2004 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Development of high altitude balloons with thin polyethylene films
| Project/Area Number |
14205142
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Aerospace engineering
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| Research Institution | Japan Aerospace and Exploration Agency |
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Principal Investigator |
YAMAGAMI Takamasa Japan Aerospace and Exploration Agency, Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Scientific Balloon Center, Professor, 宇宙科学研究本部・大気球観測センター, 教授 (40013718)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
SAITO Yoshitaka Japan Aerospace and Exploration Agency, Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Scientific Balloon Center, Associate Professor, 宇宙科学研究本部・大気球観測センター, 助教授 (50300702)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2002 – 2004
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| Keywords | Scientific balloon / High altitude balloon / Balloon materials / Metallocene catalyst / Polyethylene film / Manufacture of balloon / Supper pressure balloon / Development of large balloon |
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| Research Abstract |
We developed a forming die and an air-ring, and searched for a good combination of resins to make a thinner and wider film and obtained films with widths of 280 cm, and a thickness of 3.0 micrometers at first, and then 2.8 micrometers. In 2004,we performed balloon experiments making a 30,000 cubic meters balloon with the 3.0 micrometers film and a 5,000 cubic meters balloon with the 2.8 micrometers film. Both balloons were manufactured well and reached the highest altitudes of 50.7 km and 42.6 km, respectively.
We developed a semi-dynamic launching method using a new launcher, which is fixed on the ground and has a freedom of rotation around the vertical axis and an elevation system up to 5 m, as well as a leap-up spooler system for holding a balloon bubble, in 1999. We have launched several balloons using the method. In 2003,a balloon with a volume of 500,000 cubic meters, which was made of polyethylene films of 20 micro meters in thickness, was successfully launched with the semi-dynamic launching method. It is the largest balloon ever launched in Japan.
A supper pressure balloon with a volume of 15,000 cubic meters, which was made of polyethylene, nylon and eval films of 25 micrometers in thickness, was successfully launched in 2004 and reached at the altitude of 28 km. We can take a step toward developing a large supper pressure balloon.
We have developed a cupped balloon for a heavy scientific payload. In 2004,we manufactured a triple cupped balloon with a volume of 500,000 cubic meters, which was made of polyethylene films of 20 micrometers in thickness with double polyethylene films of 10 micrometers in thickness till 30 meters from the top of a balloon. We tested successfully launched the balloon with a lift of 2.6 tons on the ground in 2004.
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[Journal Article] Launching of A 500,000 Cubic Meter Balloon with the Semi-Dynamic Launching Method.2004
Author(s)
T.Yamagami, I.Iijima, N.Izutsu, T.Kawasaki, Y.Matsuzaka, M.Namiki, Y.Saito, M.Seo, M.Toriumi, S.Tanaka, K.Matsushima
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Journal Title
Advances in Space Research (accepted)
Description
「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
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[Journal Article] Development of a 2.8 μm Film for Scientific Balloons.2004
Author(s)
Y.Saito, I.Iijima, N.Izutsu, T.Kawasaki, Y.Matsuzaka, M.Namiki, M.Toriumi, T.Yamagami, K.Ichimura, T.Kobayashi, K.Matsushima, T.Nakada
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Journal Title
Advances in Space Research (accepted)
Description
「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
