Hot air balloon
The hot air balloon is an aircraft according to the Archimedes principle " lighter than air ". The buoyancy is thereby achieved that a large amount of air is heated. As a result, this expands what their specific weight is reduced. The balloon takes off when the buoyancy of the heated air amount equivalent to the total weight of the envelope, basket and payload. In contrast, air is not used, but some other gas, which is lighter than air at an ambient temperature in the gas balloon. It is typically not heated.
- 3.1 ballooning
- 3.2 Ballonsport
- 3.3 accidents
History
After the much older, well manned kites of hot air balloon is the oldest aircraft. It was invented by brothers Joseph Michel and Jacques Etienne Montgolfier. However, there were already in China of small, unmanned hot air balloons, called Kong Ming lanterns. From the observation that smoke rises, the brothers concluded that this, packaged in a lightweight container, the entire container must pull upward. They were mistakenly believed to have discovered a new, light gas.
The first balloon flight took place on 4 or June 5, 1783, people were not on board. The second trip took place at Versailles on September 19. Because one does not yet trust the thing right, and nothing about the " sea of air " knew you preferred to take people three animals, namely a rooster, a duck and a sheep to carry. Hot air balloons were named after their inventors also Snowpark.
The first balloon driver in the history of mankind were Jean -François Pilâtre de Rozier and François d' Arlandes Guards officer who rose on November 21, 1783 from the garden of the castle La Muette in Paris with a hot air balloon. The first known balloon ride outside of France was made by Don Paolo Andreani and the brothers Agostino and Carlo Gerli on February 25, 1784 in near Milan.
On September 16, 1979 Thuringian families Strelzyk and Wetzel came with a homemade hot air balloon, the " balloon flight" from East Germany to Bavaria.
A ride up to an altitude of 69 852 feet ( 21,291 meters) succeeded on 26 November 2005 the Indian millionaire Vijaypat Singhania. Its launch took place in Mumbai, landing site was the city of Sinnar in Maharashtra.
Operation
Physics
Under normal conditions, a cubic meter of air has a mass of about 1.3 kg. At constant pressure, the density of gases decreases with increasing temperature according to the law of Gay- Lussac. Due to the density difference between the cold outside air and the warmer air in the balloon so creates a buoyancy force. This counteracts the force of gravity (weight) of the hot air balloons. The weight of the balloon is made up of the weight of the envelope plus the weight of him attached payload ( basket with burners, gas containers and passengers ).
For a first rough estimation of the load-bearing capacity of a balloon that can be regarded as a sphere. Since the volume of a sphere (and hence the buoyancy of the balloon ) to the third, the surface (and thus the weight of the shell ), but only increases by the second power of the diameter, a larger balloon may carry a greater payload. Refined considerations relate the circumstances with one that with increasing balloon diameter burner heavier and stronger cases are needed.
Popular sizes are 3000-5000 cubic meters. The temperature inside a hot air balloon during a balloon ride is approximately 90 ° C. Since the buoyancy increases with increasing density difference between the internal air to the ambient air, a hot air balloon in cold weather has a greater carrying capacity. Significant influence also has exposure to the sun of the shell - it warms the air inside and outside also causes local thermal.
Weather balloon
Apart from the wind speed during takeoff and landing ballooning is also dependent on that in the air no thermals has built. Since the balloon envelope is open downward, could thermal gusts this squeeze and squeeze the hot air downwards. The balloon suddenly lose its buoyancy and would crash. Therefore, balloon trips are usually held under a cloudless sky in the morning or evening hours, as the occurrence of cumulus clouds is a sure indication of incipient thermal.
Control
It is not possible to control a balloon directly. In order to influence the direction and speed that are at different heights differing from each other wind directions and speeds are exploited. Targeted rise or fall winds can be exploited in order to approach a desired goal.
By operation of the burner, the air is heated in the envelope, whereby the balloon rises. By slowly cooling the air, the balloon begins to fall again. A rapid descent of the balloon may be accomplished by the opening of the so-called " parachutes ". The parachute is made of the same material as the shell and is located at the top of the balloon. During upgrade of Parachute is connected and closed by Velcro fasteners with the surrounding envelope. While driving, the Parachute by the pressure of rising warm air remains closed. By pulling on a rope, the pilot can open the parachute. This can escape from the shell warm air quickly. By releasing the leash of Parachute is again closed by the warm air.
By means of tangential air outlet steering jets, near the balloon equator, which are also called " ears", a balloon can be rotated about its vertical axis, about to align the basket for landing low.
Practice
Ballooning
Ballonsport
Ballooning is not just a leisure activity, but there are also competitions ( see Montgolfiade ) up to the World Cup. In the competitions several balloon rides are conducted in which each trip usually several tasks have to be solved optimally.
For most types of tasks, it is important to meet a certain goal with a small marking bag ( beanbag, markers ). The goal is either already known before the trip ( " pre-given target " ) or by the pilot before the flight (" Self- Selected Target " ) or during its determined and written on the marker of a previous task ( "Fly on").
Other types of tasks are for example the wide drive within a limited rating area ("Maximum Distance" ) or the "Minimum Distance" with " timing ", in which the pilot wins who has completed the shortest route to a predefined minimum travel time. In the " fox hunt " starts a balloon which is usually marked with a flag, with a certain time advantage and puts on a landing site target cross for subsequent bottles made, on which the following balloonists have to land as close as possible.
The competition management, assisted by observers. Each pilot and his team will be allocated per trip an Observer. These act as referee and measure the markers and see if everything conforms to the rules expired during the trip.
Accidents
A list of this can be found in the article ballooning.
Solar balloons
In addition to conventional hot air balloons, there is also the solar balloon, which also uses hot air in its interior for buoyancy. In order to heat the air, but he does not use a torch, but only solar heat. Of course, the weather dependence of the solar balloon is significantly larger than in the conventional hot air balloons. In addition, the resulting buoyancy is lower - it is typically be 100 grams per cubic meter, more rarely, whereas rather 200-300 grams per cubic meter are common in the normal hot air balloon. But is offset by a number of interesting advantages. He does not need any fuel ( heating gas, etc.), it will not cause operating costs. Weather permitting, it can therefore fly much longer. There is no fire hazard. The heavy basket with burner must not be carried, which is why the pack size is required significantly less and much less storage space. Small, tubular solar balloons are known primarily as children's toys. In larger and more professional versions were and are also serious applications.