Manufacturing Techniques of a Hybrid Airship Prototype

• Autor(a) principal: Claro, Sara Emília Cruz
• Data de Publicação: 2015
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.6/6507
• topic: Dirigíveis; Manufatura de Dirigíveis Rígidos; Manufatura de Estruturas de Dirigíveis; Manufatura de Gasbags; Domínio/Área Científica::Engenharia e Tecnologia::Outras Engenharias e Tecnologias

Nowadays we witness a growing demand for alternative means of transportation. This interest stems from the rising price of fossil fuels, due to its scarcity, environmental pollution beyond the congestion of infrastructures. An alternative is the use of hybrid airships, which may fill the gaps mentioned above of the transport commonly used today. Therefore, the study of this technology has been increasingly extensive throughout the world. Thus, the objective of this dissertation aims, essentially, the manufacture planning of a Prototype’s structure and gasbags of a hybrid airship with a new concept of stability and control. Before the construction of this Prototype, there was a need to do concept tests in smaller prototypes. Thus, a PVC blimp was adapted for these tests, and for these adaptation was given the name prototypes too. The first two of them (1 and 1.5) had the objective of testing the stability and control of all surfaces and the last (2.5) to test the performance of a quad-rotor airship with fixed pitch control. After these tests had been completed, the next step was the construction of a section of the structure of the final prototype, called Prototype 3, with approximately 9 meters. Initial project requirements, decided that the development of this component would have to be done by hand, thus was essential a study of the best way to conceive, in order to save time and increase the build quality of the complete structure. Likewise, it was necessary to study the best gasbags materials and construction, so that they have the best performance in helium retention.