Why the balloon flies physics. How to inflate balloons with helium and without helium at home: ways. How to easily and quickly inflate a balloon with your mouth, pump, using a helium balloon, bottle, soda and vinegar: rules, instructions. How to inflate f

Why do balloons get cloudy in the sun, blown away, burst? And what to do with it?

Summer has come, gentlemen - comrades, and traditional summer questions have come: On the street, in summer, especially in sunny weather: why balloons quickly become cloudy and lose their appearance? Why do helium balloons deflate quickly? why balloons do not last long and burst so quickly? and how to deal with it? Good, summer questions, traditional for the first year of work in aerodesign. Let's figure it out, in order and without rushing.

Thick latex - thin latex

Balls from different manufacturers have different wall thicknesses. For example, Italian and Mexican balls have thin walls, while Colombian bottles have thicker walls. Also, the thickness of the walls of the balloon depends on the size of the inflated balloon: if the balloon is inflated, i.e. inflate to a diameter exceeding the optimum, then the walls of the ball will become thinner. The properties of an inflated balloon depend on the thickness of the balloon wall material, i.e. from the thickness of the latex ball.

Mechanical strength of balls

The thicker the walls of the balloon, the more resistant it is to mechanical damage: punctures, scratching, abrasion, etc. Balls that are on the street constantly collect dust containing abrasive particles. If the balls are in contact with each other, and, thanks to the wind, rub against each other, then they constantly receive these same mechanical damage. Thin-walled balls burst more frequently and faster than thick-walled balls.

blowing balloons

The latex from which balloons are made is a porous material, i.e. it has open pores through which gas can penetrate. The gas inside the inflated balloon is under pressure, which is greater than atmospheric pressure (otherwise the balloon will not inflate). Therefore, the gas inside the inflated balloon is squeezed out through the pores of the latex (and not vice versa!). When the gas leaves the balloon, then the pressure inside the balloon is reduced, the elastic latex is compressed and the balloon is reduced in size - deflated. The smaller the gas molecules, the faster they leave the ball. Therefore, helium balloons deflate faster than balloons inflated with air. The thicker the walls of the balls, the slower the outflow of gas from the ball. In places of mechanical damage (micro-scratches), the wall thickness is significantly reduced, so scratched balloons deflate faster than whole balloons. The higher the temperature environment, the more actively the molecules of the gas inside the inflated sphere behave. Therefore, as the temperature rises, the speed of blowing off the balloons also increases.

latex oxidation

The main factor that destroys balloons is the oxygen contained in the atmosphere. The latex molecule, which entered into a chemical reaction with oxygen, breaks up into two short parts - the phenomenon of destruction. In oxidized latex, elasticity decreases and stickiness increases, as well as the number of pores increases. Oxidation of the latex occurs in the outer layer of the inflated balloon and moves inwards. The consequences of latex oxidation are called latex aging. Visually, latex oxidation is manifested in the loss of gloss (reflectivity) and the appearance of a white coating on the surface of the ball. This plaque is the ash from the burnt (oxidized) latex. In its action, oxidation thins the walls of the balloon and makes them sticky. Affecting factors Latex oxidation and dust are the main factors causing a shortened lifespan and/or destroying outdoor balloons. Anything that enhances the effect of these factors on balloons is called damaging factors.

Ambient temperature

The higher the temperature around the balloon, the more active its oxidation occurs, i.e. as the temperature rises, the rate of this chemical reaction increases and the walls of the ball become thinner faster. Also, the higher the temperature, the more active the gas leaves the ball through the pores of the latex. As the temperature decreases, the oxidation of the latex and the outflow of gas from the ball slow down. Dark-colored balls appear as such because they absorb more light radiation than they reflect. Balls of light shades are the opposite: they reflect light more than they absorb. Therefore, ceteris paribus, dark balls heat up more than light balls. And that is why, dark balls burst or deflate first.

