What balloons fly. Why do balloons fly? What does a hot air balloon consist of and how does it fly?

general information

A balloon is an aircraft lighter than air, which does not move with the help of motors, but when the air in the dome is heated. The balloon always flies in the direction of the wind, that is, where the wind blows, and as much as the wind blows.

In summer, usually balloons they fly early in the morning (5.00 – 9.00 am) until thermals (vertical air currents) start, and in the evening (18.00 – 21.00) when the thermals calm down. In autumn - spring, morning flights start a little later (8:00 am), and evening flights start a little earlier (at 4:00 pm).

A balloon flight lasts about an hour on average, although from a technical point of view it can last 2-3 or more hours.

In an hour, a balloon flies an average of 10 - 20 kilometers.

A balloon can rise to a height of more than 10 km, but at an altitude of 3 km a person no longer has enough oxygen. Therefore, balloons, as a rule, fly low.

Flight preparation

Balloon control begins with careful preparation for the flight. First, the pilot learns meteorological information. For a balloon flight, the most important are three meteorological parameters:

cloudy - so that there is no storm or cumulus clouds,

visibility - at least 5 km,

wind speed - no more than 5 m / s.

Having the purpose of the flight, knowing the direction and speed of the wind, the pilot plans the flight path. Since the meteorological situation is constantly changing, it is impossible to accurately plan a flight or landing site. Therefore, when choosing a launch site, the pilot must always evaluate whether there are enough areas in the direction of flight for a safe landing. hot air balloon.

If it is planned to fly over the city, the pilot of the balloon must have permission from the local government, and before the flight, the pilot must present his flight plan to the Flight Control Service.

Flights over the city are also specific in that management services are provided here. air traffic. Therefore, the pilot must carefully prepare his charts, and coordinate the details of the flight with the flight control service.

Hot air balloon takeoff

The flight in a hot air balloon starts from the start of the hot air balloon. The pilot and all his team, only 4 people, take part in the launch of the balloon. Passengers are also included in this process, of course, if they agree. For passengers, the start is no less impressive sight than the flight itself.

First, a suitable place is chosen for the launch of the balloon. It is best if it is a meadow measuring at least 50 x 50 meters. There should not be any obstacles on the meadow (field): trees, poles, electric lines. With more strong wind looking for a place protected from the wind.

After choosing a place, all balloon equipment is unloaded. Burners are attached to the basket, they are connected to gas cylinders with the help of special hoses. The pilot tests how the burners and the gas supply system work.

Then the dome is stretched. The dome always stretches in the direction of the wind. The dome is connected to the basket and burners with the help of special carabiners.

Cold air is blown into the prepared dome with the help of a fan.

A powerful fan fills the dome with air in about 5 minutes.

When the canopy is sufficiently inflated, the pilot, using the flame of the burners, begins to heat the air in the canopy. The heated air expands and rises. Thus, the dome inflates and begins to rise from the ground.

Before inflation, the balloon is tied to the car. This is done so that the wind does not completely throw the unprepared balloon. When the pilot is satisfied that the balloon and passengers are properly ready for flight, and when the air in the dome is heated to the required temperature, the balloon begins to rise. After that, the balloon is unhooked from the car and rises.

Preparation of the balloon for flight takes 10-15 minutes.

Piloting a hot air balloon

Although piloting a balloon at first glance seems very simple, in fact it requires special knowledge and skill of the pilot.

Since the balloon has no motor or wings, the balloon is controlled during flight by two main instruments: the burners and the valve. When the air is heated, the balloon rises, and when the valve is opened, the balloon begins to descend. Therefore, the height of the balloon is controlled by changing the temperature inside the dome.

Many people have a question: if the pilot can only adjust the flight altitude, then how does the balloon reach the required place?

The answer is hidden here: ballooning uses atmospheric conditions. Direction and strength of the wind different heights is molded, so pilots, when changing the vertical position of the ball, can direct the flight of the ball in one direction or in the other. The strength of the wind is usually strong in the higher layers of the atmosphere, so pilots can partially control the speed of the flight.

Although even the most experienced pilots cannot fully control the direction of the balloon's flight. Usually, wind conditions give the pilot little choice. In rare cases, the ball can return to the starting point. Therefore, flying a balloon is usually improvised according to existing weather conditions.

For this reason, the balloon is always accompanied by a ground crew, who later help the balloon descend, collect equipment and passengers.

