Universal stratospheric balloon gradiometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsvetkov, Yury; Filippov, Sergey; Brekhov, Oleg; Nikolaev, Nikolay

The study of the interior structure of the Earth and laws of its evolution is one of the most difficult problems of natural science. Among the geophysical fields the anomaly magnetic field is one of the most informational in questions of the Earth’s crust structure. Many important parameters of an environment are expedient for measuring at lower altitudes, than satellite ones. So, one of the alternatives is stratospheric balloon survey. The balloon flight altitudes cover the range from 20 to 50 km. At such altitudes there are steady zone air flows due to which the balloon flight trajectories can be of any direction, including round-the-world (round-the-pole). For investigation of Earth's magnetic field one of the examples of such sounding system have been designed, developed and maintained at IZMIRAN and MAI during already about 25 years. This system consists of three instrumental containers uniformly placed along a vertical 6 km line. Up today this set has been used only for geomagnetic purposes. So we describe this system on example of the measuring of the geomagnetic field gradient. System allows measuring a module and vertical gradient of the geomagnetic field along the whole flight trajectory and so one’s name is - stratospheric balloon magnetic gradiometer (SMBG). The GPS-receivers, located in each instrumental container, fix the flight coordinates to within several tens meters. Process of SBMG deployment, feature of the exit of rope from the magazine at the moment of balloon launching has been studied. Used magazine is cellular type. The hodograph of the measuring base of SBMG and the technique of correction of the deviations of the measuring base from the vertical line (introduction of the amendments for the deviation) during the flight have been investigated. It is shown that estimation of the normal level of values of the vertical gradient of the geomagnetic field is determined by the accuracy of determining the length of the measuring base SBMG

Investigating Atmospheric Rivers using GPS TPW during CalWater 2015

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Almanza, V.; Foster, J. H.; Businger, S.

2015-12-01

Ship-based Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers have been successful in obtaining millimeter accuracy total precipitable water (TPW). We apply this technique with a field experiment using a GPS meteorology system installed on board the R/V Ronald Brown during the CalWater 2015 project. The goal of CalWater is to monitor atmospheric river (AR) events over the Eastern Pacific Ocean and improve forecasting of the extreme precipitation events they can produce. During the 30-day cruise, TPW derived from radiosonde balloons released from the Ron Brown are used to verify the accuracy of shipboard GPS TPW. The results suggest that ship-based GPS TPW offers a cost-effective approach for acquiring accurate real-time meteorological observations of TPW in AR's over remote oceans, as well as near the coastlines where satellites algorithms have limited accuracy. The results have implications for augmenting operational observing networks to improve weather prediction and nowcasting of ARs, thereby supporting hazard response and mitigation efforts associated with coastal flooding events.

Exploring the Opportunities of a Balloon-Satellite in Bangladesh for Weather Data Collection and Vegetative Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shafique, Md. Ishraque Bin; Razzaq Halim, M. A.; Rabbi, Fazle; Khalilur Rhaman, Md.

2016-07-01

For a third world country like Bangladesh, satellite and space research is not feasible due to lack of funding. Therefore, in order to imitate the principles of such a satellite Balloon Satellite can easily and inexpensively be setup. Balloon satellites are miniature satellites, which are cheap and easy to construct. This paper discusses a BalloonSat developed using a Raspberry Pi, IMU module, UV sensor, GPS module, Camera and XBee Module. An interactive GUI was designed to display all the data collected after processing. To understand nitrogen concentration of a plant, a leaf color chart is used. This paper attempts to digitalize this process, which is applied on photos taken by the BallonSat.

GPS Space Service Volume: Ensuring Consistent Utility Across GPS Design Builds for Space Users

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bauer, Frank H.; Parker, Joel Jefferson Konkl; Valdez, Jennifer Ellen

2015-01-01

GPS availability and signal strength originally specified for users on or near surface of Earth with transmitted power levels specified at edge-of-Earth, 14.3 degrees. Prior to the SSV specification, on-orbit performance of GPS varied from block build to block build (IIA, IIRM, IIF) due to antenna gain and beam width variances. Unstable on-orbit performance results in significant risk to space users. Side-lobe signals, although not specified, were expected to significantly boost GPS signal availability for users above the constellation. During GPS III Phase A, NASA noted significant discrepancies in power levels specified in GPS III specification documents, and measured on-orbit performance. To stabilize the signal for high altitude space users, NASA DoD team in 2003-2005 led the creation of new Space Service Volume (SSV) definition and specifications.

Catching Comet's Particles in the Earth's Atmosphere by Using Balloons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Potashko, Oleksandr; Viso, Michel

The project is intended to catch cometary particles in the atmosphere by using balloons. The investigation is based upon knowledge that the Earth crosses the comet’s tails during the year. One can catch these particles at different altitudes in the atmosphere. So, we will be able to gradually advance in the ability to launch balloons from low to high altitudes and try to catch particles from different comet tails. The maximum altitude that we have to reach is 40 km. Both methods - distance observation and cometary samples from mission Stardust testify to the presence of organic components in comet’s particles. It would be useful to know more details about this organic matter for astrobiology; besides, the factor poses danger to the Earth. Moreover, it is important to prove that it is possible to get fundamental scientific results at low cost. In the last 5 years launching balloons has become popular and this movement looks like hackers’ one - as most of them occur without launch permission to airspace. The popularity of ballooning is connected with low cost of balloon, GPS unit, video recording unit. If you use iPhone, you have a light solution with GPS, video, picture and control function in one unit. The price of balloon itself begins from $50; it depends on maximum altitude, payload weight and material. Many university teams realized balloon launching and reached even stratosphere at an altitude of 33 km. But most of them take only video and picture. Meanwhile, it is possible to carry out scientific experiments by ballooning, for example to collect comet particles. There is rich experience at the moment of the use of mineral, chemical and isotopic analysis techniques and data of the comet’s dust after successful landing of StarDust capsule with samples in 2006. Besides, we may use absolutely perfect material to catch particles in the atmosphere, which was used by cosmic missions such as Stardust and Japanese Hayabusa. As to balloon launches, we could use

Gondola development for CNES stratospheric balloons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vargas, A.; Audoubert, J.; Cau, M.; Evrard, J.; Verdier, N.

(over the line of sight) than with dedicated RF system, which requires balloon visibility from the ground station. For long duration flights (3 months) of Infra Red Montgolfieres, a house keeping gondola has been developed, using the Inmarsat C standard to have communication all around the world (up to N or S 80 ° latitude) with an automatic switching between the 4 geostationnary Inmarsat satellites. After validation flights performed from Bauru / Brazil. (2000 & 2001) and Kiruna/Sweden (2002), the first operational flights took place from Bauru in February 2003 during ENVISAT validation campaign. The next flights will be realized in the framework of the Hibiscus campaign planned in February 2004 in Bauru.. The Balloon Division was involved in the Franco / Japanese HSFD II project which consists to drop a mock-up of the Japanese HOPE-X space shuttle from a stratospheric balloon to validate its flight from the altitude of 30 km. We developed a specific gondola as a service module for the HOPE-X shuttle, providing power and GPS radio-frequency signal during the balloon flight phase, telemetry end remote control radio frequency links and separation system with pyrotechnic cutters for the drop of the shuttle. A successful flight was performed at Kiruna in July 2003. Concerning gondola with pointing system, the study of a big g-ray telescope (8 m of focal length), started by the end of 2002. For this 1 ton gondola, the telescope stabilization system will be based on control moment gyro (CMG). The CMG system has been designed and will be manufactured and validated during 2004. The first flight of this g-ray gondola is planned for 2006. The progress, status and future plans concerning these gondola developments will be presented.

Global assimilation of X Project Loon stratospheric balloon observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coy, L.; Schoeberl, M. R.; Pawson, S.; Candido, S.; Carver, R. W.

2017-12-01

Project Loon has an overall goal of providing worldwide internet coverage using a network of long-duration super-pressure balloons. Beginning in 2013, Loon has launched over 1600 balloons from multiple tropical and middle latitude locations. These GPS tracked balloon trajectories provide lower stratospheric wind information over the oceans and remote land areas where traditional radiosonde soundings are sparse, thus providing unique coverage of lower stratospheric winds. To fully investigate these Loon winds we: 1) compare the Loon winds to winds produced by a global data assimilation system (DAS: NASA GEOS) and 2) assimilate the Loon winds into the same comprehensive DAS. Results show that in middle latitudes the Loon winds and DAS winds agree well and assimilating the Loon winds have only a small impact on short-term forecasting of the Loon winds, however, in the tropics the loon winds and DAS winds often disagree substantially (8 m/s or more in magnitude) and in these cases assimilating the loon winds significantly improves the forecast of the loon winds. By highlighting cases where the Loon and DAS winds differ, these results can lead to improved understanding of stratospheric winds, especially in the tropics.

Global Assimilation of X Project Loon Stratospheric Balloon Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coy, Lawrence; Schoeberl, Mark R.; Pawson, Steven; Candido, Salvatore; Carver, Robert W.

2017-01-01

Project Loon has an overall goal of providing worldwide internet coverage using a network of long-duration super-pressure balloons. Beginning in 2013, Loon has launched over 1600 balloons from multiple tropical and middle latitude locations. These GPS tracked balloon trajectories provide lower stratospheric wind information over the oceans and remote land areas where traditional radiosonde soundings are sparse, thus providing unique coverage of lower stratospheric winds. To fully investigate these Loon winds we: 1) compare the Loon winds to winds produced by a global data assimilation system (DAS: NASA GEOS) and 2) assimilate the Loon winds into the same comprehensive DAS. Results show that in middle latitudes the Loon winds and DAS winds agree well and assimilating the Loon winds have only a small impact on short-term forecasting of the Loon winds, however, in the tropics the loon winds and DAS winds often disagree substantially (8 m/s or more in magnitude) and in these cases assimilating the loon winds significantly improves the forecast of the loon winds. By highlighting cases where the Loon and DAS winds differ, these results can lead to improved understanding of stratospheric winds, especially in the tropics.

Very high-pressure dilatation for undilatable coronary lesions: indications and results with a new dedicated balloon.

