Transport problems are becoming ever more urgent in the world.
Such transport vehicles as airships can contribute considerably into the solution of individual, local and global problems.
Nevertheless, so far any attempts to develop any specific airships models that can attract many clients, have failed. Why is it so? The reason is that, in spite of a hundred years of research, they have not been able to develop a really low-cost, manoeuvrable and easy-to-operate transport airship.
In this connection, many companies are again trying to develop airships that could be highly competitive in the market and be sold in large quantities. They make sensational declarations and develop various programs and projects. All this activities will demand impressive financial and time resources and, in our opinion, will yield no results. It is explained by the fact that all these projects do not implicate any radical improvement of airships characteristics: smaller size, lower production and transportation costs and simpler operation. Still, these activities will certainly go on, as there are no other transport means for transporting bulk cargo or for the solution of other specific transport problems.
So, tens of companies will produce few airship that will not settle any large-scale transport problems. This situation will lead to another business failure for these companies which will be aggravated and speeded up by today’s financial crisis.
It is high time for companies, investors and developers of both state and private programs to understand that the only solution of transport problems is the development of airships of totally new generation lacking serious drawbacks of previous projects. We certainly should not follow old ineffective schemes.
For the last decades, airships are using low-cost and safe helium, advanced materials for shell and frame, modern navigation aids and controls and new improved engines. Still there are no radical improvement of airships characteristics. Why is it so? The matter is that accent is made on the development of various versions of frames and external configurations of airships. All these works are based on classical stationary aerodynamics. It is urgent to understand that the use of stationary aerodynamics considerably impedes the development of airships with totally new fantastic characteristics. That is why there is little hope that in the nearest future aerodynamic characteristics of airships (notably, aerodynamic drag reduction), will be improved, as well as their economical, manoeuvring and other characteristics. It is necessary to apply oscillation aerodynamics in the development of airships. It can radically reduce aerodynamic drag and to develop highly effective thrusters of a new type, etc. In its turn, it will considerably reduce engines capacity, fuel weight and consumption. Such airships will be low-cost, fuel-efficient and manoeuvrable. This new generation of airships can be used for the solution of a wide range of transport problems and hundreds of thousands of such aircraft can be produced.
Why are these
possibilities so far not used? There are several reasons for that:
1.
Oscillation aerodynamics is a rather
new science. Its initial research results are
known only to narrowly focused specialists. Most experts in aerodynamics, as
a rule, are quite ignorant of it and for this reason simply ignore this
branch of knowledge. They are traditionally accustomed to develop airships
on the basis of traditional stationary aerodynamics. And nobody will blame
and dismiss them for that. For the last hundred years there have not been
any impressive improvement of airships characteristics, but no individual
aerodynamic expert will be responsible for wasting tens and hundreds of
millions of dollars.
2. A
airship based on oscillation aerodynamics, as well as oscillation
thrusters are complicated oscillation systems. Aircraft engineering
centers, especially those specializing in airship construction, are not
prepared for the development of airships as oscillation systems. It
should be mentioned that it is not the airship frame that will be
oscillating. A special propulsion complex will be operating in an
oscillating mode, and the frame flow-around will have extremely low
oscillation components (modern planes, helicopters and airships are
characterized by much more intensive oscillation components related to frame
flow-around; these oscillations are chaotic and are considered harmful).
3.
Traditional conservatism
4. Most
companies for many years prefer to spend lot of money on insignificant
improvements, but are not willing to risk and undertake research to develop
a brand new airship with oscillating thrusters.
As a result,
existing airships are not highly profitable transport means and their
production and sales are not too large-scale.
Our team has knowledge and exclusive experience in the field of oscillation
aerodynamics and the development of a propulsion complex of an oscillation
type.
We can develop
and produce first models of airships (small-size) of a new type with
extremely low aerodynamic drag that will be highly manoeuvrable and
fuel-saving.
In accordance
with a Customer’s order, we can develop advanced airships with any
load-lifting capacity and purpose.
Advanced
airships we are offering will be unrivalled and will be bought even in
severe economic crises. In fact, our airships are invulnerable to any
crisis.
