Development of the Second Generation "Smart" Balloon Capability

本项目是北大西洋区域气溶胶特征试验（ACE-2）的一部分，该试验将于1997年6月和7月在东北大西洋亚热带进行，是一项国际合作项目。ACE-2的主要目标是利用飞机、船载和地面测量，研究与辐射强迫和气候有关的大气气溶胶特性。在之前由该PI领导的nsf支持的项目中，开发并测试了智能tetroons，其高度可以通过加压恒体积tetroons内的可膨胀气球实现的可变压舱来控制。在1995年ACE-1试验的实地阶段成功地部署了智能tetroons以跟踪空运包裹。智能气球轨迹信息通过机载GPS接收器和压力、温度、湿度和降雨量传感器提供，这些传感器收集额外的数据，并将这些数据与位置数据一起传输给研究飞机。开发这种能力的动机是在拉格朗日化学和边界层物理实验中使用仪表化的智能tetroons进行数据收集和跟踪，而不会因接地而造成气球损失的威胁。在这个项目中，将开发和建造下一代智能气球。应答器将增加双向通信功能。这将允许在实验期间从飞机调整操作参数和高度控制策略，并通过无线电提供更有效的数据传输。为了克服降水负荷的影响，并扩大气球的压力范围，超压智能气球将由一种新的织物制成，这种织物的动态升力范围比原来的织物大十倍。新的气球也将有一个球形的形状，提供改善的表面积体积比。仪器包、泵和应答器设计将与新气球集成，并在现场实验部署之前进行测试。

9610009 Businger This project is part of the North Atlantic Regional Aerosol Characterization Experiment (ACE-2) which will be conducted in June and July, 1997 over the subtropical Northeastern Atlantic Ocean as an international collaborative effort. The main objectives of ACE-2 are to study the properties of atmospheric aerosols relevant to radiative forcing and climate using aircraft, ship-board, and ground-based measurements. In a prior NSF-supported project led by this PI, smart tetroons were developed and tested whose altitude could be controlled through variable ballasting achieved using an expandable balloon inside a pressurized constant volume tetroon. Smart tetroons were deployed successfully during the field phase of the ACE-1 experiment in 1995 to track air parcels. Smart balloon track information is provided through an onboard GPS receiver and pressure, temperature, humidity and rainfall sensors which collect additional data that are transmitted along with the position data to a research aircraft. The motivation for the development of this capability was to use the instrumented smart tetroons for data collection and tracking in Lagrangian chemistry and boundary layer physics experiments without the threat of balloon loss through groundings. In this project, the next generation smart balloon will be developed and constructed. The transponder will be enhanced with the addition of two-way communications. This will allow the operating parameters and the altitude control strategy to be adjusted from the aircraft during an experiment, and provide for more efficient data transmission via radio. To overcome the effects of precipitation loading and to extend the pressure range of the balloon in general, the superpressure smart balloon will be constructed from a new fabric which affords a tenfold larger dynamic lift range than the original fabric. The new balloon will also have a spherical shape which provides improved surface area to volume ratio. The instrument package, pumps, and transponder design will be integrated with the new balloon and undergo tests prior to deployment in field experiments.