PubMed

Secco, Gioel Gabrio; Ghione, Matteo; Mattesini, Alessio; Dall'Ara, Gianni; Ghilencea, Liviu; Kilickesmez, Kadriye; De Luca, Giuseppe; Fattori, Rossella; Parisi, Rosario; Marino, Paolo Nicola; Lupi, Alessandro; Foin, Nicolas; Di Mario, Carlo

2016-06-20

Calcific coronary lesions impose a rigid obstacle to optimal balloon and stent expansion and the 20 to 30 atm limit that non-compliant (NC) balloons reach can be insufficient. The aim of our study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a new dedicated super high-pressure NC balloon (OPN NC®; SIS Medical AG, Winterthur, Switzerland). We retrospectively evaluated a consecutive series of 91 lesions in which conventional NC balloons at maximal pressure failed to achieve an adequate post-dilatation luminal gain and were therefore treated with an OPN NC balloon up to 40 atm. Angiographic success was defined as residual angiographic diameter stenosis <30%. MLD and %DS were measured at baseline, after NC balloon, OPN NC balloon and stent implantation. Angiographic success was achieved in 84 lesions (92.3%). All of the remaining lesions received rotational atherectomy with the exception of two cases in which rotational atherectomy was not attempted because of small vessel size and excessive tortuosity. MLD and acute gain were significantly greater and %DS was significantly lower post OPN NC balloon compared with conventional NC balloon inflation (p<0.001). No coronary perforations occurred. No acute or 30-day follow-up MACE was reported. When conventional NC balloons fail, the new OPN NC dedicated high-pressure balloon provides an effective and safe alternative strategy for the dilatation of resistant coronary lesions.

Robust GPS autonomous signal quality monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ndili, Awele Nnaemeka

The Global Positioning System (GPS), introduced by the U.S. Department of Defense in 1973, provides unprecedented world-wide navigation capabilities through a constellation of 24 satellites in global orbit, each emitting a low-power radio-frequency signal for ranging. GPS receivers track these transmitted signals, computing position to within 30 meters from range measurements made to four satellites. GPS has a wide range of applications, including aircraft, marine and land vehicle navigation. Each application places demands on GPS for various levels of accuracy, integrity, system availability and continuity of service. Radio frequency interference (RFI), which results from natural sources such as TV/FM harmonics, radar or Mobile Satellite Systems (MSS), presents a challenge in the use of GPS, by posing a threat to the accuracy, integrity and availability of the GPS navigation solution. In order to use GPS for integrity-sensitive applications, it is therefore necessary to monitor the quality of the received signal, with the objective of promptly detecting the presence of RFI, and thus provide a timely warning of degradation of system accuracy. This presents a challenge, since the myriad kinds of RFI affect the GPS receiver in different ways. What is required then, is a robust method of detecting GPS accuracy degradation, which is effective regardless of the origin of the threat. This dissertation presents a new method of robust signal quality monitoring for GPS. Algorithms for receiver autonomous interference detection and integrity monitoring are demonstrated. Candidate test statistics are derived from fundamental receiver measurements of in-phase and quadrature correlation outputs, and the gain of the Active Gain Controller (AGC). Performance of selected test statistics are evaluated in the presence of RFI: broadband interference, pulsed and non-pulsed interference, coherent CW at different frequencies; and non-RFI: GPS signal fading due to physical blockage and

Low Cost Balloon programme of Indian Centre for Space Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chakrabarti, Sandip Kumar

2016-07-01

Indian Centre for Space Physics has launched 89 Missions to near space using single or multiple weather balloons or very light plastic balloons. Basic goal was to capitalize miniaturization of equipments in modern ages. Our typical payload of less than 4kg weight consists of GPS, video camera, cosmic ray detectors, Attitude measurement unit, sunsensor and most importantly a 50-100sqcm X-ray/Gamma-ray detector (usually a scintillator type). The main purpose of the latter is to study spectra of secondary cosmic ray spectra (till our ceiling altitude of 36-42km) over the years and their seasonal variation or variation with solar cycle. We also study solar X-ray spectra, especially of solar flares. We have detected a Gamma Ray Burst (GRB) and pulsars. Our observation of black hole candidates did not yield satisfactory result yet mainly because of poor collimation (~ 10 deg x 10 deg) by lead collimator which introduces strong background also. Our effort with multiple balloon flights enabled us to have long duration flights. We believe that our procedure is very futuristic and yet at an affordable cost.

Pointing system for the balloon-borne astronomical payloads

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nirmal, Kaipacheri; Sreejith, Aickara Gopinathan; Mathew, Joice; Sarpotdar, Mayuresh; Ambily, Suresh; Prakash, Ajin; Safonova, Margarita; Murthy, Jayant

2016-10-01

We describe the development and implementation of a light-weight, fully autonomous 2-axis pointing and stabilization system designed for balloon-borne astronomical payloads. The system is developed using off-the-shelf components such as Arduino Uno controller, HMC 5883L magnetometer, MPU-9150 inertial measurement unit, and iWave GPS receiver unit. It is a compact and rugged system which can also be used to take images/video in a moving vehicle or in real photography. The system performance is evaluated from the ground, as well as in conditions simulated to imitate the actual flight by using a tethered launch.

Ballooning Then...and Ballooning Now.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Journal of Aerospace Education, 1978

1978-01-01

Describes the history of hot-air balloon travel, starting with its French origins and continuing through to the 1978 national championship. An address for Balloon Federation of America membership is included. (MA)

Flight Qualification of the NASA's Super Pressure Balloon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cathey, Henry; Said, Magdi; Fairbrother, Debora

Designs of new balloons to support space science require a number of actual flights under various flight conditions to qualify them to as standard balloon flight offerings to the science community. Development of the new Super Pressure Balloon for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Balloon Program Office has entailed employing new design, analysis, and production techniques to advance the state of the art. Some of these advances have been evolutionary steps and some have been revolutionary steps requiring a maturing understanding of the materials, designs, and manufacturing approaches. The NASA Super Pressure Balloon development end goal is to produce a flight vehicle that is qualified to carry a ton of science instrumentation, at an altitude greater than 33 km while maintaining a near constant pressure altitude for extended periods of up to 100 days, and at any latitude on the globe. The NASA’s Balloon Program Office has pursued this development in a carefully executed incremental approach by gradually increasing payload carrying capability and increasing balloon volume to reach these end goal. A very successful test flight of a ~200,700 m3 balloon was launch in late 2008 from Antarctica. This balloon flew for over 54 days at a constant altitude and circled the Antarctic continent almost three times. A larger balloon was flown from Antarctica in early 2011. This ~422,400 m3 flew at a constant altitude for 22 days making one circuit around Antarctica. Although the performance was nominal, the flight was terminated via command to recover high valued assets from the payload. The balloon designed to reach the program goals is a ~532,200 m3 pumpkin shaped Super Pressure Balloon. A test flight of this balloon was launched from the Swedish Space Corporation’s Esrange Balloon Launch Facilities near Kiruna, Sweden on 14 August, 2012. This flight was another success for this development program. Valuable information was gained from this short test

Progress and recent developments in the GAINS program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Girz, C. M. I. R.:; MacDonald, A. E.; Caracena, F.; Collander, R. S.; Jamison, B. D.; Anderson, R. L.; Latsch, D.; Lachenmeier, T.; Moody, R. A.; Mares, S.; Cooper, J.; Ganoe, G.; Katzberg, S.; Johnson, T.; Russ, B.

2001-08-01

The GAINS (Global Air-ocean IN-situ System) network of long-duration, high-altitude vehicles is proposed as a means to provide critically needed in-situ observations worldwide. This need is increasingly apparent, for example, in the Arctic where there is growing concern around the shrinking of the ice cap and sea ice extent with concomitant decreases in habitat for animal and plant species. In the mid-latitudes, the sustainability of sufficient soil moisture in grain producing regions is questionable under several climate change scenarios. Preparatory steps using smaller balloons and prototype payloads have been taken toward demonstrating the GAINS balloon concept. The balloon envelope recovery system (BERS) has been tested and radio frequency interference, compatibility and distance checks of the prototype command and communication systems were performed. Electronic and mechanical systems have been integrated in preparation for a 48-h flight of an 18-m diameter prototype.

A comparison of Loon balloon observations and stratospheric reanalysis products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Friedrich, Leon S.; McDonald, Adrian J.; Bodeker, Gregory E.; Cooper, Kathy E.; Lewis, Jared; Paterson, Alexander J.

2017-01-01

Location information from long-duration super-pressure balloons flying in the Southern Hemisphere lower stratosphere during 2014 as part of X Project Loon are used to assess the quality of a number of different reanalyses including National Centers for Environmental Prediction Climate Forecast System version 2 (NCEP-CFSv2), European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ERA-Interim), NASA Modern Era Retrospective-Analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA), and the recently released MERRA version 2. Balloon GPS location information is used to derive wind speeds which are then compared with values from the reanalyses interpolated to the balloon times and locations. All reanalysis data sets accurately describe the winds, with biases in zonal winds of less than 0.37 m s-1 and meridional biases of less than 0.08 m s-1. The standard deviation on the differences between Loon and reanalyses zonal winds is latitude-dependent, ranging between 2.5 and 3.5 m s-1, increasing equatorward. Comparisons between Loon trajectories and those calculated by applying a trajectory model to reanalysis wind fields show that MERRA-2 wind fields result in the most accurate simulated trajectories with a mean 5-day balloon-reanalysis trajectory separation of 621 km and median separation of 324 km showing significant improvements over MERRA version 1 and slightly outperforming ERA-Interim. The latitudinal structure of the trajectory statistics for all reanalyses displays marginally lower mean separations between 15 and 35° S than between 35 and 55° S, despite standard deviations in the wind differences increasing toward the equator. This is shown to be related to the distance travelled by the balloon playing a role in the separation statistics.

Navigating the Return Trip from the Moon Using Earth-Based Ground Tracking and GPS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berry, Kevin; Carpenter, Russell; Moreau, Michael C.; Lee, Taesul; Holt, Gregg N.

2009-01-01

NASA s Constellation Program is planning a human return to the Moon late in the next decade. From a navigation perspective, one of the most critical phases of a lunar mission is the series of burns performed to leave lunar orbit, insert onto a trans-Earth trajectory, and target a precise re-entry corridor in the Earth s atmosphere. A study was conducted to examine sensitivity of the navigation performance during this phase of the mission to the type and availability of tracking data from Earth-based ground stations, and the sensitivity to key error sources. This study also investigated whether GPS measurements could be used to augment Earth-based tracking data, and how far from the Earth GPS measurements would be useful. The ability to track and utilize weak GPS signals transmitted across the limb of the Earth is highly dependent on the configuration and sensitivity of the GPS receiver being used. For this study three GPS configurations were considered: a "standard" GPS receiver with zero dB antenna gain, a "weak signal" GPS receiver with zero dB antenna gain, and a "weak signal" GPS receiver with an Earth-pointing direction antenna (providing 10 dB additional gain). The analysis indicates that with proper selection and configuration of the GPS receiver on the Orion spacecraft, GPS can potentially improve navigation performance during the critical final phases of flight prior to Earth atmospheric entry interface, and may reduce reliance on two-way range tracking from Earth-based ground stations.

