A report discusses alternative techniques for controlling the buoyancy, and thus the altitude and landings, of a balloon-borne instrumentation system that would be launched to explore the moon Titan of the planet Saturn. Some of the techniques are based on established concepts of heating or cooling gases in balloons. One technique involves the acquisition or release of gaseous ballast by compressing and liquefying atmospheric gas into a pressure vessel (or allowing the liquefied gas to vent back to the atmosphere); a similar technique involves compressing atmospheric gas into (or releasing it from) a bladder. The simplest and preferred buoyancy technique is to use controlled heating of the helium balloon by means of diverting waste heat from a radioisotope thermoelectric power source.
This work was done by Jack Jones and Jay Wu of Caltech for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. To obtain a copy of the report, "Preliminary Study of Titan Balloon Buoyancy Techniques," access the Technical Support Package (TSP) free on-line at www.nasatech.com/tsp under the Physical Sciences category. NPO-20656
This Brief includes a Technical Support Package (TSP).
Techniques for controlling buoyancy of balloons on Titan
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Overview
The document is a technical support package from NASA, specifically focusing on techniques for controlling the buoyancy of balloons on Titan, Saturn's largest moon. Authored by Jack A. Jones and Jiunn-Jenq Wu, the report outlines innovative methods to enhance the performance and maneuverability of balloon systems designed for atmospheric exploration.
Historically, balloons proposed for Titan have either been subpressure types that maintain a constant altitude or phase change fluid balloons that lack precise altitude control due to uncertainties in the pressure and temperature characteristics of Titan's atmosphere. The new balloon system presented in this document addresses these limitations by introducing a mechanism that allows for significant changes in buoyancy.
The primary innovation involves a balloon system that increases its mass by adsorbing Titan's atmosphere onto a sorbent material, which causes the balloon to descend. When the sorbent is heated, the adsorbed atmosphere is vented, resulting in an increase in altitude. This dual mechanism of mass increase and decrease provides a more controlled approach to altitude management.
Additionally, the report discusses the potential for large buoyancy changes through the compression and condensation of the atmosphere within a chamber. This capability not only allows for precise altitude adjustments but also enables the balloon to function as both a rover and a boat, facilitating repeated controlled excursions across Titan's surface and atmosphere.
The motivation behind this research stems from the desire to explore Titan's unique environment accurately and repeatedly. The proposed balloon system aims to provide a versatile platform for scientific instruments, enabling them to gather data from various altitudes and locations on Titan.
Overall, the document highlights the novelty of the proposed techniques, emphasizing their advantages over previous balloon designs. By addressing the challenges of buoyancy control in Titan's atmosphere, this research could significantly enhance our ability to explore and understand this intriguing celestial body. The findings and methodologies presented in this technical support package may pave the way for future missions to Titan, contributing to our knowledge of its atmospheric and surface characteristics.