Descent

Even during the flight, the pilot plans in advance where he will descend. The team on the ground is informed about this by telephone or by radio communication.

As a rule, no special requirements apply to the landing site. It is important that it is large enough for the safe descent of the balloon, and that the descending balloon does not cause damage to the owners of the land. If the wind is not strong, the balloon can descend in a normal stadium. If the wind is stronger, the pilot looks for a larger area.

Experienced pilots know how to land the balloon in such a way that contact with the ground is almost not felt. The team on the ground also helps to land the ball. However, when big wind the descent of the balloon can be "hard". The pilot, even before the flight, instructs passengers on how to behave during a “hard” descent. For many passengers, this descent is the most fun part of the flight.

As a rule, pilots try to descend near the road so that an accompanying car can drive up. However, sometimes the balloon descends on a large meadow. In this case, the ground team and assistants help to move the ball to a better place.

After the pilot opens the canopy valve, air is expelled from the canopy. The ball leans and lies down on the ground. On the ground, the working team completely releases the air and packs the balloon.

The descent process lasts approximately 20 minutes.

A hot air balloon is a hot air balloon that flies due to the lifting force of heated air. There are gas-filled balloons in which gas creates lift, but we fly on thermal balloons.

More than 200 years have passed since the first flight of a man on a balloon, but the concept of a balloon has not changed significantly.

How is a balloon made?

A hot air balloon consists of a shell, a gondola and a burner (thermal plant).

The figure shows the most common balloon design.

The shell of the balloon under the dome has a device for bleeding hot air, it is also called an exhaust valve.

This valve is opened with a halyard, the other end of which is in the basket of the balloon. To reduce the effort on the control line and to evenly transfer the load to the valve, the line is passed through a block, which, in turn, is attached to the lower ends of the lines.

In the normal position, the valve is held by the pressure of hot air in the shell, and the vertical bands do not allow the valve to bulge out. A dome halyard is attached to the ring, which is used to fill the balloon.

The heaviness from the weight of the gondola, passengers and additional equipment is perceived by the shell itself and vertical tapes. Horizontal tapes have an auxiliary function and limit the rupture of the shell in case of unforeseen situations.

Hot air balloon gondola (balloon basket) is made of wicker or reed, covered with leather from the bottom. Able to withstand significant impacts during landings.

The thermal installation, depending on the class of the balloon, consists of one or more burners connected to gas cylinders. The maximum power of each burner is high and amounts to several million watts.

As a rule, manufacturers offer customers various equipment balloons basic elements. As for one type of shell, different versions of gondolas can be offered, so balloon baskets can be equipped with different shells. Depending on the type and volume of the shell and burners, they can be single, double, triple, and for large volume balloons, they can include four burners.

For flight safety, instrumental equipment is also necessary, which includes: altimeter, variometer (pointer vertical speed), temperature indicator in the shell, fuel level indicators in cylinders. In addition, a radio station is needed to communicate with the flight control center, aviation services and the escort vehicle.

An event that you will remember for a lifetime. We are ready to help you with this.

Balloons rise up because the gas that fills them is lighter than the surrounding air. Many gases, in particular hydrogen and helium, have a lower density than air. This means that at a given temperature they have less mass per unit volume than air.

When such light gases are pumped into a balloon, it will rise until the total weight of the gas envelope, basket, weight, and cables is less than the weight of the air displaced by the balloon. (Since air is considered in physics like a liquid medium, the same law applies here as for bodies immersed in a liquid.) Hot air, which has a lower density than cold air, also rises. Although hot air is not as light as some gases, it is safer and more easily produced by propane burners mounted under the neck of the balloon's shell, which is usually made of lightweight fabric such as reinforced nylon. Hot-air filled balloons usually stay in flight for several hours, but without additional heating of the air inside the envelope, they will gradually lose altitude.

Molecules at different temperatures

When the air is cold, the molecules move slowly and are close to each other.
When the air warms up,molecules begin to move faster and diverge to the sides, filling a larger volume.
Since the heated aircontinues to expand, it becomes less dense.
When the air is cooledmolecules lose their speed, volume decreases and density increases.