Balloon-borne air traffic management (ATM) as a precursor to space-based ATM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brodsky, Yuval; Rieber, Richard; Nordheim, Tom

2012-01-01

The International Space University—Balloon Air traffic control Technology Experiment (I-BATE ) has flown on board two stratospheric balloons and has tracked nearby aircraft by receiving their Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) transmissions. Air traffic worldwide is facing increasing congestion. It is predicted that daily European flight volumes will more than double by 2030 compared to 2009 volumes. ADS-B is an air traffic management system being used to mitigate air traffic congestion. Each aircraft is equipped with both a GPS receiver and an ADS-B transponder. The transponder transmits an equipped aircraft's unique identifier, position, heading, and velocity once per second. The ADS-B transmissions can then be received by ground stations for use in traditional air traffic management. Airspace not monitored by these ground stations or other traditional means remains uncontrolled and poorly monitored. A constellation of space-based ADS-B receivers could close these gaps and provide global air traffic monitoring. By flying an ADS-B receiver on a stratospheric balloon, I-BATE has served as a precursor to a constellation of ADS-B-equipped Earth-orbiting satellites. From the ˜30 km balloon altitude, I-BATE tracked aircraft ranging up to 850 km. The experiment has served as a proof of concept for space-based air traffic management and supports a technology readiness level 6 of space-based ADS-B reception. I-BATE: International Space University—Balloon Air traffic control Technology Experiment.

Static and quasi-static analysis of lobed-pumpkin balloon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakashino, Kyoichi; Sasaki, Makoto; Hashimoto, Satoshi; Saito, Yoshitaka; Izutsu, Naoki

The present study is motivated by the need to improve design methodology for super pressure balloon with 3D gore design concept, currently being developed at the Scientific Balloon Center of ISAS/JAXA. The distinctive feature of the 3-D gore design is that the balloon film has excess materials not only in the circumferential direction but also in the meridional direction; the meridional excess is gained by attaching the film boundaries to the corresponding tendons of a shorter length with a controlled shortening rate. The resulting balloon shape is a pumpkin-like shape with large bulges formed between adjacent tendons. The balloon film, when fully inflated, develops wrinkles in the circumferential direction over its entire region, so that the stresses in the film are limited to a small amount of uniaxial tension in the circumferential direction while the high meridional loads are carried by re-enforced tendons. Naturally, the amount of wrinkling in the film is dominated by the shortening rate between the film boundaries and the tendon curve. In the 3-D gore design, as a consequence, the shortening rate becomes a fundamental design parameter along with the geometric parameters of the gore. In view of this, we have carried out a series of numerical study of the lobed-pumpkin balloon with varying gore geometry as well as with varying shortening rate. The numerical simula-tions were carried out with a nonlinear finite element code incorporating the wrinkling effect. Numerical results show that there is a threshold value for the shortening rate beyond which the stresses in the balloon film increases disproportionately. We have also carried out quasi-static simulations of the inflation process of the lobed-pumpkin balloon, and have obtained asymmetric deformations when the balloon films are in uniaxial tension state.

A new stratospheric sounding platform based on unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) droppable from meteorological balloon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Efremov, Denis; Khaykin, Sergey; Lykov, Alexey; Berezhko, Yaroslav; Lunin, Aleksey

High-resolution measurements of climate-relevant trace gases and aerosols in the upper troposphere and stratosphere (UTS) have been and remain technically challenging. The high cost of measurements onboard airborne platforms or heavy stratospheric balloons results in a lack of accurate information on vertical distribution of atmospheric constituents. Whereas light-weight instruments carried by meteorological balloons are becoming progressively available, their usage is constrained by the cost of the equipment or the recovery operations. The evolving need in cost-efficient observations for UTS process studies has led to development of small airborne platforms - unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), capable of carrying small sensors for in-situ measurements. We present a new UAV-based stratospheric sounding platform capable of carrying scientific payload of up to 2 kg. The airborne platform comprises of a latex meteorological balloon and detachable flying wing type UAV with internal measurement controller. The UAV is launched on a balloon to stratospheric altitudes up to 20 km, where it can be automatically released by autopilot or by a remote command sent from the ground control. Having been released from the balloon the UAV glides down and returns to the launch position. Autopilot using 3-axis gyro, accelerometer, barometer, compas and GPS navigation provides flight stabilization and optimal way back trajectory. Backup manual control is provided for emergencies. During the flight the onboard measurement controller stores the data into internal memory and transmits current flight parameters to the ground station via telemetry. Precise operation of the flight control systems ensures safe landing at the launch point. A series of field tests of the detachable stratospheric UAV has been conducted. The scientific payload included the following instruments involved in different flights: a) stratospheric Lyman-alpha hygrometer (FLASH); b) backscatter sonde; c) electrochemical

The Micro-Instrumentation Package: A Solution to Lightweight Ballooning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Juneau, Jill

This paper discusses the design and testing of an over the horizon (OTH) light weight telemetry and termination system that can be used for small ballooning payloads. Currently, the Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility (CSBF) provides telemetry for the science payload by integrating one of two types of support packages. The type of support package integrated depends on whether the flight will stay in range of line of sight (LOS) or will exceed LOS requiring the use of over the horizon (OTH) telemetry. The weights of these systems range from 100 pounds to 350 pounds depending upon the use of redundant systems, equipment for high data rates, and batteries and/or solar panels for power requirements. These weight values are not as significant for larger payloads but can be crippling for smaller payloads. In addition, these support package systems are fairly expensive, placing a high importance on recovery. A lightweight and inexpensive telemetry system could be beneficial for various reasons. First, it would allow scientists to fly lightweight payloads on large balloons reaching even higher altitudes. Second, scientists could fly lightweight payloads on less expensive balloons such as meteorological balloons. Depending on the payload, these flights could be fairly inexpensive and even disposable. Third, a compact telemetry system on any balloon will free up more room for the science portion of the payload. In response, a compact telemetry/termination system called the Micro-Instrumentation Package (MIP) was developed. The MIP provides uplink and downlink communications, an interface to the science, housekeeping information including global positioning system (GPS) position, and relays. Instead of a power-hungry microprocessor, the MIP's central consists of a microcontroller. Microcontrollers are lower power, easily programmed, and can be purchased for less than ten dollars. For uplink and downlink telemetry, the MIP uses an LOS serial transceiver and an Iridium unit

Japanese Balloon Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoshida, Tetsuya; Fuke, Hideyuki; Shoji, Yasuhiro; Iijima, Issei; Izutsu, Naoki; Kato, Yoichi; Matsuzaka, Yukihiko; Mizuta, Eiichi; Sato, Takatoshi; Tamura, Keisuke; Saito, Yoshitaka; Kakehashi, Yuya

2012-07-01

Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency conducts domestic balloon campaigns at Taiki Aerospace Research Field (TARF) in Hokkaido since 2008. The ballooning at TARF becomes stable after four year operation. Because the field faces to the Pacific Ocean, heavy balloons and payloads can be launched safely using a very unique sliding launcher. Recoveries at the inshore along the Tokachi coast can be done very quickly and smoothly. Unfortunately, flight opportunities are recently limited due to unfriendly weather condition. Unstable Jet stream also prevents us to have so-called `boomerang flight' to achieve long flight duration more than several hours. Six balloon-borne experiments were carried out in 2010 and 2011. Three of them were demonstrations of challenges of space engineering, two were in-situ atmospheric observation, and one was the technical flight of new high-resolution γ-ray telescope. In addition to these flights, we carried out two launches for next generation balloons: one for Tawara-shaped superpressure balloon and the other for ultra-thin high-altitude balloon. In this paper, recent activities of the Japanese scientific balloon program will be introduced. On-going development of the balloon system will also be presented.

Catchment-scale snow depth monitoring with balloon photogrammetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Durand, M. T.; Li, D.; Wigmore, O.; Vanderjagt, B. J.; Molotch, N. P.; Bales, R. C.

2016-12-01

Field campaigns and permanent in-situ facilities provide extensive measurements of snowpack properties at catchment (or smaller) scales, and have consistently improved our understanding of snow processes and the estimation of snow water resources. However, snow depth, one of the most important snow states, has been measured almost entirely with discrete point-scale samplings in field measurements; spatiotemporally continuous snow depth measurements are nearly nonexistent, mainly due to the high cost of airborne flights and the ban of Unmanned Aerial Systems in many areas (e.g. in all the national parks). In this study, we estimate spatially continuous snow depth from photogrammetric reconstruction of aerial photos taken from a weather balloon. The study was conducted in a 0.2 km2 watershed in Wolverton, Sequoia National Park, California. We tied a point-and-shoot camera on a helium-inflated weather balloon to take aerial images; the camera was scripted to automatically capture images every 3 seconds and to record the camera position and orientation at the imaging times using a built-in GPS. With the 2D images of the snow-covered ground and the camera position and orientation data, the 3D coordinates of the snow surface were reconstructed at 10 cm resolution using photogrammetry software PhotoScan. Similar measurements were taken for the snow-free ground after snowmelt, and the snow depth was estimated from the difference between the snow-on and snow-off measurements. Comparing the photogrammetric-estimated snow depths with the 32 manually measured depths, taken at the same time as the snow-on balloon flight, we find the RMSE of the photogrammetric snow depth is 7 cm, which is 2% of the long-term peak snow depth in the study area. This study suggests that the balloon photogrammetry is a repeatable, economical, simple, and environmental-friendly method to continuously monitor snow at small-scales. Spatiotemporally continuous snow depth could be regularly measured in

Balloons and Science Kit.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Balloon Council, Washington, DC.

This document provides background information on balloons including: (1) the history of balloons; (2) balloon manufacturing; (3) biodegradability; (4) the fate of latex balloons; and (5) the effect of balloons on the rainforest and sea mammals. Also included as part of this instructional kit are four fun experiments that allow students to…

High-Altitude Balloon Launches and Hands-On Sensors for Effective Student Learning in Astronomy and STEM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voss, H. D.; Dailey, J.; Snyder, S. J.

2011-09-01

Students creating and flying experiments into near-space using a low-cost balloon High-Altitude Research Platform (HARP) greatly advance understanding in introductory astronomy and advanced classes across several disciplines. Remote sensing above 98% of the atmosphere using cameras, image intensifiers, IR, and UV sensors provides access to the heavens and large regions of the earth below. In situ and limb atmospheric gas measurements, near-space stratosphere measurements, and cosmic rays engage students in areas from planetary atmospheres to supernova acceleration. This new capability is possible by exposing students to recent advances in MEMS technology, nanotechnology, wireless telecommunication systems, GPS, DSPs and other microchip miniaturizations to build less than 4 kg payloads. The HARP program provides an engaging laboratory, gives challenging science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) field experiences, reaches students from diverse backgrounds, encourages collaboration among science faculty, and provides quantitative assessment of the learning outcomes. Over a seven-year period, Taylor University, an undergraduate liberal arts school, has successfully launched over 230 HARP systems to altitudes over 30 km (100% retrieval success with rapid recovery) with flight times between two and six hours. The HARP payloads included two GPS tracking systems, cameras and monitors, a 110 kbit down link, an uplink command capability for educational experiments (K-12 and undergraduate). Launches were conducted during the day and night, with multiple balloons, with up to 10 payloads for experiments, and under varying weather and upper atmospheric conditions. The many launches in a short period of time allowed the payload bus design to evolve toward increased performance, reliability, standardization, simplicity, and modularity for low-cost launch services. Through NSF and NASA grants, the program has expanded, leading to representatives from more than 52

GHOST balloons around Antarctica

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stearns, Charles R.

