Drones

[pengyou]

I have been kicking the drone idea around for a year - a lighter than air drone - but don't know how to "get it off the ground".  I would like to make a flying saucer shape with 6 helium compartments inside to give it lift and a bottom that has a coating that will change color according to the color of the sky above.  Problem is, I haven't figured out how to get the idea "off the ground" yet (fabricating the body and the compartments for the helium).  I will have to check into the ordinances issue - it is my idea to have it work at 1,000 feet up or more, though still be capable of maneuvering at any altitude.  From the beginning I have thought that the quadcopter drones would only have a niche use because of the battery life.  Yes, they are fast but not useful for any long term mission.  My saucer would have lightweight solar panels on top to possibly give its mission an indefinite time frame.  I have been gathering info on the motors, batteries, etc but the body and tubes to hold the helium are still a mystery to me.

[WolfBrother]

I have been kicking the drone idea around for a year - a lighter than air drone - but don't know how to "get it off the ground".  I would like to make a flying saucer shape with 6 helium compartments inside to give it lift and a bottom that has a coating that will change color according to the color of the sky above.  Problem is, I haven't figured out how to get the idea "off the ground" yet (fabricating the body and the compartments for the helium).  I will have to check into the ordinances issue - it is my idea to have it work at 1,000 feet up or more, though still be capable of maneuvering at any altitude.  From the beginning I have thought that the quadcopter drones would only have a niche use because of the battery life.  Yes, they are fast but not useful for any long term mission.  My saucer would have lightweight solar panels on top to possibly give its mission an indefinite time frame.  I have been gathering info on the motors, batteries, etc but the body and tubes to hold the helium are still a mystery to me.

From:  https://www.reference.com/science/much-helium-needed-lift-10-pounds-5021857071a1bc0

One cubic foot of helium can lift 0.062 pound, so 161.3 cubic feet of helium is needed to lift 10 pounds.
A balloon containing this amount of helium must be approximately 6.75 feet in diameter at sea level.

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OK - To lift a 10 pound total drone you'll need to have a:

1 foot diameter tube (and other structure) just a little over 205.37 feet long

2 feet - 51.34 feet long if you use 4 2 feet in diameter tubes side by side would be 12.8 (approx) feet long.

There is a reason the Goodyear blimp has a tiny crew cabin and a small crew size.
It takes a LOT of cubic feet of helium space to lift much of a payload.
 
 

[pengyou]

Hmmmm your math is very good!

[WolfBrother]

Hmmmm your math is very good!

 

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yin_and_yang

My Yin has always been being a brain nerd.  In High School, I carried a slide rule in a case hooked to my belt among several other brain nerd activities (which included being in on Science/Math/Slide Rule academic teams). Hence my math skills.

My Yang has always been being an action type.  In High School, I lettered all 4 years on the Varsity Football team among other action type activities, like Scouting, being on a local SAR team, being on the local Volunteer Fire Dept.


My interest in drones is a Yin activity that naturally falls over to support my Yang type activities.

From what I've read and studied, a powered winged drone in a sport/glider configuration, right now is about as good as we'll get for long endurance mobile systems.

For a fixed permanent/semi-permanent position, a spectra/kevlar anchor line corded balloon may be the optimal helium solution.

A heavier duty/lifting drone (maybe multi-engine) may be needed to add "accessories" to observation features.
 

[Jerry D Young]

If I ever get to the point where I can make a couple of types of items I believe I can create a vacuum ball drone that will have enough lift to weight ratio to be effective.

One cubic meter of air weighs ~1.2kg = 2.6 pounds. If I can make a 1-meter diameter vacuum ball that weighs less than 0.6 pounds, it would have a lift of 2 pounds.

I believe that by using mylar and a support structure of a icosikaitetragon (24-gon) or 24 sided polygon, using ultra lightweight Bosch Captive Columns, I can achieve this. I just need the means to work on it.

Those that have read Mission To Sector ZZ-1219 may recognize the reference to the Bosch Captive Columns.

The icosikaitetragon would be a structure of three axis beams, the outer points connected to form an octagon of 8 triangles. An axis beam from the center junction of the first three beams would go to the center of each of the 8 triangles, with beams connecting them, forming three triangles each, for a total of 24 sides.

The mylar would then be attached, with a fitting at one point with a valve. A vacuum pump would be attached and the ball evacuated of air. If I use the right materials, in the right way, and the vacuum ball weighs ~0.6 pounds, the ball should lift up to two pounds of payload.

Just my opinion.