HIGH ALTITUDE BALLOON (HAB) SENIOR DESIGN PROJECT

1. HIGH ALTITUDE BALLOON (HAB)SENIOR DESIGN PROJECT OderaEziolisa Dale Hardacre Kaneisha Wilson Advisors: Joseph C. Slater, PhD, PE J. Mitch Wolff, PhD Bruce Rahn Graduate Student Mentors: Emily Henry Nicholas Baine

2. Outline • Project Importance • Project Scope • Design and Experimental Process • Expected Results • What issues/Problems we are facing • Budget

3. Project Importance • During natural disasters, amateur radio is often the first form of communication. • Practical use of handheld radio equipment in VHF and above frequencies is limited to line of sight propagation. • The use of a repeater can greatly increase the communications range of an amateur radio operator.

4. Scope of Project • For the scope of this project, the team will focus on New Orleans, LA after Hurricane Katrina. • The diameter of the designated communication area was found to be 300 miles.

5. This Year’s Objective • Maintain communication with the balloon for 24 hours within the designated communication area

6. This Year’s Objective • Maintain communication with the balloon for 24 hours within the designated communication area • Deploy a repeater into near space • Stabilize altitude • Change altitudes if needed

7. Background Balloon • What is a High Altitude Balloon? • 60k-120k Feet • Typically filled with helium or hydrogen Parachute Reducing Ring Payload Box

8. Initial Concepts

9. Basic Schematic • Altitude Controlled through a Solar Balloon based on the concept of NASA’s Long-Life Stratospheric Balloon System

10. Timeline

11. Expected Results • Based upon collected wind data, the balloon can stay within the necessary communications range without use of a propulsion system. • Using different altitudes the balloon will be able to find changing wind speeds and directions to control the balloon. • Practical winds speeds are available above 60,000 feet.

12. Maximum Allowable Speed • Favorable wind speeds can be observed during the months of February and March between 60,000 and 100,000 feet.

13. Drift Range • The diameter of the disaster area is 𝑑=300 miles • The radius 𝑟 is determined by the altitude, 𝑟=√(2∗ℎ,) where ℎ is the altitude in feet. • The drift is the allowable movement, in a straight line, of the communications circle while keeping the disaster circle within its limits 𝑑𝑟𝑖𝑓𝑡=2𝑟−300

14. Drift Range Repeater coverage versus disaster area with balloon at 100K feet.

15. Maximum Allowable Speed • These calculations assume the balloon travels at a constant speed in one direction.

16. Sample Wind Data February 2012

17. Wind Data February 2012 • Altitudes between 70,000 and 90,000 feet have a significantly greater chance of success. • Only 4 out of 29 days (14%) had average wind speeds above the allowable maximum in all altitude ranges.

18. Other Challenges • Equipment must operate at extreme temperatures in vacuum. • Long duration testing is required due to length of flight • Create a mechanism to allow for emergency drop procedures if communication with balloon is lost. • Timed-drop mechanism that can be reset with handheld device

19. Other Challenges • Design package to keep all of the component temperature within their designed operating range. • To do this analysis we will have to know constants such like the heat transfer coefficient and the thermal conductivity of the material that makes up the wall of the control module.

20. Budget

21. Timeline

22. ?’s