Lighter-than-air fractal tensegrity structures
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United States of America Patent
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N/A
Issued Date -
Jan 26, 2017
app pub date -
Jul 23, 2015
filing date -
Jul 31, 2014
priority date (Note) -
Published
status (Latency Note)
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Abstract
The purpose of this invention, which is referred to as a vacuustat, is to generate buoyancy in the atmosphere by means of an evacuated or partially evacuated container, rather than by using a lighter-than-air lifting gas such as hydrogen or helium. This particular vacuustat design comprises a flexible airtight membrane supported by a fractal tensegrity internal structure consisting of a relatively small mass of compressive members forced into higher-order buckling modes through use of tension members. The advantages of such a design over conventional aerostats include superior buoyancy control for ascent and descent, greatly increased flight endurance, and cost-effectiveness in operation. This particular vacuustat design has a much greater lifting efficiency than previous designs, and should also be easier and more cost-effective to manufacture.
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International Classification(s)
- 2015 Application Filing Year
- B64B Class
- 56 Applications Filed
- 47 Patents Issued To-Date
- 83.93 % Issued To-Date
Cited Art Landscape
Patent Citation Ranking
- 3 Citation Count
- B64B Class
- 65.79 % this patent is cited more than
- 5 Age
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