1988-01-01

The GHOST balloon position as a function of time data shows that the atmospheric circulation around the Antarctic Continent at the 100 mb and 200 mb levels is complex. The GHOST balloons supposedly follow the horizontal trajectory of the air at the balloon level. The position of GHOST balloon 98Q for a three month period in 1968 is shown. The balloon moved to within 2 deg of the South Pole on 1 October 1968 and then by 9 December 1968 was 35 deg from the South Pole and close to its position on 1 September 1968. The balloon generally moved from west to east but on two occasions moved in the opposite direction for a few days. The latitude of GHOST balloons 98Q and 149Z which was at 200 mb is given. Both balloons tended to get closer to the South Pole in September and October. Other GHOST balloons at the same pressure and time period may not indicate similar behavior.

Method of steering the gain of a multiple antenna global positioning system receiver

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evans, Alan G.; Hermann, Bruce R.

1992-06-01

A method for steering the gain of a multiple antenna Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver toward a plurality of a GPS satellites simultaneously is provided. The GPS signals of a known wavelength are processed digitally for a particular instant in time. A range difference or propagation delay between each antenna for GPS signals received from each satellite is first resolved. The range difference consists of a fractional wavelength difference and an integer wavelength difference. The fractional wavelength difference is determined by each antenna's tracking loop. The integer wavelength difference is based upon the known wavelength and separation between each antenna with respect to each satellite position. The range difference is then used to digitally delay the GPS signals at each antenna with respect to a reference antenna. The signal at the reference antenna is then summed with the digitally delayed signals to generate a composite antenna gain. The method searches for the correct number of integer wavelengths to maximize the composite gain. The range differences are also used to determine the attitude of the array.

INTEGRATED INS/GPS NAVIGATION FROM A POPULAR PERSPECTIVE

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2002-02-13

Inertial navigation, blended with other navigation aids Global Positioning System (GPS) in particular, has gained significance due to enhanced navigation and inertial reference performance and dissimilarity for fault tolerance and anti-jamming. Relat...

BENIGN IDIOPATHIC ESOPHAGEAL STRICTURE IN A LION ( PANTHERA LEO): DILATION BY AN ACHALASIA BALLOON.

PubMed

Ayala, Ignacio; Laredo, Francisco; Escobar; Alberca, Fernando

2018-03-01

A 1-yr old female lion ( Panthera leo) was referred with a 10-mo history of dysphagia for solid food (meat), episodic regurgitation, and poor weight gain. Esophagoscopy confirmed an esophagitis (midesophagus) and a stricture estimated to be of 13 mm diameter. This was subsequently dilated using a 20-mm-diameter balloon for 2 min followed by a 35-mm achalasia balloon for 3 min. The etiology remains undetermined in spite of a thorough history. The animal progressed satisfactorily, reaching 124 kg after 1 yr and has had no further signs. To the authors' knowledge, neither idiopathic esophageal stricture nor dilation using an achalasia balloon has been reported in Panthera spp.

High-Altitude Balloon Launches for Effective Education, Inspiration and Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voss, H. D.; Dailey, J.; Patterson, D.; Krueger, J.

2006-12-01

Over a three-year period the Taylor University Science Research Training Program (SRTP) has successfully launched and recovered 33 sophisticated payloads to altitudes between 20-33 km (100% success with rapid recovery). All of the payloads included two GPS tracking systems, cameras and monitors, a 110 kbit down link, and uplink command capability for educational experiments (K-12 and undergrad) and nanosatellite subsystem testing. Launches were conducted both day and night, with multiple balloons, with up to 10 experiment boxes, and under varying weather and upper atmospheric conditions. The many launches in a short period of time allowed the payload bus design to evolve toward increased performance, reliability, standardization, simplicity, and modularity for low-cost launch services. The current design uses a Zigbee wireless connection (50 kbaud rate) for each of the payload experiment boxes for rapid assembly and checkout with a common interface board for gathering analog and digital data and for commanding. Common data from each box is processed and displayed using modular LabView software. The use of balloons for active research (ozone, aerosols, cosmic rays. UV, IR, remote sensing, energy, propulsion) significantly invigorates and motivates student development, drives team schedule, uncovers unexpected problems, permits end-to-end closure, and forces calibration and validation of real data. The SRTP has helped to spin off a student company called StratoStar Systems for providing an affordable low-cost balloon launch service capability, insurance plan, and other technical assistance for scientific, industrial and STEM educational use.

A method for sampling microbial aerosols using high altitude balloons.

PubMed

Bryan, N C; Stewart, M; Granger, D; Guzik, T G; Christner, B C

2014-12-01

Owing to the challenges posed to microbial aerosol sampling at high altitudes, very little is known about the abundance, diversity, and extent of microbial taxa in the Earth-atmosphere system. To directly address this knowledge gap, we designed, constructed, and tested a system that passively samples aerosols during ascent through the atmosphere while tethered to a helium-filled latex sounding balloon. The sampling payload is ~ 2.7 kg and comprised of an electronics box and three sampling chambers (one serving as a procedural control). Each chamber is sealed with retractable doors that can be commanded to open and close at designated altitudes. The payload is deployed together with radio beacons that transmit GPS coordinates (latitude, longitude and altitude) in real time for tracking and recovery. A cut mechanism separates the payload string from the balloon at any desired altitude, returning all equipment safely to the ground on a parachute. When the chambers are opened, aerosol sampling is performed using the Rotorod® collection method (40 rods per chamber), with each rod passing through 0.035 m3 per km of altitude sampled. Based on quality control measurements, the collection of ~ 100 cells rod(-1) provided a 3-sigma confidence level of detection. The payload system described can be mated with any type of balloon platform and provides a tool for characterizing the vertical distribution of microorganisms in the troposphere and stratosphere. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ballooning Comes of Age: Make Your Own Balloon.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eckford, Jim

1983-01-01

Provides instructions for building a working model of a hot-air balloon, offering suggestions for a successful flight. Indicates that children can be involved in the projects, for example, by filling in colors in the panels of a balloon drawing. (JN)

New Heights with High-Altitude Balloon Launches for Effective Student Learning and Environmental Awareness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voss, H. D.; Dailey, J. F.; Takehara, D.; Krueger, J. M.

2009-12-01

Over a seven-year period Taylor University, an undergraduate liberal art school, has successfully launched and recovered over 200 sophisticated student payloads to altitudes between 20-33 km (100% success with rapid recovery) with flight times between 2 to 6 hrs. All of the payloads included two GPS tracking systems, cameras and monitors, a 110 kbit down link, an uplink command capability for educational experiments (K-12 and undergrad). Launches were conducted during the day and night, with multiple balloons, with up to 10 payloads for experiments, and under varying weather and upper atmospheric conditions. The many launches in a short period of time allowed the payload bus design to evolve toward increased performance, reliability, standardization, simplicity, and modularity for low-cost launch services. Through NSF and NASA grants, the program has expanded leading to over 50 universities trained at workshops to implement high altitude balloon launches in the classroom. A spin-off company (StraoStar Systems LLC) now sells the high-altitude balloon system and facilitates networking between schools. This high-altitude balloon program helps to advance knowledge and understanding across disciplines by giving students and faculty rapid and low-cost access to earth/ecology remote sensing from high altitude, insitu and limb atmospheric measurements, near-space stratosphere measurements, and IR/UV/cosmic ray access to the heavens. This new capability is possible by exposing students to recent advances in MEMS technology, nanotechnology, wireless telecommunication systems, GPS, DSPs and other microchip miniaturizations to build < 4 kg payloads. The high-altitude balloon program provides an engaging laboratory, gives challenging field experiences, reaches students from diverse backgrounds, encourages collaboration among science faculty, and provides quantitative assessment of the learning outcomes. Furthermore this program has generated many front page news reports along

Energy from solar balloons

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Grena, Roberto

2010-04-15

Solar balloons are hot air balloons in which the air is heated directly by the sun, by means of a black absorber. The lift force of a tethered solar balloon can be used to produce energy by activating a generator during the ascending motion of the balloon. The hot air is then discharged when the balloon reaches a predefined maximum height. A preliminary study is presented, along with an efficiency estimation and some considerations on possible realistic configurations. (author)

Maximizing Lumen Gain With Directional Atherectomy.

PubMed

Stanley, Gregory A; Winscott, John G

2016-08-01

To describe the use of a low-pressure balloon inflation (LPBI) technique to delineate intraluminal plaque and guide directional atherectomy in order to maximize lumen gain and achieve procedure success. The technique is illustrated in a 77-year-old man with claudication who underwent superficial femoral artery revascularization using a HawkOne directional atherectomy catheter. A standard angioplasty balloon was inflated to 1 to 2 atm during live fluoroscopy to create a 3-dimensional "lumenogram" of the target lesion. Directional atherectomy was performed only where plaque impinged on the balloon at a specific fluoroscopic orientation. The results of the LPBI technique were corroborated with multimodality diagnostic imaging, including digital subtraction angiography, intravascular ultrasound, and intra-arterial pressure measurements. With the LPBI technique, directional atherectomy can routinely achieve <10% residual stenosis, as illustrated in this case, thereby broadly supporting a no-stent approach to lower extremity endovascular revascularization. © The Author(s) 2016.

Constant volume balloons measurements in the urban Marseille and Fos-Berre industrial ozone plumes during ESCOMPTE experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bénech, Bruno; Ezcurra, Agustin; Lothon, Marie; Saïd, Frédérique; Campistron, Bernard; Lohou, Fabienne; Durand, Pierre

ESCOMPTE programme aims at studying the emissions of primary pollutants in industrial and urban areas, their transport, diffusion and transformation in the atmosphere. This experiment, carried out in southeast France, can be used to validate and to improve meteorological and chemical mesoscale models. One major goal of this experiment was to follow the pollutant plumes, and to investigate its thermodynamic and physico-chemical time evolution. This was realized by means of constant volume balloons, located by global position satellite (GPS) and equipped with thermodynamic and ozone sensors, flying at constant density levels. During the two ESCOMPTE campaigns that took place in June and July 2000 and 2001, 40 balloons were launched, 17 of them equipped with ozone sensors during the day from 0800 to 1800 UTC. Balloons' altitudes flight levels ranged between 400 and 1200 m altitude with Mistral (northerly synoptic flow) and Sea Breeze (southerly breeze) conditions. The atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) topography of the experimental domain is complex and varies strongly from day to day. Its depth presents a large gradient from the sea coast to the north part of the ESCOMPTE domain, and also more complex variability within the domain. The balloons' trajectories describe the evolution of the pollutant plume emitted from the industrial area of Fos-Berre or from the Marseille urban area. Constant volume balloons give a good description of the trajectories of these two plumes. The balloons, which fly at an isopicnic level, cross different atmospheric layers chiefly depending on the ABL height in relation with the constant volume balloons flight level. Thus, each balloon flight is decomposed into different segments that correspond to the same atmospheric layer. In each segment, the ozone content variation is analyzed in relation to other thermodynamical parameters measured by the balloon and mainly to the vapor mixing ratio content. During ESCOMPTE campaign, the mean linear

Palliative balloon dilation of pulmonic stenosis in a dog with tetralogy of Fallot.

