Analysis of the thermodynamical property of super-pressure balloons

Super-pressure balloons are closed structures with periodical gores and are more stable than the traditional zero-pressure balloons. They are regarded as aerostats which can stay in the high altitude for a long time. A steady-state analysis model is created to simulate the membrane stress and displacement affected by the inner pressure, and then the hot spot, cold spot, and temperature fields of the super-pressure balloon are analyzed in the stratospheric environment at different times. Besides the different periodical gores, inner pressure and temperature effect on the strain and displacement of the balloon are also discussed. Moreover, the thermodynamic properties of the super-pressure balloons are analyzed, according to the solar radiation, the surface radiation, the sunlight reflection, and self-infrared radiation features, as well as the heat convection of the surrounding atmosphere. Finally, these thermodynamic properties are given at three particular moments. These results can provide the references for the design of super-pressure balloons with periodical gores.