Preliminary Design and Evaluation of a Tethered Balloon System with a Constant Volume Torus Envelope for Low Altitude Operations in Light Winds

This document proposes the use of a tethered aerostat system with a constant volume, torus-shaped envelope as a platform for atmospheric monitoring at low altitudes. Manufacturers can make balloons into a variety of shapes, but the most common are spherical and ellipsoidal. Tethered balloons and constant volume balloons have been in use for years but not in combination. This document serves to guide the reader through the preliminary development and evaluation of a tethered balloon system with a constant volume torus envelope. This design study concluded that a balloon system using a tethered, constant volume torus envelope is viable but the envelope must be large to withstand low to moderate winds.