Abstract

This project sought to design, test, construct, and fly a system to allow elevation control of a high altitude helium balloon by either venting helium or dropping ballast. This control capability is the first step in achieving “station-keeping”, the ability to maintain and direct the location of the balloon above the Earth. Station-keeping capabilities would allow the BOREALIS group to conduct long duration flights and increase the possibilities for experimentation in the future. Previous projects sponsored by the Montana Space Grant BOREALIS Lab have worked towards this goal with varying degrees of success. This attempt combined three separate systems: A ballast dropper, a vent valve, and a flight termination mechanism. The valve system was redesigned to address several issues in previous iterations, namely the smooth actuation of the valve. The two most significant improvements were the use of an ACME threaded power screw in place of a threaded rod, and the addition of smooth ceramic guide poles in place of 3-D printed tracks. The release mechanism was also redesigned in order to take advantage of the lift from the helium to allow the balloon to pull away from the valve system. This new design reduces friction and better utilizes lifting gasses for separation of the balloon valve system. The valve constructed in this project was thoroughly tested in the Montana State University Cold Lab, and flew on two separate balloon launches. On both launches the separation mechanism worked perfectly, but the valve experienced issues. These issues were later traced to the motor driver’s inability to function at the low temperatures present at altitude. We continue to work and test the design to sort out current issues and produce a fully functioning system.

Keywords: Altitude Control

How to Cite:

Vogt, W., Dunbar, C. & Nichols, L., (2022) “Altitude Control System for High Altitude Helium Weather Balloons”, Academic High Altitude Conference 2020(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/ahac.11635