PubMed

Weder, C; Ames, M; Kellihan, H; Bright, J; Orton, C

2016-09-01

A 6-month-old Beagle with tetralogy of Fallot underwent balloon valvuloplasty of the pulmonary valve. Balloon valvuloplasty was successful and resulted in palliation of clinical signs and an improved quality of life for approximately 9 months. After 9 months, the dog became symptomatic and a modified Blalock-Taussig shunt procedure was successfully performed. Based on this report, balloon valvuloplasty in dogs with tetralogy of Fallot appears to be a feasible technique that may result in improvement of clinical signs. In addition, it may allow for the delay of the more invasive surgical palliation and provide time for weight gain and development of the pulmonary vascular bed for greater ease of surgical shunt creation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Single balloon versus double balloon bipedicular kyphoplasty: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Jing, Zehao; Dong, Jianli; Li, Zhengwei; Nan, Feng

2018-06-19

Kyphoplasty has been widely used to treat vertebral compression fractures (VCFs). In standard procedure of kyphoplasty, two balloons were inserted into the vertebral body through bipedicular and inflated simultaneously, while using a single balloon two times is also a common method in clinic to lessen the financial burden of patients. However, the effect and safety of single balloon versus double balloon bipedicular kyphoplasty are still controversy. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, eligible studies were identified through a comprehensive literature search of PubMed, Cochrane library EMBASE, Web of Science, Wanfang, CNKI, VIP and CBM until January 1, 2018. Results from individual studies were pooled using a random or fixed effects model. Seven articles were included in the systematic review and five studies were consisted in meta-analysis. We observed no significant difference between single balloon and double balloon bipedicular kyphoplasty in visual analog scale (VAS), angle (kyphotic angle and Cobb angle), consumption (operation time, cement volume and volume of bleeding), vertebral height (anterior height, medium height and posterior height) and complications (cement leakage and new VCFs), while the cost of single balloon bipedicular kyphoplasty is lower than that of double balloon bipedicular kyphoplasty. The results of our meta-analysis also demonstrated that single balloon can significantly improve the VAS, angle and vertebral height of patients suffering from VCFs. This systematic review and meta-analysis collectively concludes that single balloon bipedicular kyphoplasty is as effective as double balloon bipedicular kyphoplasty in improving clinical symptoms, deformity and complications of VCFs but not so expensive. These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material.

Balloon Design Software

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Farley, Rodger

2007-01-01

PlanetaryBalloon Version 5.0 is a software package for the design of meridionally lobed planetary balloons. It operates in a Windows environment, and programming was done in Visual Basic 6. By including the effects of circular lobes with load tapes, skin mass, hoop and meridional stress, and elasticity in the structural elements, a more accurate balloon shape of practical construction can be determined as well as the room-temperature cut pattern for the gore shapes. The computer algorithm is formulated for sizing meridionally lobed balloons for any generalized atmosphere or planet. This also covers zero-pressure, over-pressure, and super-pressure balloons. Low circumferential loads with meridionally reinforced load tapes will produce shapes close to what are known as the "natural shape." The software allows for the design of constant angle, constant radius, or constant hoop stress balloons. It uses the desired payload capacity for given atmospheric conditions and determines the required volume, allowing users to design exactly to their requirements. The formulations are generalized to use any lift gas (or mixture of gases), any atmosphere, or any planet as described by the local acceleration of gravity. PlanetaryBalloon software has a comprehensive user manual that covers features ranging from, but not limited to, buoyancy and super-pressure, convenient design equations, shape formulation, and orthotropic stress/strain.

Balloon-occluded Retrograde Transvenous Obliteration (BRTO): Technique and Intraprocedural Imaging

PubMed Central

Sabri, Saher S.; Saad, Wael E. A.

2011-01-01

Balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration (BRTO) is an endovascular technique used as a therapeutic adjunct or alternative to transjugular intrahepatic shunts (TIPS) in the management of gastric varices. Occlusion balloons are strategically placed to modulate flow within the gastrorenal or gastrocaval shunt to allow stagnation of the sclerosant material within the gastric varix. The approach and complexity of the procedure depends on the anatomic classification of inflow and outflow veins of the varix. Ethanolamine oleate has been described as the main sclerosant used in this procedure. Recently, foam sclerosants have gained popularity as alternative embolization agents, which provide the advantage of better variceal wall contact and potentially less dose of sclerosant. PMID:22942548

Estimating Effects of Multipath Propagation on GPS Signals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Byun, Sung; Hajj, George; Young, Lawrence

2005-01-01

Multipath Simulator Taking into Account Reflection and Diffraction (MUSTARD) is a computer program that simulates effects of multipath propagation on received Global Positioning System (GPS) signals. MUSTARD is a very efficient means of estimating multipath-induced position and phase errors as functions of time, given the positions and orientations of GPS satellites, the GPS receiver, and any structures near the receiver as functions of time. MUSTARD traces each signal from a GPS satellite to the receiver, accounting for all possible paths the signal can take, including all paths that include reflection and/or diffraction from surfaces of structures near the receiver and on the satellite. Reflection and diffraction are modeled by use of the geometrical theory of diffraction. The multipath signals are added to the direct signal after accounting for the gain of the receiving antenna. Then, in a simulation of a delay-lock tracking loop in the receiver, the multipath-induced range and phase errors as measured by the receiver are estimated. All of these computations are performed for both right circular polarization and left circular polarization of both the L1 (1.57542-GHz) and L2 (1.2276-GHz) GPS signals.

1DVAR Analysis of Temperature and Humidity Using GPS Radio Occultation Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Poli, Paul; Joiner, Joanna; Kursinski, Robert

2000-01-01

The Global Positioning System enables positioning in 3 dimensions about our planet. It has been operational since 1994. Twenty-four satellites are used to aclile\\,e this performance. The signals sent by these satellites are electromagnetic waves travelling through our atmosphere down to the small receivers used by the civilian community and the military. Because of varying meteorological conditions (namely, temperature and humidity changes along the ray path), the rays do not travel in a straight line. They bend towards the surface. As a consequence, the ray path between two points is longer than a straight line, and the time it takes for a signal to travel this distance is longer. In 1995, a small GPS receiver was launched on a satellite (GPS/MET). It become possible to perform radio occultations around the Earth: the source - one of the 24 GPS satellites - is seen by the receiver as it rises or sets around the other side of the Earth. When the source disappears, the receiver progressively loses the signals. By measuring accurately the time delay between the emission and the reception of the signal, it is possible to infer which part of the delay is due to the atmosphere. We use GPS/MET data to retrieve temperature and humidity profiles simultaneously. A specific method is implemented: it combines information from numerical forecasts and GPS observations in an optimal way. Comparing the result with an independent source of observations (weather balloons), we demonstrate that GPS data have the potential to improve weather analyses. We also show that improved temperature and humidity profiles can be obtained using information from a forecast model. This confirms results obtained in this study using simulated data.

Cutting Balloon Angioplasty in the Treatment of Short Infrapopliteal Bifurcation Disease.

PubMed

Iezzi, Roberto; Posa, Alessandro; Santoro, Marco; Nestola, Massimiliano; Contegiacomo, Andrea; Tinelli, Giovanni; Paolini, Alessandra; Flex, Andrea; Pitocco, Dario; Snider, Francesco; Bonomo, Lorenzo

2015-08-01

To evaluate the safety, feasibility, and effectiveness of cutting balloon angioplasty in the management of infrapopliteal bifurcation disease. Between November 2010 and March 2013, 23 patients (mean age 69.6±9.01 years, range 56-89; 16 men) suffering from critical limb ischemia were treated using cutting balloon angioplasty (single cutting balloon, T-shaped double cutting balloon, or double kissing cutting balloon technique) for 47 infrapopliteal artery bifurcation lesions (16 popliteal bifurcation and 9 tibioperoneal bifurcation) in 25 limbs. Follow-up consisted of clinical examination and duplex ultrasonography at 1 month and every 3 months thereafter. All treatments were technically successful. No 30-day death or adverse events needing treatment were registered. No flow-limiting dissection was observed, so no stent implantation was necessary. The mean postprocedure minimum lumen diameter and acute gain were 0.28±0.04 and 0.20±0.06 cm, respectively, with a residual stenosis of 0.04±0.02 cm. Primary and secondary patency rates were estimated as 89.3% and 93.5% at 6 months and 77.7% and 88.8% at 12 months, respectively; 1-year primary and secondary patency rates of the treated bifurcation were 74.2% and 87.0%, respectively. The survival rate estimated by Kaplan-Meier analysis was 82.5% at 1 year. Cutting balloon angioplasty seems to be a safe and effective tool in the routine treatment of short/ostial infrapopliteal bifurcation lesions, avoiding procedure-related complications, overcoming the limitations of conventional angioplasty, and improving the outcome of catheter-based therapy. © The Author(s) 2015.

Balloon dilatation of benign and malignant esophageal strictures. Blind retrograde balloon dilatation.

PubMed

Graham, D Y; Smith, J L

1985-06-01

Balloon esophageal dilatation offers many theoretical advantages (safety, speed, and patient comfort) over dilatation with mercury-filled bougies or with the Eder-Puestow system. The authors used balloon dilators in 22 patients with dysphagia secondary to benign or malignant strictures. Dilatation was performed with fluoroscopic guidance, blindly, or by a combination of these techniques. For "blind" stricture dilatation, an Eder-Puestow spring-tipped guide wire is placed into the stomach using a fiberoptic endoscope. The distance from the incisor teeth to the stricture is measured, and the balloon shaft is marked to indicate when the middle of the balloon is within the stricture. Dilatation is then performed using the antegrade or, the preferred, retrograde technique. Finally, the dilated stricture is calibrated by pulling an inflated balloon through the previously strictured area without difficulty. An attempt was made to achieve an esophageal diameter of 15 mm at the initial dilatation episode, and patient discomfort was used as a guide as to the final diameter. The balloon dilatation technique was highly successful, and a stricture diameter of 15 mm (45-47 French) was achieved at the initial dilatation in most instances. Malignant strictures were easily dilated. Balloon dilatation is convenient, effective, quick, and potentially safer than the previous Eder-Puestow or mercury-filled bougie techniques.