Below we will
give detailed analysis of these problems.
Today and tomorrow of airships.
Myths and reality.
Airships advantages
1. Airships
do no spend energy on lift generation, using gas aerostatic lift force.
2. Low transport cost, especially of bulky and massive cargo.
3. They can hover in place.
4. The development of
extra-heavy load lifting planes and helicopters is impeded by strength
characteristics of construction materials. There are no such limitations for
airships and the development of aircraft with 1 000 t working load is
quite feasible. 5. Long nonstop range. .
6. Higher reliability and safety in comparison to planes and helicopters.
7. Airships do not need air-strips (but mooring masts are necessary). Moreover, they do not need to land at all and can simply hover over the ground (however, it is possible only in still air conditions).
6.
Airships with flappingwings.
Airships with flying wings as thrusters have the longest history. Their
production has now been expanded. Still, only few such airships are
produced. Moreover, they are small-sized and so far have been considered
rather exotic. In fact, their flight characteristics are far from being
perfect. These small-sized airships have been before and are now a sort of
funny toys. In their production, oscillation aerodynamics principles have
not been taken into account and they have never been developed as a single
oscillation system. That is why they will never bring forth a breakthrough
in airships engineering.
Still W.Schmidt believed that these funny toys of small-sized airships
are first signs of a revolution in airships engineering. It seems that
nowadays, experts of such companies as Festo AG & Co. KG, EvoLogics GmbH,
Prospective Concepts AG, as well as Mr. Uwe Werner share this point of
view.
French mechanic Jean Pierre Blanshar has begun with realization of idea
flapping flight. In 1781 it has constructed
the device which wings were set in motion effort of hands and legs.
According to experiences Degen on resistance
of friction of all system 9 kgs so draft of a counterbalance was equal
only 39 kgs, that is exactly half of weight of the device were required.
After long experiences it managed to rise under such circumstances with
the device on height of 16 meters the help of 25 impacts by wings within
30 seconds. If these data are not exaggerated, the result turns out
amazing. Even if to assume, that Degen could
develop for short time capacity in ½ a horsepower, from its experiences
follows, that already one horsepower would be enough for free rise of
the person.
To have an opportunity to make more free flights,
Degen has decided to replace the counterbalance тягою the small
cylinder filled by hydrogen. By means of such "facilitated" device it
also has made rise on air at presence of enormous crowd on November,
12th, 1808.
In 1897 the Kharkov doctor Danilevsky has made a balloon with
flapping wings
Miturich P.V. has suggested to create motive power on a
airship by means of wave
oscillations of all environment like movement of a body of a fish
The working model of a airship with
flappingthruster
has been created by the professor of W.
Schmidt (1973-1975).
The project of the airship of Schmidt
Bilder unseres Blimp zum Innovationstag 31.08.2004 in Berlin : Zu
beachten ist der vorn und hinten angebrachte Wellpropellorantrieb, mit
welchem das unbemannte Luftschiff angetrieben und gelenkt wird. Die
Steuerung erfolgt über ein GPS-Modul, mit welchem eine programmierte
Strecke in einer definierten Höhe abgefahren und durch die unten
angeordneten Messgeräte aufgenommen werden kann.
Simulation.htm
One of Mike Dodd’s Ornithopter blimps.
The model is 7 1/2 feet long and weighs 15 ounces without helium.
Development of firm Festo AG and Co
airships with thruster of oscillatory type
AirJelly's environment is the air. Unlike AquaJelly, the remote-controlled
jellyfish AirJelly does not swim through water, but instead glides instead
through a sea of air thanks to its central electric drive unit and an
intelligent, adaptive mechanism. It is able to do so because it consists of a
helium-filled ballonett. The biggest draws at Festo’s Hannover Fair exhibits have been biologically
inspired robotic creatures that show off cutting-edge automation technologies.
