Publication: Study of the trajectory of a Stratospheric Weather Balloon
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2018-09
Defense date
2018-10-05
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Abstract
Weather scientific balloons allow for very little control over their trajectories. Although
there exist systems to in
uence the burst altitude of the balloons, their
horizontal motion is almost solely dictated by the vagrancy of the wind.
The precise forecast of balloon trajectories is thereby a topic of considerable importance
to flight operations personnel, since launch/no-launch decisions must be made
relying on the likelihood of the balloon landing in some undesirable location. Such
concerns are specifically acute in areas with high population densities or prominent
areas of restricted airspace, both of which are rather widespread in Madrid and
surrounding areas.
This paper aims to accurately present a general overview of stratospheric balloons,
covering their functioning, main parameters, types and issues regarding envelopes'
elasticity among others.
The mathematical fundamentals of the dynamics of a balloon trajectory are also
discussed, as well as the major already existing and self-developed software implementations
to this day. Similarly, significant subjects concerning the obtaining of
wind data models and the comparison among different predictive models are considered
and examined.
Last sections are devoted to regulatory and socioeconomic frameworks, including
rough budget estimations and beneficial impacts. Likewise, a futuristic business
and entrepreneurial vision of the project will be here presented.
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Keywords
Weather scientific balloons, Trajectory prediction, Balloon flight dynamics, Wind data source, Elastic behaviours, Softwares' comparison