balloon envelope and attached to the payload, and a control system configured to initiate a process to cause the balloon envelope to no longer provide lift to the payload, wherein the drag plate serves to slow the descent of the payload to the earth.
1. A balloon, comprising:
a balloon envelope;
a payload positioned beneath the balloon envelope, wherein the balloon envelope is adapted to be filled with a lift gas to provide a buoyant upward force acting on the payload;
a drag plate positioned beneath the balloon envelope and attached to the payload;
a control system configured to initiate a process to cause the balloon envelope to no longer provide lift to the payload; and
wherein the drag plate serves to slow the descent of the payload through an atmosphere above a surface of the earth.
2. The balloon of claim 1 , wherein the drag plate is attached directly to the balloon envelope.
3. The balloon of claim 1 , wherein the balloon envelope is attached to the drag plate by a cord.
4. The balloon of claim 1 , wherein the process to cause the balloon envelope to no longer provide lift to the payload involves deflating the balloon envelope.
5. The balloon of claim 1 , wherein the drag plate is flat and extends as far as the diameter of the balloon envelope when the balloon envelope is inflated.
6. The balloon of claim 1 , wherein the outer surface of the drag plate is circular and extends as far as the diameter of the balloon envelope when the balloon envelope is inflated.
7. The balloon of claim 1 , wherein the outer surface of the drag plate extends as far as the diameter of the balloon envelope when the balloon envelope is inflated.
8. The balloon of claim 7 , wherein the outer surface of the drag plate extends beyond the diameter of the balloon envelope when the balloon envelope is inflated.
9. The balloon of claim 1 , wherein the drag plate comprises a downward-facing concave portion, wherein the payload is positioned beneath the drag plate, and wherein the payload is at least partially within the downward-facing concave portion of the drag plate such that outer edges of the drag plate extend past a top of the payload and extend at least to the side of the payload.
10. The balloon of claim 9 , wherein the outer surface of the drag plate extends as far as the diameter of the balloon envelope when the balloon envelope is inflated.
11. The balloon of claim 9 , wherein the outer surface of the drag plate extends beyond the diameter of the balloon envelope when the balloon envelope is inflated.
12. The balloon of claim 1 , wherein the drag plate comprises an upward-facing concave portion, wherein and the envelope is positioned above the drag plate, and wherein the envelope is at least partially within an upward-facing concave portion of the drag plate such that outer edges of the drag plate extend adjacent the balloon envelope.
13. The balloon of claim 12 , wherein the outer surface of the drag plate extends as far as the diameter of the balloon envelope when the balloon envelope is inflated.
14. The balloon of claim 12 , wherein the outer surface of the drag plate extends beyond the diameter of the balloon envelope when the balloon envelope is inflated.
15. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
slowing the descent of a payload attached to a balloon, wherein the balloon is comprised of a balloon envelope, a payload positioned beneath the balloon envelope, and a drag plate positioned beneath the balloon envelope and attached to the payload; and
operating a control system to initiate a process to cause the balloon envelope to no longer provide lift to the payload, wherein the drag plate serves to slow the descent of the payload to the earth.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the outer surface of the drag plate is circular and extends as far as the diameter of the balloon envelope when the balloon envelope is inflated.
17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the outer surface of the drag plate extends as far as the diameter of the balloon envelope when the balloon envelope is inflated.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the outer surface of the drag plate extends beyond the diameter of the balloon envelope when the balloon envelope is inflated.
19. The method claim 15 , wherein the drag plate is concave and the payload is positioned beneath the drag plate and is at least partially within a downward facing concave portion of the drag plate such that outer edges of the drag plate extend past a top of the payload and extend at least to the side of the payload.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the outer surface of the drag plate extends as far as the diameter of the balloon envelope when the balloon envelope is inflated.
21. The method of claim 19 , wherein the outer surface of the drag plate extends beyond the diameter of the balloon envelope when the balloon envelope is inflated.
22. The method of claim 15 , wherein the drag plate is concave and the balloon envelope is positioned above the drag plate and is at least partially within an upward facing concave portion of the drag plate such that outer edges of the drag plate extend adjacent the balloon envelope.
23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the outer surface of the drag plate extends as far as the diameter of the balloon envelope when the balloon envelope is inflated.
24. The method of claim 22 , wherein the outer surface of the drag plate extends beyond the diameter of the balloon envelope when the balloon envelope is inflated.
25. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by a computing device to cause the computing device to perform functions comprising:
slowing the descent of a payload attached to a balloon, wherein the balloon is comprised of a balloon envelope, a payload positioned beneath the balloon envelope, and a drag plate positioned beneath the balloon envelope and attached to the payload; and
operating a control system to cause the balloon envelope to be no longer provide lift to the balloon envelope, wherein the drag plate serves to slow the descent of the payload to the earth.
26. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 25 , wherein the outer surface of the drag plate extends as far as the diameter of the balloon envelope when the balloon envelope is inflated.
27. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 25 , wherein the outer surface of the drag plate extends beyond the diameter of the balloon envelope when the balloon envelope is inflated.
28. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 25 , wherein the drag plate is concave and the payload is positioned beneath the drag plate and is at least partially within a downward facing concave portion of the drag plate such that outer edges of the drag plate extend past a top of the payload and extend at least to the side of the payload.
29. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 28 , wherein the outer surface of the drag plate extends as far as the diameter of the balloon envelope when the balloon envelope is inflated such that outer edges of the drag plate extend adjacent the balloon envelope.
30. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 29 , wherein the outer surface of the drag plate extends beyond the diameter of the balloon envelope when the balloon envelope is inflated.
31. A balloon, comprising:
a balloon envelope;
a payload positioned beneath the balloon envelope wherein the balloon envelope is adapted to be filled with a lift gas to provide a buoyant upward force acting on the payload; and
a drag plate positioned beneath the balloon envelope and attached to the payload, wherein an outer surface of the drag plate extends beyond sides of the payload and the drag plate serves to slow the rate of ascent or descent of the balloon through an atmosphere above a surface of the earth when the altitude of the balloon is being controlled.