Turning once again to nature for inspiration, the company’s engineers this year
came up with robotic jellyfish that either swim or fly. They may look whimsical, but the waterborne AquaJelly and airborne AirJelly make
use of mechatronic design practices, control strategies and actuation methods
that could have serious engineering implications. According to Markus Fischer,
Festo’s head of corporate design, these robots have a degree of autonomy and
adaptive behavior that “will be very useful in the factory of the future.” Both the AquaJelly and AirJelly share a basic construction that consists of a
sphere-shaped body with eight electrically driven tentacles for propulsion. Both
run off rechargeable lithium-ion batteries and are powered by 3V coreless
motors. Given the differing mediums in which they travel, the two robots do have
different bodies — a laser-sintered pressure vessel for the AquaJelly and a
helium balloon measuring 1.35m across for the AirJelly. Festo AG & Co. KG
Fin Ray Effect Recent studies on the functional morphology of fins of
fishes show a surprising biomechanical effect of the fin rays. The
bionic implementations of these constructions led to shape-adaptive wing
profiles and flow control devices. The functional principle has been
patented and is marketed as "Fin Ray Effect" in a line of products
currently being developed. Besides adaptive seat constructions, novel
safe and form-locking grips are of particular interest. Creative
applications in household technology, automation technology, keyhole
surgery, and bionic robotics are in preparation.
EvoLogics GmbH
EvoLogics GmbH - Home.htm
Stingray from Prospective Concepts AG. Small Swiss firm Prospective
Concepts AG here already more than 5 years works under orders of German
industrial giant Festo above new technologies of application of a
pneumatic in the industry. To one of its last development became a
hybrid of the plane with airship Stingray. The
flying vihicle represents the plane of type "a
flying wing ". And the wing it is filled by easy gas and provides due to
aerostatic lifting force rise of a quarter of
useful loading. As a result Stingray flies up and sits down with small
start and run
In flight the Swiss hybrid of the plane with a
airship
Experimental researches машущего
движителя for a airship balloon.
The student's research project
Authors: Ivan Ruchki, Evgenie Zhuravlyov, Artem Kravchenko.
School № 1273 ЮЗАО, 10 class, Moscow.
Theme of work: Thruster for a airship
The supervisor of studies: Ustyugina Galina Pavlovna, the teacher of
physics.
7. Extract energy from an environment and an atmosphere for
airships.
Airships move in an atmosphere, in the
environment in which there is a huge quantity of energy:
- Thermal;
- Potential energy of pressure of an atmosphere;
- A kinetic wind power;
-, etc.
For today for provision of energy thruster
a airship the solar energy of the solar
batteries located on a airship is used
only.
Airship and Submersible craft based on inventions and designs from Nikola Tesla
and Viktor Schauberger. Frank Germano (President of Global Energy Technologies, Inc.).
If energy of an atmosphere (thermal or energy of pressure of air)
airships will successfully execute huge
quantity of transport transportations will be used. It will be супер
break in transport!
Conclusions
1. The existing
transport means - automobile, railway, sea transport, planes, helicopters and
air-cushion vehicles – have a whole range of serious drawbacks:
- these transport
means, the construction and maintenance of highways and railway roads, airfields
and sea ports are extremely expensive;
- high fuel consumption;
- these transport means are environmentally harmful – technical installations
occupy too much land, forests, etc.; oil spills occur, etc. ;
- with some minor exceptions, these transport means do not guarantee
transitional delivery from the producer to the customer (there are a lot of
cargo transfers and stocking);
- transportation of bulky and heavy cargo is impossible;
- high transport costs;
- there is no possibility to set up remotely operated transport (unmanned);
- further expansion in the number of traditional transport means leads to global
transport crisis (highways in large cities are already overtrafficked) .
2. It is
vital to develop new transport means lacking at least part of disadvantages
listed above.
3. Airships can be
such transport means, as they have the following advantages:
- transportation
costs are considerably lower in comparison with the existing transport means;
- there is no need of highways;
- they can deliver goods directly from the producer to the customer without any
cargo transfer;
- ecological safety. 4. Still,
so far airships have not become a mass transport means. There
- low speed;
- special mooring installations and large hangars are needed;
- low manoeuvrability;
- intense lateral wind effect;
- large size and weight. 5. For
several decades attempts have been to make airships a mass transport means.