Wind

When the balloon is blown with air (street winds, operation of fans and air conditioners in the premises, drafts in the premises), the amount of oxygen involved in the oxidation of the balloons increases and the latex aging rate also increases. The stronger the wind blows the ball, the faster its walls will become thinner. When blowing balloons on the street, strong winds will definitely bring more street dust to the balls. In the absence of blowing the balls, the oxidation of the latex slows down. It also reduces the amount of dust that balloons collect on themselves.

sunlight

Solar radiation in its spectrum contains a significant proportion of ultraviolet radiation. Everything is complicated there: in the composition of UV radiation there is also soft ultraviolet (from which we sunbathe), there is also hard ultraviolet, which causes sunburn, there is a little short-wave radiation, from which you can go blind, well, it doesn’t matter. It is important that the invisible part of solar radiation, which is called ultraviolet, greatly activates atmospheric oxygen. This excited oxygen combines very actively with the latex, so that the balls die in a couple of hours. In the summer, and especially when the Sun is at its zenith, a powerful stream of UV radiation falls on the Earth, which kills balloons at once. At this time, even sunbathing is not recommended, what kind of balls are there ... On the contrary, when it is cloudy, or when the Sun is low above the horizon (or in winter), the UV radiation flux is small and does not have a special effect on the balls.

Ozone

When exposed to oxygen UV radiation ( sunlight, UV lighting in nightclubs, germicidal UV lamps in medical institutions), as well as when oxygen is exposed to electromagnetic fields of high intensity (high-voltage power lines, or the state of nature before a thunderstorm), oxygen is excited to such an extent that some of the two-atomic oxygen molecules break up into parts that attach to other molecules. In this way, ozone gas is obtained - three-atomic oxygen. Ozone is not stable, but as long as oxygen is in an excited state, some amount of ozone is always present in the air. By the way, ozone, unlike oxygen, has a smell (you can smell a working copier to remember this smell). So ozone is the most powerful destroyer balloons. If there is a little ozone around the ball, then the rate of oxidation becomes very high. There is ozone - no balls. By the way, this is precisely why the balls fall quickly before a thunderstorm, the whole point is in ozone, and not in the fact that the balls are afraid of thunderstorms.

conclusions

After all that I wrote above, the most wonderful option is to refuse to work with balloons outside in the summer. By the way, sometimes this one is really better than losing your reputation by constantly replacing constantly bursting balls.

But if it is not possible to refuse summer street work with balloons, then it is recommended to follow a few rules. For outdoor work, you need to use balls with the thickest walls. This is sempertex or quatalex, of course; Belgian balls are good too. Jemar, Mexican, Chinese balloons, that's why they are not expensive, because there is little latex in them, and the walls of such balloons are thin. Even when using high-quality balloons, it is recommended to choose them one size larger. For example, take 12" balloons and inflate them like 10" balloons. This will allow to increase the wall thickness, which means it will increase the lifetime of the balls.

When installing balloons outdoors, if there is a choice, then use places protected from wind and direct sunlight. When storing and transporting balloons, it is recommended to use bags in which to pack inflated balloons or products made from inflated balloons. The bag protects against airflow, dust and direct sunlight. A dark bag also protects from envious eyes, which is also important.

If possible, replace latex balloons with foil balloons as much as possible. Foil balloons outdoors are much more tenacious. Also, latex helium balloons should be avoided, and wherever possible, replace helium with air.

I hope that this material will be useful.

The flight can last from 30 minutes to 1 hour. It all depends on the speed and direction of the wind on the day of the flight. Flight duration is limited by the size of our flight area, which includes the Pushkinsky district of St. Petersburg.

Are parachutes issued?

Parachutes are not issued, as flights take place at relatively low altitudes and, if you urgently need to land, it will be faster and safer to land in a hot air balloon.

Are passengers insured?

Hot air balloons belong to general aviation. And in aviation without fail are insured passenger seats on aircraft. Therefore, stepping on board a balloon, you are already insured.

How long have you been flying with passengers?

More than 5 years in St. Petersburg.

How many passengers can fly in the basket?

2-4 passengers, depending on their weight and flight season.

What does the whole process look like, starting from the moment of the meeting?

Traveling across the sky begins from the moment the beginner balloonists meet with the crew.

Then we take our passengers to the launch site, this stage usually takes no more than half an hour. After that, you can watch the filling of the balloon with air and the preparation of the team for takeoff, or we can bring you directly to the moment of launch, if you so desire. The process of preparing the balloon for takeoff also takes about half an hour. After takeoff you can admire the sights, the flight usually lasts from 30 to 60 minutes depending on the direction and speed of the wind.

From the moment you take off on the ground, an escort team will follow the flying balloon, which will meet you at the place of your landing, and after the traditional balloonist initiation ceremony, which will take about 30 minutes, we will take you back to the meeting point.

