EMS5AM: Preliminary Design Report for HAAMER Balloon Platform

This preliminary design report outlines the initial stages of developing a High Altitude Advanced Materials and Engineering Research (HAAMER) balloon platform. It covers essential considerations such as equipment and sensor selection, system layout to optimize the center of gravity, and material choices to withstand temperature, pressure, and shock loading. The report includes balloon math modeling, raw material stock considerations, and calculations for determining the mass that can be lifted by the helium balloon. It also emphasizes the importance of checking local regulations prior to launch. The design process focuses on creating a lightweight structure with high shock resistance, with aluminum being the preferred material, while adhering to a budget of $200. The report is submitted for the EMS5AM Advanced Materials and Processes Group at La Trobe University.

Preliminary Design Report for the payload Box
System Layout:
Prior to the design of the payload box the following design consideration has to be calculated
 Selection of equipment and sensor that has to be mounted on the payload box.
 Selection of the burner for the balloon
 System layout for the equipment and sensor. This layout has to be in such a way that the CG of
the total system should lie as close as to the center of the structure.
 Selection of material for the payload box to withstand the temperature and pressure variation in
high altitude, also the material should withstand the shock loading and impact loading.
 Determine the position of the battery back as this the most important and heaviest part of the
structure.
Balloon Math Modeling
• Geopatential Altitude:
h = (rez)/re + z
re is the radius of earth
z is the real altitude
 Also acceleration due to gravity changes with altitude
g(z) = Gme/ (re + z)2
me is the mass of earth
• Temperature (at any altiitude) Calculation:
T = Tbase + dT dh
• Pressure (at any altitude) Calculation:
pr = pbasee-(GMR dh/Tbase)
• Density (at any Altitude) Calculation:
ρr = pr / (Talt + Tbase)

Based on the above formulation the Pressure and temperature data at various altitude
Altitude (KM) Pressure (Pa) Temperature (K)
10 101206 223
20 101089 216
30 100971 226
40 100853 250
50 100735 270
60 100618 247
Stock of Raw Material:
During the designing procedure the stock and cost of the material is taken into consideration. The below
table represents the material list and related cost
As we are more concentrating on the light weight structure with high shock resistance value, Aluminum
is the most preferred material. During the designing process we will justify the material along with the
calculation of the cost for the same. The total budget for the project is $200. So we will try to make the
design within this cost only.

Calculation Procedure
Mass of balloon = 28 kg
Diameter of the balloon = 13 m
Weight of the Helium Gas = 1 Kg
Density of Helium = .18 kg/m3
Density of Air = 1.3 kg/m3
Determine the the total mass that can be lifted by the helium balloon.
Determine the mass that is displaced.
Determine the mass of helium.
(Volume of the Ballon)*(.18 kg/m3) = 1 kg
Volume of the Balloon = 1/0.18 = 5.55 m3
Mass lifted = mass of the volume of fluid displaced
Mass = (5.55 m3)( 1.3 kg/m3)
Mass = 7.2 kg
Subtract the mass of the balloon and mass of the 1200 m3 volume of helium from the total mass that
can be lifted.
28 kg – 5.5 kg – 7.2kg = 15.3 kg
Determine the Force required to lift the displace volume of 1200 m3.
F = mg (where g is gravity)
F = (15.3 kg) * (9.8 m/s2)
F = 149.94 Newtons

Check the Local Regulation:
Prior to any launch please check your local regulations about unmanned gas balloons launch. To date
(15/04/2016) in Italy in necessary to notify the launch to ENAC, with this modules. The Italian Civil
Aviation Authority names the ICAO [5] Annex 2 Appendix 4 as the source for determining what data
should be communicated prior to launch to ENAC.
Also we will check the location from where the weather balloon will take the flight. We will also
accumulate the climate data of that locality.