The balloon lies on its side. Propane burners heat the air inside the shell, which causes it to inflate and rise up.
Hot, light air (picture below the text) rises inside the shell and then flows down along its walls. Cold air is squeezed out through the neck, the weight of the shell with air decreases and the balloon rises.
Pilots maintain or increase flight altitude by periodically turning on the burners. As long as the air inside the shell is hotter than the outside, the lifting force overcomes the force of attraction.
The balloon descends as the air that fills it cools and contracts. Pilots can accelerate their descent by venting hot air through a hole in the top of the balloon.

Interaction of pressure, volume and temperature

Interdependence of three parameters. The pressure, volume and temperature of a gas are interrelated. At room temperature (near figure on the right), the movement of gas molecules inside the vessel creates a certain pressure. If the volume is > less than half (middle figure on the right), the internal pressure doubles. When air is heated (far right), its pressure increases and its volume increases in proportion to the increase in temperature.

The question of who invented the balloon will certainly be of interest to every student. After all, this aircraft was created in the distant 18th century and has stood the test of time, as it is used in aeronautics today. Technique and materials change and improve, but the principle of operation has remained the same for centuries. That is why the appeal to the personalities of those people who came up with this new amazing vehicle seems to be especially relevant.

short biography

The inventors were the Montgolfier brothers. They lived in the small French town of Annone. Both from childhood were fond of sciences, crafts, technology. Their father was an entrepreneur, he had his own paper mill. After his death, the eldest of the brothers, Joseph-Michel, inherited it and subsequently used it for his invention.

For their scientific achievements he subsequently became administrator of the famous Parisian Conservatory of Arts and Crafts. His younger brother Jacques-Étienne was an architect by training.

He was fond of the scientific works of the outstanding British natural scientist who discovered oxygen. This hobby led to the fact that he began to take part in all the experiments of his older brother.

Prerequisites

The story of who invented it must begin with an explanation of the conditions that made such an amazing discovery possible. By the second half of the 18th century, a number of important scientific discoveries had already been made, which allowed the brothers to put their own observations into practice. We have already mentioned the discovery of oxygen. In 1766, another British researcher, G. Cavendish, discovered hydrogen, a substance that later became actively used in aeronautics. About ten years before the famous balloon-lifting experiment, the famous French scientist A. L. Lavoisier developed a theory about the role of oxygen in oxidation processes.

Preparation

So, the story of who invented the balloon is closely related to scientific life second half of the 18th century. In this case, it is important to note that such an invention became possible due to the above discoveries. The brothers were not only aware of the latest scientific discoveries, but also tried to put them into practice.

It was this thought that prompted them to create the ball.

They had at their disposal all the necessary materials for its manufacture: the paper factory left by him from his father provided them with paper and fabrics. At first, they made large bags, filled them with hot air and launched them into the sky. The first few experiments prompted them to the idea of creating a large ball. At first, they filled it with steam, but this substance quickly cooled when raised, settling in the form of water precipitation on the walls of matter. The decision was then made to use hydrogen, which is known to be lighter than air.

However, this light gas quickly evaporated and escaped through the walls of matter. Even covering the ball with paper did not help, through which the gas quickly disappeared anyway. In addition, hydrogen was a very expensive substance, and the brothers were able to get it with great difficulty. It was necessary to look for another way to successfully complete the experiment.

Preliminary samples

In describing the activities of those who invented the balloon, it is necessary to indicate the obstacles that the brothers had to face before their experiment was successfully completed. After the first two unsuccessful attempts to lift the structure into the air, Joseph-Michel suggested using hot smoke instead of hydrogen.

This option seemed successful to the brothers, since this substance was also lighter than air and, therefore, could lift the ball up. The new experience was successful. Word of this success quickly spread throughout the town, and the inhabitants began to ask the brothers to hold a public experiment.

Flight of 1783

The brothers set the trial for June 5th. Both carefully prepared for this significant event. They made a ball that weighed more than 200 kilograms. He was without a basket - that indispensable attribute that we are used to seeing in modern designs. A special belt and several ropes were attached to it to hold it in position until the air inside the shell heats up. The balloon of the Montgolfier brothers had a very impressive appearance and made a great impression on the audience. Its neck was placed over a fire that heated the air. Eight assistants held him by the ropes from below. When the shell was filled with hot air, the balloon rose up.