How long will all activities take?

The entire process from meeting with the team to returning to the meeting point can take up to three hours. In this case, the pilot before the start can postpone the flight for the required time, in order to wait for more comfortable weather conditions for takeoff. We recommend that you allocate at least 5 hours for the flight, including the road.

Can my friends and family see my flight?

will be unique and one of a kind.

Why do helium balloons fly?

It would seem a very simple question, but sometimes it confuses. Most likely, because at school they explained this to us in the dry language of numbers in boring lessons. But today we want fun balloons, and we're tormented by simple questions about how long they can fly and how much weight they can lift. So, you need to get to know some of the properties of helium.

Helium is a gas. It fills up balloon ik. This gas is much lighter than air. One cubic meter of air, which consists of a mixture of different gases, weighs 1.293 kg, and one cubic meter of helium weighs 0.178 kg. It turns out, helium is 7.26 times lighter than air. It also turns out that one cubic meter of helium can lift 1.115 kg, that is, a little more than a kilogram.

It turns out that balloons fly because they are filled with helium gas, which is 7.26 times lighter than air. It turns out that the ball is like an air bubble in water, which rises from the bottom. Of course, there is also such a gas as hydrogen, its lifting force is even greater. However, it cannot be used, unlike helium, it is explosive and flammable. Instead of joy and delight, we can get burns, fires, injuries and death. But I wonder how much weight this ball can lift?

The volume of a standard ball, 30 centimeters in size, is about 14 liters. Therefore, helium, which fills the entire volume of the balloon, can lift about 15.61 grams. But, the ball itself also has its own weight, which is about 3 grams. Therefore, as a result, we can only lift 12.61 grams on the ball.

However, we do not live in an ideal world and in practice the lifting force of a standard ball does not exceed 10 grams. There are many reasons for this, the main one is that helium seeps through the walls of the balloon very quickly, so immediately after inflating the balloon loses its lift. In practice, after inflating an ordinary balloon, 30 centimeters in size, will stop flying after 12-18 hours.

Of course, the ball can be treated with a special composition so that it loses helium much more slowly, however, the composition also has its own weight and the effect occurs after it solidifies, and during this time the ball has time to “lose weight”. But when the effect does come, the balloon will be able to stay in the air from 3 to 30 days. Since helium will be stored in it in an amount that can provide lift greater than the weight of the ball itself.

But now we come to the most interesting question, and how many balls do you need to lift a person into the air? If your weight is 70 kilograms, then by simple mathematical calculations, we can conclude that this requires 7000 (seven thousand) balloons.

Again, once the balloons are inflated, they will begin to lose lift immediately. It would take a team of 4 to inflate 7,000 balloons all day, and maybe all night. Therefore, in reality, much more balls may be required. This means that a large team is needed to lift a person, and a huge number of balls with a margin. I think ten thousand balloons (!!!) are enough to lift a person into the air.

But usually, people want to lift a gift that weighs 200. Now we know for sure that 20 balls have a lifting force of 200 grams. However, they will not be able to lift 200 grams, the lifting force will compensate for the weight of the gift and that's it. So we need at least 21 balls so that the resulting lift force is 10 grams. But, of course, it is better to take the balls with a margin, 25-30 pieces. To be sure!

It turns out that the balloon flies because it is filled with helium, which is 7.26 times lighter than air, a standard balloon has a lifting force of about 10 grams and is able to fly 12-18 hours without treatment, from 3 to 30 days with treatment.

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 to balloon flew it must be filled with gas, which 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 will need durable 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.

Video: Teddy bear from a long ball

Video: Rose from long balls

Video: Luxurious seed flower from balls

What are the stages of preparation for a hot air balloon flight?

Pre-flight preparation

For a safe flight in a hot air balloon, you must check the weather conditions and choose a suitable starting point for takeoff. The current and forecast weather must provide the pilot with the necessary visibility to be able to see and avoid obstacles (fog or low clouds), the wind must be light enough to allow take-off and landing (less than 8-16 km/h depending on skill) and experience of the pilot, passengers, crew and ground handlers).

The starting point (take-off area) must be large enough to allow the balloon shell to be deployed and inflated with no obstructions in the direction of the wind such as power lines, trees and buildings. Finally, the starting point must be located in such a way that the predicted wind flow will direct the balloon towards suitable place landing. There must be no water bodies, large urban areas or forests in the landing zone of the balloon; without sufficient fuel, it is not safe to fly over obstacles.

