Delta-winged hybrid airship
In one aspect, a hybrid airship including an outer shell, a plurality of helium filled gas envelopes, and an all-electric propulsion system may have the shape of a delta-wing. In some embodiments, the hybrid airship may be launched using buoyancy lift alone and aerodynamic lift may be provided by the all-electric propulsion system. In one aspect, a photovoltaic array and a high energy density power storage system may be combined to power the propulsion system making the propulsion system regenerative. The delta-wing shape can provide a surface area large enough to accommodate very large circular or elliptical transmission devices. By continuously recharging the power storage system, the hybrid airship in accordance with some embodiments can stay aloft at an operational altitude of at least about 85,000 ft for months or even years. The hybrid airship may function as an airborne military communications relay platform.
1. A delta-winged hybrid airship, comprising:
a single outer shell having a delta-wing shape and an airfoil cross-section, wherein the longest wingspan of the outer shell is greater than the longest chord length of the outer shell,
a plurality of gas envelopes within said outer shell, wherein said gas envelopes store helium and provide buoyancy lift to said hybrid airship; and
an all-electric propulsion system connected with said outer shell, wherein said all-electric propulsion system is operable to provide forward flight of said outer shell that generates the aerodynamic lift of said hybrid airship.
2. The delta-winged hybrid airship of claim 1 , wherein said outer shell is made out of a semi-rigid material, is inflatable to a delta-wing shape, and defines an internal volume when inflated.
3. The delta-winged hybrid airship of claim 1 , wherein said outer shell defines an internal volume and is made out of a rigid material, said rigid material maintaining said internal volume.
4. The delta-winged hybrid airship of claim 1 , wherein said outer shell includes an upper skin, a lower skin, a rounded leading edge, and a sharp trailing edge.
5. The delta-winged hybrid airship of claim 4 , further comprising a first vertical tail and a second vertical tail, wherein said first vertical tail is located at a first intersection of said leading edge and said trailing edge, and wherein said second vertical tail is located at a second intersection of said leading edge with said trailing edge.
6. The delta-winged hybrid airship of claim 4 , wherein said all-electric propulsion system includes a plurality of propulsion pods located along said trailing edge, a high energy density power storage system located within said internal volume, a photovoltaic array located on said upper skin, and a power conditioning unit located within said internal volume.
7. The delta-winged hybrid airship of claim 6 , wherein each of said propulsion pods includes an electric motor and a propeller.
8. The delta-winged hybrid airship of claim 7 , wherein said propeller comprises a low Reynolds number propeller suitable to operate at cruise altitudes of about 85,000 ft.
9. The delta-winged hybrid airship of claim 1 , wherein said gas envelopes comprise conformal gas envelopes.
10. The delta-winged hybrid airship of claim 1 , wherein said gas envelopes comprise cylindrical gas envelopes.
11. A hybrid airship, comprising:
a single outer shell having a delta-wing shape and an airfoil cross-section, wherein the longest wingspan of said outer shell is greater than the longest chord of the of said outer shell by a factor of at least 2.5;
a plurality of gas envelopes within said outer shell, wherein said gas envelopes store helium and provide buoyancy lift to said hybrid airship; and
an all-electric regenerative propulsion system connected with said outer shell, wherein said all-electric regenerative propulsion system is operable to provide forward flight of said outer shell that generates the aerodynamic lift of said hybrid airship; and
an electrically driven impeller, wherein said impeller provides pressurized air to keep said gas envelopes inflated after said helium is lost through leakage.
12. The hybrid airship of claim 11 , wherein said outer shell is semi-rigid and inflatable to a delta-wing shape, wherein said helium filled gas envelopes provide and maintain said shape and rigidity of said outer shell.
13. The hybrid airship of claim 12 , wherein said pressurized air is used to replace said helium lost through leakage and to maintain said shape and rigidity of said outer shell.
14. The hybrid airship of claim 11 , wherein said outer shell has a wing area of at least 78,000 square feet.
15. The hybrid airship of claim 11 , wherein said all-electric regenerative propulsion system includes a plurality of propellers and wherein said propellers are used to steer said airborne platform through differential thrusting.
16. The hybrid airship of claim 11 , further comprising a plurality of reservoir tanks, wherein said helium is replenished from said reservoir tanks to compensate leakage losses in said gas envelopes.