Second flight

The basket balloon was also invented by these people. However, this was preceded by a huge resonance, which had the discovery of unknown researchers from a small French town. Scientists from the Academy of Sciences became interested in this discovery. King Louis XVI himself showed such interest in the flight of the balloon that the brothers were summoned to Paris. a new flight was scheduled for September 1783. The brothers attached a willow basket to the balloon and claimed that it would hold the passengers. They wanted to fly themselves, but there was a heated discussion in the newspapers about the great risk. Therefore, for starters, it was decided to raise the animals in the basket. On the appointed day, September 19, in the presence of scientists, courtiers and the king, the ball went upstairs along with the “passengers”: a rooster, a ram and a duck. After a short flight, the balloon caught on tree branches and sank to the ground. It turned out that the animals feel good, and then it was decided that a balloon with a basket would also withstand a person. After some time, the world's first air flight was carried out by Jacques-Etienne and the famous French scientist, physicist and chemist Pilatre de Rozier.

Ball types

Depending on the type of gas with which the shell is filled, it is customary to distinguish three types of these aircraft. Those that rise with the help of hot air are called hot air balloons - after the name of its creators. This is one of the most convenient and safe ways to fill matter with a gas that is lighter than air and, accordingly, can lift a basket with people in it. Different types hot air balloons allow travelers to choose the most convenient way movement. Of particular importance in this design is the balloon burner.

Its purpose is to constantly heat the air. In cases where it is necessary to lower the ball, it is necessary to open a special valve in the shell in order to cool the air. Those balls, the inside of which is filled with hydrogen, are called charliers - by the name of another outstanding French chemist-inventor, a contemporary of the Montgolfier brothers, Jacques Charles.

Other types of devices

The merit of this researcher lies in the fact that he independently, without using the developments of his outstanding compatriots, invented his own balloon, filling it with hydrogen. However, his first experiments were unsuccessful, since hydrogen, being an explosive substance, having come into contact with air, exploded. Hydrogen is an explosive substance, so its use when filling the shell aircraft associated with certain inconveniences.

Helium balloons are also called balloons. The molecular weight of this substance is greater than that of hydrogen, it has sufficient carrying capacity, it is harmless and safe. The only drawback of this substance is its high cost, so it is used for manned vehicles. Those balls that are filled half with air, half with gases, were called rosiers - by the name of another contemporary of the Montgolfier brothers - the aforementioned Pilatre de Rozier. He divided the shell of the ball into two parts, one of which was filled with hydrogen, the other with hot air. He tried to make a flight on his apparatus, but the hydrogen caught fire, and he, along with his companion, died. Nevertheless, the type of apparatus he invented was recognized. Balloons filled with helium and air or hydrogen are used in modern aeronautics.

We decorate with balloons: we inflate the balloons with our mouth, pump, helium, gases.

If you are reading this article, then you are planning to decorate the room with helium-filled balloons and at the same time do not want to buy an expensive balloon. Yes, and you should not - because there are many ways to do without a balloon and save a lot of money at the same time!

If you inflate the balloon with your mouth, you will get a fun toy, great decor, but it will not fly like balloons in the cartoon Up! In order for a balloon to fly, it must be filled with a gas that is several times lighter than air. Thus, according to the laws of physics, the air will push out the gas, and accordingly the ball will fly higher and higher, as long as the thread holding it allows.

How to inflate balloons with helium at home

So, we know two types of filling balloons - one, with an ordinary pump or mouth, then the balloons are light, but at the same time they are still drawn “to the ground”. It is good to decorate flat surfaces with such balls, as well as floors in photo zones.

The second method of filling can be called "flying balloons", since balloons are filled with gases that are lighter than air and therefore they rapidly rise up.

In the second method, there are two directions to inflate the balloon. The first, more expensive, but at the same time, the balloon will please you for 2-3 weeks. This is a portable gas cylinder with a liquid that, penetrating into the balloon along with helium, forms a dense film inside the balloon and prevents gases from escaping through the latex. The second method is more economical, but it is worth noting that balloons inflated with soda and vinegar last only 12-14 hours.

To work, you need strong air balloons and a portable tank of helium and liquid.

We put a ball on the cylinder tube so that its edges are tightly pressed and sealed. We hold the ball in the process so that it does not fly off and the helium is not wasted.

We unscrew the valve, and the filling of the ball begins through the tube. Please note that the process is fast, and accordingly it is better to keep the valve open for no more than 3-4 seconds. It's better to open the faucet for a few more seconds to add more than to overfill the balloon so that it bursts.

Having closed the balloon, carefully remove the ball and immediately tie it, in case of doubt about the strength of the knot, you can make two.