Onyx embolization using dual-lumen balloon catheter: initial experience and technical note.

PubMed

Paramasivam, Srinivasan; Niimi, Yasunari; Fifi, Johanna; Berenstein, Alejandro

2013-10-01

Onyx as an embolization agent for the management of vascular malformation is well established. We report our initial experience with dimethyl-sulphoxide (DMSO) compatible double lumen balloon catheters used for Onyx embolization. Between December 2011 and March 2013, we treated 22 patients aged between 1.5 to 70years with two types of DMSO compatible dual-lumen balloon catheters (Scepter C and Ascent) to treat dural arteriovenous fistulas, brain arteriovenous malformation (AVM) with dural feeders, mandibular, facial, lingual, vertebral and paravertebral AVMs. The catheter has good navigability, compliant balloon on inflation formed a "plug" that has more resistance than Onyx plug enhancing better penetration. During injection, the balloon remained stable without spontaneous deflation or rupture and withstood the pressure build-up well. The retrieval of the catheter in most cases took less than a minute (19/28) while in five, it was less than five minutes and in the remaining four, it was longer that includes a trapped catheter on prolonged attempted retrieval resulted in an epidural hematoma, requiring emergent surgical evacuation. The fluoroscopy time is reduced, as we do not form a proximal onyx plug, the injection time is shorter along with easy and instantaneous removal of the catheter after balloon deflation in most cases. Dual-lumen balloon catheter Onyx embolization is a safe and effective technique. Currently, an important tool to circumvent some of the shortcomings associated with Onyx embolization. The catheter has good navigability, the balloon has stability, tolerance, enhances penetrability. It is easy to retrieve the microcatheter. With the experience gained, and with more compliant balloon catheters available, this technique can be applied to cerebral vessels in near future. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

Scientific Balloons for Venus Exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cutts, James; Yavrouian, Andre; Nott, Julian; Baines, Kevin; Limaye, Sanjay; Wilson, Colin; Kerzhanovich, Viktor; Voss, Paul; Hall, Jeffery

Almost 30 years ago, two balloons were successfully deployed into the atmosphere of Venus as an element of the VeGa - Venus Halley mission conducted by the Soviet Union. As interest in further Venus exploration grows among the established planetary exploration agencies - in Europe, Japan, Russia and the United States, use of balloons is emerging as an essential part of that investigative program. Venus balloons have been proposed in NASA’s Discovery program and ESA’s cosmic vision program and are a key element in NASA’s strategic plan for Venus exploration. At JPL, the focus for the last decade has been on the development of a 7m diameter superpressure pressure(twice that of VeGa) capable of carrying a 100 kg payload (14 times that of VeGA balloons), operating for more than 30 days (15 times the 2 day flight duration of the VeGa balloons) and transmitting up to 20 Mbit of data (300 times that of VeGa balloons). This new generation of balloons must tolerate day night transitions on Venus as well as extended exposure to the sulfuric acid environment. These constant altitude balloons operating at an altitude of about 55 km on Venus where temperatures are benign can also deploy sondes to sound the atmosphere beneath the probe and deliver deep sondes equipped to survive and operate down to the surface. The technology for these balloons is now maturing rapidly and we are now looking forward to the prospects for altitude control balloons that can cycle repeatedly through the Venus cloud region. One concept, which has been used for tropospheric profiling in Antarctica, is the pumped-helium balloon, with heritage to the anchor balloon, and would be best adapted for flight above the 55 km level. Phase change balloons, which use the atmosphere as a heat engine, can be used to investigate the lower cloud region down to 30 km. Progress in components for high temperature operation may also enable investigation of the deep atmosphere of Venus with metal-based balloons.

Development And Test of A Digitally Steered Antenna Array for The Navigator GPS Receiver

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pinto, Heitor David; Valdez, Jennifer E.; Winternitz, Luke M. B.; Hassouneh, Munther A.; Price, Samuel R.

2012-01-01

Global Positioning System (GPS)-based navigation has become common for low-Earth orbit spacecraft as the signal environment is similar to that on the Earth s surface. The situation changes abruptly, however, for spacecraft whose orbital altitudes exceed that of the GPS constellation. Visibility is dramatically reduced and signals that are present may be very weak and more susceptible to interference. GPS receivers effective at these altitudes require increased sensitivity, which often requires a high-gain antenna. Pointing such an antenna can pose a challenge. One efficient approach to mitigate these problems is the use of a digitally steered antenna array. Such an antenna can optimally allocate gain toward desired signal sources and away from interferers. This paper presents preliminary results in the development and test of a digitally steered antenna array for the Navigator GPS research program at NASA s Goddard Space Flight Center. In particular, this paper highlights the development of an array and front-end electronics, the development and test of a real-time software GPS receiver, and implementation of three beamforming methods for combining the signals from the array. Additionally, this paper discusses the development of a GPS signal simulator which produces digital samples of the GPS L1C/A signals as they would be received by an arbitrary antenna array configuration. The simulator models transmitter and receiver dynamics, near-far and multipath interference, and has been a critical component in both the development and test of the GPS receiver. The GPS receiver system was tested with real and simulated GPS signals. Preliminary results show that performance improvement was achieved in both the weak signal and interference environments, matching analytical predictions. This paper summarizes our initial findings and discusses the advantages and limitations of the antenna array and the various beamforming methods.

A New Type of Captive Balloon for Vertical Meteorological Observation in Urban Area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakamura, M.; Sakai, S.; Ono, K.

2010-12-01

Many meteorological observations in urban area have been made in recent years in order to investigate the mechanism of heat island. However, there are few data of cooling process in urban area. For this purpose, high density observations in both space and time are required. Generally vertical meteorological observations can be made by towers, radars, balloons. These methods are limited by urban area conditions. Among these methods, a captive balloon is mainly used to about a hundred meter from ground in a vertical meteorological observation. Small airships called kytoons or advertising balloons, for example. Conventional balloons are, however, influenced by the wind and difficult to keep the specified position. Moreover, it can be dangerous to conduct such observations in the highly build-up area. To overcome these difficulties, we are developing a new type of captive balloon. It has a wing form to gain lift and keep its position. It is also designed small to be kept in a carport. It is made of aluminum film and polyester cloth in order to attain lightweight solution. We have tried floating a balloon like NACA4424 for several years. It was difficult to keep a wing form floating up over 100 meters from ground because internal pressure was decreased by different temperature. The design is changed in this year. The balloon that has wing form NACA4415 is similar in composition to an airplane. It has a big gasbag with airship form and two wing form. It is able to keep form of a wing by high internal pressure. We will report a plan for the balloon and instances of some observations.

Scientific Ballooning Activities and Recent Developments in Technology and Instrumentation of the TIFR Balloon Facility, Hyderabad

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buduru, Suneel Kumar

2016-07-01

The Balloon Facility of Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR-BF) is a unique center of expertise working throughout the year to design, fabricate and launch scientific balloons mainly for space astronomy, atmospheric science and engineering experiments. Recently TIFR-BF extended its support to new user scientists for conducting balloon launches for biological and middle atmospheric sciences. For the first time two balloon launches conducted for sending live lab rats to upper stratosphere and provided launch support for different balloon campaigns such as Tropical Tropopause Dynamics (TTD) to study water vapour content in upper tropospheric and lower stratospheric regions over Hyderabad and the other balloon campaign to study the Asian Tropopause Aerosol Layer (BATAL) during the Indian summer monsoon season. BATAL is the first campaign to conduct balloon launches during active (South-West) monsoon season using zero pressure balloons of different volumes. TIFR-BF also provided zero pressure and sounding balloon support to various research institutes and organizations in India and for several international space projects. In this paper, we present details on our increased capability of balloon fabrication for carrying heavier payloads, development of high strength balloon load tapes and recent developments of flight control and safety systems. A summary of the various flights conducted in two years will be presented along with the future ballooning plans.

Telescope Systems for Balloon-Borne Research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Swift, C. (Editor); Witteborn, F. C. (Editor); Shipley, A. (Editor)

1974-01-01

The proceedings of a conference on the use of balloons for scientific research are presented. The subjects discussed include the following: (1) astronomical observations with balloon-borne telescopes, (2) orientable, stabilized balloon-borne gondola for around-the-world flights, (3) ultraviolet stellar spectrophotometry from a balloon platform, (4) infrared telescope for balloon-borne infrared astronomy, and (5) stabilization, pointing, and command control of balloon-borne telescopes.

Status of the NASA Balloon Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Needleman, H. C.; Nock, R. S.; Bawcom, D. W.

1993-02-01

In the early 1980's the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Balloon Program was faced with a problem of catastrophic balloon failures. In 1986 a balloon recovery program was initiated. This program included qualification of new balloon films, and investigations into materials, processing, structures and performance of balloons. This recovery program has been very successful. To date, more than 100 balloons manufactured of newly developed films have been flown with unprecedented success. There has been much progress made across the spectrum of balloon related disciplines. A new design philosophy has been developed and is being used for all NASA balloons. An updated balloon reliability and quality assurance program is in effect. The long duration balloon development project has been initiated with the first flight test having been conducted in December 1989 from Antarctica. A comprehensive research and development (R&D) effort has been initiated and is progressing well. The progress, status and future plans for these and other aspects of the NASA program, along with a description of the comprehensive balloon R&D activity, will be presented.

GPS Tomography: Water Vapour Monitoring for Germany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bender, Michael; Dick, Galina; Wickert, Jens; Raabe, Armin

2010-05-01

Ground based GPS atmosphere sounding provides numerous atmospheric quantities with a high temporal resolution for all weather conditions. The spatial resolution of the GPS observations is mainly given by the number of GNSS satellites and GPS ground stations. The latter could considerably be increased in the last few years leading to more reliable and better resolved GPS products. New techniques such as the GPS water vapour tomography gain increased significance as data from large and dense GPS networks become available. The GPS tomography has the potential to provide spatially resolved fields of different quantities operationally, i. e. the humidity or wet refractivity as required for meteorological applications or the refraction index which is important for several space based observations or for precise positioning. The number of German GPS stations operationally processed by the GFZ in Potsdam was recently enlarged to more than 300. About 28000 IWV observations and more than 1.4 millions of slant total delay data are now available per day with a temporal resolution of 15 min and 2.5 min, respectively. The extended network leads not only to a higher spatial resolution of the tomographically reconstructed 3D fields but also to a much higher stability of the inversion process and with that to an increased quality of the results. Under these improved conditions the GPS tomography can operate continuously over several days or weeks without applying too tight constraints. Time series of tomographically reconstructed humidity fields will be shown and different initialisation strategies will be discussed: Initialisation with a simple exponential profile, with a 3D humidity field extrapolated from synoptic observations and with the result of the preceeding reconstruction. The results are compared to tomographic reconstructions initialised with COSMO-DE analyses and to the corresponding model fields. The inversion can be further stabilised by making use of independent

Detecting Seismic Infrasound Signals on Balloon Platforms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krishnamoorthy, S.; Komjathy, A.; Cutts, J. A.; Pauken, M.; Garcia, R.; Mimoun, D.; Jackson, J. M.; Kedar, S.; Smrekar, S. E.; Hall, J. L.

