High-altitude balloon sensor platforms could benefit greatly from lift augmentation, for example, to control altitude and ascent/descent rate, that does not depend on expendable lifting gas or ballast. Electric lift augmentation using solar power and a novel gossamer propeller concept is studied here, where extremely lightweight membrane propeller blades derive their stiffness from centripetal forces rather than rigid members. Although bearing a close resemblance to heliogyro solar sails, the application of gossamer propellers in an atmosphere differs significantly due to destabilizing aerodynamic moments. A method for producing static stability of propeller blade pitch using a particular rigging geometry for the leading- and trailing-edge membrane tensile members is introduced and analyzed, and lift and drag measurements are made using optical measurement techniques on a scaled prototype.


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    Title :

    Stability of Gossamer Propellers for High-Altitude Ballooning


    Contributors:

    Published in:

    Journal of Aircraft ; 62 , 2 ; 370-380


    Publication date :

    2025-03-01




    Type of media :

    Article (Journal)


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English





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