Abstract
High altitude balloons are large latex balloons filled with gas that carry a payload to near space. Because they can travel to around 100,000 feet, they provide a convenient way to study the Earth’s atmosphere. Per Boyle’s Law, the pressure and volume of a confined gas are inversely proportional. Thus, as the balloon ascends and the atmospheric pressure decreases, the gas inside the balloon expands. This pressure difference allows the balloon to ascend, but it also causes it to continuously expand until it bursts. For some observations, one might want their balloon to remain at about the same altitude for a period of time. One way to do this is to periodically release gas from the balloon, decreasing the volume of gas in the balloon. The objective of this experiment was to design a valve with a sensor to regulate the pressure inside the balloon and in turn, prolong its flight. To do this, we designed an automated pressure valve that will be tested in the near future by way of a tethered flight.
Included in
Pressure Regulator for a High Altitude Balloon
High altitude balloons are large latex balloons filled with gas that carry a payload to near space. Because they can travel to around 100,000 feet, they provide a convenient way to study the Earth’s atmosphere. Per Boyle’s Law, the pressure and volume of a confined gas are inversely proportional. Thus, as the balloon ascends and the atmospheric pressure decreases, the gas inside the balloon expands. This pressure difference allows the balloon to ascend, but it also causes it to continuously expand until it bursts. For some observations, one might want their balloon to remain at about the same altitude for a period of time. One way to do this is to periodically release gas from the balloon, decreasing the volume of gas in the balloon. The objective of this experiment was to design a valve with a sensor to regulate the pressure inside the balloon and in turn, prolong its flight. To do this, we designed an automated pressure valve that will be tested in the near future by way of a tethered flight.