Before starting, hot air is blown in using propane burners.

To do this, the shell of the balloon is laid out on the ground and attached to the basket and burner. A fan, often with a gasoline engine, is used to force cold outside air into the envelope. Cold air partially inflates the balloon until it reaches its basic shape, allowing it to start the burner to heat the air. Once the balloon is upright, the pilot and passengers climb into the basket. When the pilot is ready to launch, he applies more heat through the balloon burner and the balloon lifts off...

The ground crew stows the equipment and follows the direction of the balloon's flight to the landing site.


Flight in a hot air balloon.

Requires certain skills of the pilot to control the balloon - to rise or descend in the air currents. Thus, it is important for the pilot to determine at altitudes, in addition to the height of the balloon, which direction the wind is blowing. To manage this, the pilot uses various methods. This includes the use of visual cues such as flags on flagpoles, smoke from chimneys, etc. To determine the direction of the wind over the balloon, the pilot uses pre-flight weather forecast data, which includes a forecast of upper airflow. Data is also obtained experimentally by launching helium balloons, known as weather balloon, before launch, to get information about where the wind is actually blowing. Another way to determine the actual direction of the wind is the movement of other balloons, the size of which in diameter is over size meteosphere.

Balloon flight control

The direction of the flight of the balloon depends on the wind, but the height of the flight of the balloon can be controlled by changing the temperature of the air inside the shell. The pilot can actuate one or more burner valves to raise the temperature inside the balloon's shell, thereby controlling lift to allow the balloon to rise or fall or even stop. The pilot can also open the balloon's vent valves, if the shell is equipped with one, thereby lowering the temperature inside the shell in order to descend or slow or even stop the ascent. If the pilot does not intervene, the air inside the envelope will slowly cool.

slow response

One of the tricks involved is learning to deal with latency. Experimental experience with opening the burner valve is required to slow or stop the descent. The action of the burner lightens the overall weight of the ball system and increases its buoyancy, but not immediately. It may take 30 seconds or more from the time that the burner has been running to slow down or stop, depending on the rate at which the balloon descends, how cool the air in the balloon is, or how hard the burner was fired. This delay requires great knowledge on the part of the pilot.

Third class

The ability to change the direction of flight at altitude is called the third class. In the northern hemisphere, air currents at altitude spiral, as viewed from above, from high pressure levels and counterclockwise to low pressure levels. But when flying close to the ground, the balloon will tend to move in a more direct direction. Thus, the pilot must find a turn to the left during the descent to the landing. In the southern hemisphere, the direction of the spiral is exactly the opposite. In fact, interaction with uneven terrain may be reduced or absent entirely.


Level flight

The burner is designed to create enough heated air to quickly lift the ball. It is only more effective when it is wide open.

But when the balloon is not actively heated, it is cooling. This means that it is in perfect balance only for a moment. The rest of the time it is either heated or the air in it is cooled.

These two facts enable the pilot to use the burner at intervals of a few seconds to keep the balloon slowly drifting up and down at the desired altitude.

An exception is made when flying at low altitudes, as well as when landing. The burner can be used in very short bursts at a significant high frequency, thus sacrificing efficiency and accuracy.


Transport

A typical technique is jeeps with an equipment trailer.

While it is certainly possible to enjoy the sport without car chases, walking or cycling to the landing site, many aeronauts prefer to follow the car chase. The transport crew during landing can help: with disembarkation, catch ropes when landing a balloon in cramped circumstances; help with packing equipment.

The connection between the ball and vehicle carried out by means of two-way radio communication, mobile phones, or even scream when he is close enough.


Landing

Most pilots try to make as soft landings as possible. This becomes a difficult task if the wind speed at ground level is more than 8 km/h or so. If the ball is moving at this speed or more when it contacts the ground, the basket (which usually does not have wheels or any other kind of bottom) may drag on the ground or even topple over. Even the crew present on the ground cannot provide sufficient assistance. Total weight (for average passenger system balloon) can easily exceed the weight of the car (better not to stand on the landing side of the balloon to avoid being between a rock and a hard place). Pilots can improve their landings by landing in places sheltered from the wind, such as behind a tree line or in a small valley.