2017-12-01

The determination of the interior structure of a planet requires detailed seismic investigations - a process that entails the detection and characterization of seismic waves due to geological activities (e.g., earthquakes, volcanoes, etc.). For decades, this task has primarily been performed on Earth by an ever-expanding network of terrestrial seismic stations. However, on planets such as Venus, where the surface pressure and temperature can reach as high as 90 atmospheres and 450 degrees Celsius respectively, placing seismometers on the planet's surface poses a vexing technological challenge. However, the upper layers of the Venusian atmosphere are more benign and capable of hosting geophysical payloads for longer mission lifetimes. In order to achieve the aim of performing geophysical experiments from an atmospheric platform, JPL and its partners (ISAE-SUPAERO and California Institute of Technology) are in the process of developing technologies for detection of infrasonic waves generated by earthquakes from a balloon. The coupling of seismic energy into the atmosphere critically depends on the density differential between the surface of the planet and the atmosphere. Therefore, the successful demonstration of this technique on Earth would provide ample reason to expect success on Venus, where the atmospheric impedance is approximately 60 times that of Earth. In this presentation, we will share results from the first set of Earth-based balloon experiments performed in Pahrump, Nevada in June 2017. These tests involved the generation of artificial sources of known intensity using a seismic hammer and their detection using a complex network of sensors, including highly sensitive micro-barometers suspended from balloons, GPS receivers, geophones, microphones, and seismometers. This experiment was the first of its kind and was successful in detecting infrasonic waves from the earthquakes generated by the seismic hammer. We will present the first comprehensive analysis

The National Scientific Balloon Facility. [balloon launching capabilities of ground facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kubara, R. S.

1974-01-01

The establishment and operation of the National Scientific Balloon Facility are discussed. The balloon launching capabilities are described. The ground support systems, communication facilities, and meteorological services are analyzed.

Investigation of hot air balloon fatalities.

PubMed

McConnell, T S; Smialek, J E; Capron, R G

1985-04-01

The rising popularity of the sport of hot air ballooning has been accompanied by several recent incidents, both in this country and other parts of the world, where mechanical defects and the improper operation of balloons have resulted in several fatalities. A study was conducted to identify the location and frequency of hot air ballooning accidents. Furthermore, the study attempted to identify those accidents that were the result of improper handling on the part of the balloon operators and those that were related to specific defects in the construction of the balloon. This paper presents a background of the sport of hot air ballooning, together with an analysis of the construction of a typical hot air balloon, pointing out the specific areas where defects may occur that could result in a potential fatal balloon crash. Specific attention is given to the two recent balloon crashes that occurred in Albuquerque, N.M., hot air balloon capital of the world, and that resulted in multiple fatalities.

A comparative study of internally and externally capped balloons using small scale test balloons

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bell, Douglas P.

1994-01-01

Caps have been used to structurally reinforce scientific research balloons since the late 1950's. The scientific research balloons used by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) use internal caps. A NASA cap placement specification does not exist since no empirical information exisits concerning cap placement. To develop a cap placement specification, NASA has completed two in-hangar inflation tests comparing the structural contributions of internal caps and external caps. The tests used small scale test balloons designed to develop the highest possible stresses within the constraints of the hangar and balloon materials. An externally capped test balloon and an internally capped test balloon were designed, built, inflated and simulated to determine the structural contributions and benefits of each. The results of the tests and simulations are presented.

Balloons Revisited

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jeskova, Z.; Featonby, D.; Fekova, V.

2012-01-01

Whilst everyone is familiar with the process of blowing up a balloon, few of us have gone further to quantify the actual pressures involved at different stages in the inflation process. This paper seeks to describe experiments to fill some of those gaps and examine some of the apparently anomalous behaviour of connected balloons. (Contains 12…

Unmanned powered balloons

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Korn, A. O.

1975-01-01

In the late 1960's several governmental agencies sponsored efforts to develop unmanned, powered balloon systems for scientific experimentation and military operations. Some of the programs resulted in hardware and limited flight tests; others, to date, have not progressed beyond the paper study stage. Balloon system designs, materials, propulsion units and capabilities are briefly described, and critical problem areas are pointed out which require further study in order to achieve operational powered balloon systems capable of long duration flight at high altitudes.

Microcontroller uses in Long-Duration Ballooning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, Joseph

This paper discusses how microcontrollers are being utilized to fulfill the demands of long duration ballooning (LDB) and the advantages of doing so. The Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility (CSBF) offers the service of launching high altitude balloons (120k ft) which provide an over the horizon telemetry system and platform for scientific research payloads to collect data. CSBF has utilized microcontrollers to address multiple tasks and functions which were previously performed by more complex systems. A microcontroller system has been recently developed and programmed in house to replace our previous backup navigation system which is used on all LDB flights. A similar microcontroller system was developed to be independently launched in Antarctica before the actual scientific payload. This system's function is to transmit its GPS position and a small housekeeping packet so that we can confirm the upper level float winds are as predicted from satellite derived models. Microcontrollers have also been used to create test equipment to functionally check out the flight hardware used in our telemetry systems. One test system which was developed can be used to quickly determine if our communication link we are providing for the science payloads is functioning properly. Another system was developed to provide us with the ability to easily determine the status of one of our over the horizon communication links through a closed loop system. This test system has given us the capability to provide more field support to science groups than we were able to in years past. The trend of utilizing microcontrollers has taken place for a number of reasons. By using microcontrollers to fill these needs, it has given us the ability to quickly design and implement systems which meet flight critical needs, as well as perform many of the everyday tasks in LDB. This route has also allowed us to reduce the amount of time required for personnel to perform a number of the tasks required

Scientific Ballooning in India - Recent Developments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manchanda, R. K.; Srinivasan, S.; Subbarao, J. V.

Established in 1972, the National Balloon Facility operated by TIFR in Hyderabad, India is is a unique facility in the country, which provides a complete solution in scientific ballooning. It is also one of its kind in the world since it combines both, the in-house balloon production and a complete flight support for scientific ballooning. With a large team working through out the year to design, fabricate and launch scientific balloons, the Hyderabad Facility is a unique centre of expertise where the balloon design, Research and Development, the production and launch facilities are located under one roof. Our balloons are manufactured from 100% indigenous components. The mission specific balloon design, high reliability control and support instrumentation, in-house competence in tracking, telemetry, telecommand, data processing, system design and mechanics is a hallmark of the Hyderabad balloon facility. In the past few years we have executed a major programme of upgradation of different components of balloon production, telemetry and telecommand hardware and various support facilities. This paper focuses on our increased capability of balloon production of large sizes up to size of 780,000 M^3 using Antrix film, development of high strength balloon load tapes with the breaking strength of 182 kg, and the recent introduction of S-band telemetry and a commandable timer cut-off unit in the flight hardware. A summary of the various flights conducted in recent years will be presented along with the plans for new facilities.

Percutaneous balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty (PBPV) of extreme pulmonary valve stenosis by the use of Accura balloon.

PubMed

Sinha, Santosh Kumar; Mishra, Vikas; Razi, Mahmadula; Jha, Mukesh Jitendra

2017-10-04

Transcatheter therapy of valvular pulmonary stenosis is one of first catheter interventions facilitating its application in field of structural heart disease and now treatment of choice for significant pulmonary stenosis. Myriads of balloon catheter have been used for this purpose starting from Diamond (Boston Scientific,Natick, MA USA), Marshal (Medi-Tech,Watertown MAUSA), Innoue balloon, Tyshak I and currently Tyshak II. Diameter and length of balloon depend on size of annulus and age group, respectively. Problem with shorter balloon is difficulty in keeping it across the annulus while inflation as it tends to slip distally whereas with longer balloon, potential of tricuspid leak or conduction block as it may impinge on adjacent structures. Potential advantage of Accura balloon over Tyshak balloon lies in its peculiar shape while inflation and variable diameter, making stepwise dilatation possible. Here, we report a case of successful balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty using Accura balloon (Vascular Concept, UK) with little modification of conventional technique. © BMJ Publishing Group Ltd (unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

GPS Radiosonde with Spread-Spectrum Transmitter for Aerial dE/dt Studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sonnenfeld, R.; John, B. D.; William, W. P.; Aulich, G.; Ken, E.

2003-12-01

Inexpensive, low-power and reliable telemetry is a continuous struggle for those engaged in developing balloon-borne instruments for atmospheric electric studies. Several custom designs, by NCAR and others, have enabled much useful work in radiosondes. Also, packet radio technology has been used with great success. Easily obtainable packet radios are currently limited to 9600 baud. In search of higher baud rates that integrate well with microprocessor-based data acquisition systems, we have tested a new commercial off-the-shelf spread-spectrum transmitter. The transmitter operates in the 900 MHz industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) band with a transmit power of 100 mW. The transmitter (a Maxstream XC09-019NST) is used with a dedicated receiver, such that the data to be transmitted is fed via RS-232C protocols to the transmitter, and received as a text string via a serial port on the receiver. We did tests at raw baud rates of 9600 and 19200 (roughly 1000-2000 characters/second). Initial range tests required integrating the transmitter with a GPS and sending the NMEA-position-string (National Marine Electronics Assoc.) to a ground-based receiver. In ground-based tests, we repeatedly saw that a clear line-of-sight between transmitter and receiver was required for successful telemetry. The maximum range obtained during ground tests was 15.3 km at 9600 baud. Initial balloon tests results were, as hoped, more encouraging than ground-based tests. The maximum range (ground distance and altitude) of any balloon transmission was 58.0 km in fair-weather with excellent line-of-sight visibility. Our highest altitude transmission was 28.6 km absolute altitude (25.3 km altitude relative to launch point). These numbers were determined from the GPS coordinates transmitted. Antenna alignment and acceptance angle effects were observed in our received data. For these reasons, the full data rate of 19200 baud was only obtained out to 10 km, and then again around 45-58 km

Hot-Air Ballooning in Physics Teaching.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haugland, Ole Anton

1991-01-01

Describes the modern hot-air balloon and the physics of ballooning. Proposes that students construct their own hot-air balloon and presents an experiment calculating the time needed for a balloon to rise to the ceiling of a gymnasium. (MDH)

Optimum designs for superpressure balloons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, M. S.; Rainwater, E. L.