It remains to tie the ribbon and decorate the room!

The balls are inflated by mouth, it seems like it’s easy, but when there are a lot of them, this is a whole test for a person. Therefore, take a regular bike pump and put on a ball adapter, or a special ball pump.

Now we put the ball on the tip of the pump and holding it so that the ball does not fly off, let's think of it. After the balloon is inflated to the desired size, carefully remove and tie in a knot. Ready!

It would seem that it could be easier than blowing up a balloon with your mouth. If you think this is easy, then you have never blown up 100 balloons in an hour! Especially if these are high-quality, dense balls.

So, in order to simply and quickly inflate balloons with your mouth, you need to:

We knead the ball: we stretch it in different directions, but so as not to tear and there were no cracks;
Now we take the ball and clamp it with the thumb and forefinger so that the tail is oared on one side and the hole on the other;
We bring the ball to the lips and, as if kissing, pressing it to the lips;
We take a big breath in through the nose and exhale through the mouth, and so on until the balloon is fully inflated;
Tired and need a break? Pinch your thumb and forefinger, and take a break. Have a rest? Bring to your lips and keep pouting;
At the end, it remains to press with two fingers and tie the ball.

Do you have a goal to keep the balloon flying and don't have the budget to buy a balloon? We propose to do without it and inflate with hydrogen.

Required:

A small flask or container of this type;
Measuring spoon;
Alkali - caustic soda or sodium hydroxide;
Heated water;
Foil.

Fill the flask halfway warm water, tear the foil into small pieces and send it to the water. Add 3 teaspoons with a slide of alkali and quickly pull the ball itself onto the neck.

We begin to shake the flask so that the alkali begins to interact with the foil, while holding the edge of the ball so that it does not fly off.

As soon as the foil dissolves in the liquid, and the balloon is completely inflated, you must immediately remove the balloon from the neck and tie it in a knot, otherwise it will immediately begin to deflate.

We note right away that this method is good for preparing a small number of balls, since the process is very long.

And this method is so simple and accessible that even a child can handle it. In addition, the ingredients can be found in any kitchen.

Required:

9% vinegar, sold in the nearest supermarket, and which is used in canning;
Baking soda, which is purchased for baking;
2l plastic bottle;
Spoon.

So, for starters, pour a liter of vinegar (half a container) into the bottle and prepare the ball. It is best if the work process is done by four hands. One pours a tablespoon of soda, and the second immediately pulls the ball. As in the previous methods, be sure to hold the tip of the ball.

As soon as it ceases to swell - immediately remove and tie.

In order to inflate a balloon in a balloon, you need to stretch a large balloon in different directions and carefully work out the neck.

Now we place a small ball inside so that the tail peeks out from the large ball.

We inflate a small balloon, tie it up and stuff it completely into a large balloon. Also repeat with the remaining 2-3 balls. Now take a big balloon and inflate it. As the balloons inflate, they will be in free space and will soar there.

Video: How to inflate balloons in a balloon. Legkov

How to inflate a figured balloon, figure, long, sausage: tips

Long balls were originally created as a kind of ball, but skillful hands have learned to create all kinds of animals from them, etc.

In order to inflate an even long balloon, you need to use one of the above methods, but to create a figure, you must not completely inflate the balloon so that it bends easily.

How to create an animal, number, flower, etc. in our selection below.

Video: NUMBER 1 unit FROM LONG CDM BALLOONS figures from do-it-yourself balloons TWISTING BALLOON NUMBER 1

Video: Number 1 from many round and long balls

Video: Flower of balloons shdm / Flower of balloons.✿

Video: DOG FROM A LONG BALL OF CDM how to do it yourself How to Make a Dog With Twisting Balloon

Video: Saber from balls ShDM

Sometimes, especially when there is a large package of balloons in your hands and there is no time and money to run to the store for new balloons - they stubbornly do not inflate. There are a few tips to help inflate any balloon.

Container with warm water - fill the balls and let them stand for a few minutes. (warm but not hot!)

Now we gently stretch our hands in different directions and send them on a towel so that all the moisture from their surface is absorbed.

We inflate, struggling with resistance (the first 1-3 exhalations), then the balloon will begin to inflate much easier.

If a child wants to inflate, but does not succeed in any way, inflate and deflate the balloon and only then give it to the child. Thus, the child will easily overcome the resistance in the pre-stretched ball.