Patent ID: 9004397
Filing Date: 2015-04-14
Classification: B64B,B64C

Abstract:
1. An autonomous stratospheric unmanned airship, comprising: a spheroid rigid body of a constant volume derived from a geodesic frame formed from struts mutually connected with connectors and with a derived outer envelope enclosing the entire frame; a propulsion system fixed to the frame; a buoyancy control system integrated within the geodesic frame; a power system comprising batteries within the geodesic frame and of photovoltaic cells placed at the upper part of the envelope; a narrow-band and broadband communication system with corresponding antennas; and a control unit, wherein: the propulsion system of the airship comprises two or more identical and independently controlled propulsion units placed in a horizontal plane passing through a center of mass of the airship calculated for a specific operating altitude where swivel frames of the propulsion units are placed in a way to have points of their connections with an electromotor servo drive on the frame forming tips of a regular polygon in the horizontal plane passing through a center of mass; the buoyancy control system of the airship comprising: one or more pressurized tanks with buoyant fluid placed at a subsystem support surface lowering the center of mass of the airship towards the subsystem support surface, one or more valves for releasing the buoyant fluid through a fluid conduit into the buoyant gas cell which by expanding fills out geodesic frame; and one or more atmospheric valves placed at the subsystem support surface enabling the rest of the geodesic frame's volume to be filled with ambient atmosphere.