All these attempts
have failed because of the drawbacks listed in 4. They have tried to solve the
problem through the use of other airships forms instead of cigar-like: cetaecean,
airship-plane, wing-formeds, airships with oscillating
thrusters.
The most promising is a wing- formed airship, Its advantages are as follows:
- smaller size and weight;
- lower lateral wind effect;
- there is no need of special mooring installations (still, a short airstrip is
necessary).
Airships with oscillating wing thrusters are not highly developed and the
companies do not consider them promising.
6. The existing
airships projects will not remove their disadvantages in any radical way.
Without any doubt,
the today’s boom will yield no results and only few airships will be produced.
7. It should be
mentioned that only wing-formed airships using the wave flow effect
(eradicating aerodynamic drag of the aircraft) can successfully enter the
market.
They will have the
following vital advantages:
- they are tenfold energy efficient in comparison with traditional transport
means (and even with common airships);
- there is no need of mooring facilities and airstrips;
- extremely manoeuvrable, including while hovering and taking off;
- they are immune to side wind;
- a wide range of sizes – from mini-size to 1000 t lifting capacity;
- they can be used for the setting-up of both local and global remotely-operated
transport networks. 8.
Considering the extreme urgency of the development of airships using the wave
flow effect, it is vital to take the following steps:
- to initiate
scientific research and experimental development works;
- to develop a remotely operated airship with 1-2 kg flight weight (task:
tests, demonstration of a new type airship possibilities, serial production of
airships for the monitoring of oil and gas fields, oil and gas pipe-lines,
power supply lines, etc.);
- to develop and 1, 10, 100 1nd 1 000 t airships and to launch their serial
production;
- to set up companies developing and producing airships of various sizes;
- to set up companies specialized in cargo and passengers transporting with the
use of airships.
An airship with a thruster complex of an oscillating type will have the following aerodynamic advantages in comparison with the existing models of airships:
1. The value of thrust (and, consequently, efficiency factor) will be higher in comparison with propellers.
2. Manifold reduction of aerodynamic drag of the airship shell for airships with wings or of a similar form.
3. Higher lift in comparison with airships with propeller engines.
4. Oscillating-type thrusters will perform functions of thrusters, rudders and generators of wave flow-around for airships shells.
5. The improvement of landing, take-off and manoeuvring capability, especially for low speed, as well of on-the-spot manoeuvrability.
Moreover, it is possible to extract energy for engine form heat and potential energy of atmosphere pressure (for this purpose, a special program has been developed).
Airships of this type will have the following advantages:
-a lower capacity engine; -a lower weight of an engine;
-low fuel consumption; -lower weight with the same payload weight;
-better manoeuvrability; -smaller size with the same payload;
-no mooring facilities; -parking without hangars; -lower cost;
-lower cost of payload delivery; -a flying airship with an oscillating thruster looks by far more aesthetic than a airship with propellers.
On the basis of many scientists’ research and our own findings, we have the following knowledge and proof:
8. Our research of an oscillating thruster
There exist non-linear modes of the wing oscillations, when swept area is much bigger in comparison with stationary oscillation modes. This effect can produce considerably higher thrust.
At the oscillating wing thruster, optimum modes can be easily changed at varying flight speed.
A propeller thruster is characterized by non-optimum angles of attack at varying flight speed. Even propeller thrusters only partially solve this problem. With an oscillating wing, it is easy to adjust optimal angles of attack and oscillation law by means of remote control. This will result in higher thrust and thruster efficiency.
8.3. An oscillating wing thruster will simultaneously perform the functions of a thruster, rudders and the generator of wave flow of the airship shell.
At the existing airships, this function is performed by common rudders. In our project, oscillating wings of a thruster will be used as rudders. The effect will be most impressive:
It will be possible to effectively control such airships at low speed, including manoeuvring in place, on takeoff and descent.
There is no need of special rudders.
8.4. Production simplicity and low cost in comparison with propellers
The thruster wing is extremely simple to produce (a symmetrical profile with the same cord along the full span).