2004-01-01

The elastica shape is now well known to be the best basic shape for superpressure balloon design. This shape, also known as the pumpkin, or natural shape for balloons, has been well understood since the early 1900s when it was applied to the determination of the shape of descending parachutes. The elastica shape was also investigated in the 1950s when high strength films were used to produce superpressure cylinder balloons. The need for uniform stress distribution in shells of early superpressure balloons led to a long period of the development of spherical superpressure balloons. Not until the late 1970s was the elastica shape revisited for the purpose of the producing superpressure balloons. This paper will review various development efforts in the field of superpressure design and will elaborate on the current state-of-the-art with suggestions for future developments.

GPs' mental wellbeing and psychological resources: a cross-sectional survey.

PubMed

Murray, Marylou Anna; Cardwell, Chris; Donnelly, Michael

2017-08-01

The negative impact of work has been the traditional focus of GP surveys. We know little about GP positive mental health and psychological resources. To profile and contextualise GP positive mental health and personal psychological resources. Cross-sectional survey of GPs working in Northern Ireland (NI). A questionnaire comprising the Warwick Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS) and measures of resilience, optimism, self-efficacy, and hope, and sociodemographic information was posted to 400 GPs randomly selected from a publicly available GP register. The response rate was 55% (n = 221 out of 400). Mean value for GP wellbeing (WEMWBS) was 50.2 (standard deviation [SD] 8) compared to UK vets 48.8 (SD 9), UK teachers 47.2 (SD 9), and the population of NI 50.8 (SD 9). After adjustment for confounding, mean WEMWBS was 2.4 units (95% CI = 0.02 to 4.7) higher in female GPs than males ( P = 0.05), and 4.0 units (95% CI = 0.8 to 7.3) higher in GPs ≥55 years than GPs ≤44 years ( P = 0.02). Optimism was 1.1 units higher in female GPs than male GPs (95% CI = 0.1 to 2.0), and 1.56 units higher in GPs ≥55 years (95% CI = 0.2 to 2.9) than in those ≤44 years. Hope was 3 units higher in GPs ≥55 years (95% CI = 0.4 to 5.7) than in those aged 45-54 years. Correlation between WEMWBS and psychological resources was highest with hope ( r = 0.65, P < 0.001). GPs have levels of positive mental health that are comparable to the local population and better than other occupational groups, such as vets and teachers. Male and younger GPs may have most to gain from wellbeing interventions. © British Journal of General Practice 2017.

Flow Past a Descending Balloon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baginski, Frank

2001-01-01

In this report, we present our findings related to aerodynamic loading of partially inflated balloon shapes. This report will consider aerodynamic loading of partially inflated inextensible natural shape balloons and some relevant problems in potential flow. For the axisymmetric modeling, we modified our Balloon Design Shape Program (BDSP) to handle axisymmetric inextensible ascent shapes with aerodynamic loading. For a few simple examples of two dimensional potential flows, we used the Matlab PDE Toolbox. In addition, we propose a model for aerodynamic loading of strained energy minimizing balloon shapes with lobes. Numerical solutions are presented for partially inflated strained balloon shapes with lobes and no aerodynamic loading.

Status of the NASA Balloon Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Needleman, H. C.; Nock, R. S.; Bawcom, D. W.

1993-01-01

The NASA Balloon Program (BP) is examined in an overview of design philosophy, R&D activities, flight testing, and the development of a long-duration balloon for Antarctic use. The Balloon Recovery Program was developed to qualify the use of existing films and to design improved materials and seals. Balloon flights are described for studying the supernova SN1987a, and systems were developed to enhance balloon campaigns including mobile launch vehicles and tracking/data-acquisition systems. The technical approach to long-duration ballooning is reviewed which allows the use of payloads of up to 1350 kg for two to three weeks. The BP is responsible for the development of several candidate polyethylene balloon films as well as design/performance standards for candidate balloons. Specific progress is noted in reliability and in R&D with respect to optimization of structural design, resin blending, and extrusion.

The work hours of GPs: survey of English GPs.

PubMed

Gravelle, Hugh; Hole, Arne Risa

2007-02-01

There is no current information about the hours worked by English GPs. To compare the reported hours worked by GPs with that of other professions and to explain the variation in GP hours worked and on call. National postal survey of 1871 GPs in February 2004. English general practice. Multiple regression analyses of part-time versus full-time status, hours worked, and hours on call. Full-time male GPs report more hours worked (49.6; 95% CI [confidence interval] = 48.9 to 50.2) than males in other professional occupations (47.9; 95% CI = 47.6 to 48.1) and male managers (49.1; 95% CI = 48.8 to 49.5). Full-time female GPs report fewer hours (43.2; 95% CI = 42.0 to 44.3) than females in other professional occupations (44.7; 95% CI = 44.4 to 45.0) and female managers (44.1; 95% CI = 43.7 to 44.5). The number of hours worked decreased with practice list size, and increased with the number of patients per GP. GPs work longer hours in practices with older patients and with a higher proportion of patients in nursing homes. Fewer hours are worked in practices with higher 'additional needs' payments. Having children under 18 years of age increased the probability that female GPs work part-time but has no effect on the probability of male GPs working part-time. Given full-time/part-time status, having children under 18 years of age reduces the hours of male and female GPs. Male English GPs report longer hours worked than other professional groups and managers. The sex differences between GPs in hours worked are mostly attributable to the differential impact of family circumstances, particularly the number of children they have. Perversely, 'additional needs' payments are higher in practices where GPs work fewer hours.

Tethered Balloon Operations at ARM AMF3 Site at Oliktok Point, AK

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dexheimer, D.; Lucero, D. A.; Helsel, F.; Hardesty, J.; Ivey, M.

2015-12-01

Oliktok Point has been the home of the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program's (ARM) third ARM Mobile Facility, or AMF3, since October 2013. The AMF3 is operated through Sandia National Laboratories and hosts instrumentation collecting continuous measurements of clouds, aerosols, precipitation, energy, and other meteorological variables. The Arctic region is warming more quickly than any other region due to climate change and Arctic sea ice is declining to record lows. Sparsity of atmospheric data from the Arctic leads to uncertainty in process comprehension, and atmospheric general circulation models (AGCM) are understood to underestimate low cloud presence in the Arctic. Increased vertical resolution of meteorological properties and cloud measurements will improve process understanding and help AGCMs better characterize Arctic clouds. SNL is developing a tethered balloon system capable of regular operation at AMF3 in order to provide increased vertical resolution atmospheric data. The tethered balloon can be operated within clouds at altitudes up to 7,000' AGL within DOE's R-2204 restricted area. Pressure, relative humidity, temperature, wind speed, and wind direction are recorded at multiple altitudes along the tether. These data were validated against stationary met tower data in Albuquerque, NM. The altitudes of the sensors were determined by GPS and calculated using a line counter and clinometer and compared. Wireless wetness sensors and supercooled liquid water content sensors have also been deployed and their data has been compared with other sensors. This presentation will provide an overview of the balloons, sensors, and test flights flown, and will provide a preliminary look at data from sensor validation campaigns and test flights.

Modular and Reusable Power System Design for the BRRISON Balloon Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Truesdale, Nicholas A.

High altitude balloons are emerging as low-cost alternatives to orbital satellites in the field of telescopic observation. The near-space environment of balloons allows optics to perform near their diffraction limit. In practice, this implies that a telescope similar to the Hubble Space Telescope could be flown for a cost of tens of millions as opposed to billions. While highly feasible, the design of a balloon telescope to rival Hubble is limited by funding. Until a prototype is proven and more support for balloon science is gained, projects remain limited in both hardware costs and man hours. Thus, to effectively create and support balloon payloads, engineering designs must be efficient, modular, and if possible reusable. This thesis focuses specifically on a modular power system design for the BRRISON comet-observing balloon telescope. Time- and cost-saving techniques are developed that can be used for future missions. A modular design process is achieved through the development of individual circuit elements that span a wide range of capabilities. Circuits for power conversion, switching and sensing are designed to be combined in any configuration. These include DC-DC regulators, MOSFET drivers for switching, isolated switches, current sensors and voltage sensing ADCs. Emphasis is also given to commercially available hardware. Pre-fabricated DC-DC converters and an Arduino microcontroller simplify the design process and offer proven, cost-effective performance. The design of the BRRISON power system is developed from these low-level circuits elements. A board for main power distribution supports the majority of flight electronics, and is extensible to additional hardware in future applications. An ATX computer power supply is developed, allowing the use of a commercial ATX motherboard as the flight computer. The addition of new capabilities is explored in the form of a heater control board. Finally, the power system as a whole is described, and its overall

Scientific ballooning in India Recent developments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manchanda, R. K.

Established in 1971, the National Balloon Facility operated by TIFR in Hyderabad, India, is a unique facility in the country, which provides a complete solution in scientific ballooning. It is also one of its kind in the world since it combines both, the in-house balloon production and a complete flight support for scientific ballooning. With a large team working through out the year to design, fabricate and launch scientific balloons, the Hyderabad Facility is a unique centre of expertise where the balloon design, research and development, the production and launch facilities are located under one roof. Our balloons are manufactured from 100% indigenous components. The mission specific balloon design, high reliability control and support instrumentation, in-house competence in tracking, telemetry, telecommand, data processing, system design and mechanics is its hallmark. In the past few years, we have executed a major programme of upgradation of different components of balloon production, telemetry and telecommand hardware and various support facilities. This paper focuses on our increased capability of balloon production of large sizes up to 780,000 m 3 using Antrix film, development of high strength balloon load tapes with the breaking strength of 182 kg, and the recent introduction of S-band telemetry and a commandable timer cut-off unit in the flight hardware. A summary of the various flights conducted in recent years will be presented along with the plans for new facilities.

Synthesis on GPS/AVL equipment used for winter maintenance : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-07-01

This project gathered information about available Global Positioning Systems/Automatic Vehicle Location (GPS/AVL) equipment and vendors to gain an understanding of their use by state and local agencies for winter maintenance activities. Depending on ...

Ballooning for Biologists: Mission Essentials for Flying Experiments on Large NASA Balloons

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, David J.; Sowa, Marianne

2017-01-01

Despite centuries of scientific balloon flights, only a handful of experiments have produced biologically-relevant results. Yet unlike orbital spaceflight, it is much faster and cheaper to conduct biology research with balloons, sending specimens to the near space environment of Earths stratosphere. Samples can be loaded the morning of a launch and sometimes returned to the laboratory within one day after flying. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) flies large, unmanned scientific balloons from all over the globe, with missions ranging from hours to weeks in duration. A payload in the middle portion of the stratosphere (approx. 35 km above sea level) will be exposed to an environment similar to the surface of Mars: temperatures generally around -36 C, atmospheric pressure at a thin 1 kPa, relative humidity levels <1%, and a harsh illumination of ultraviolet (UV) and cosmic radiation levels (about 100 W/sq m and 0.1 mGy/d, respectively) that can be obtained nowhere else on the surface of the Earth, including environmental chambers and particle accelerator facilities attempting to simulate space radiation effects. Considering the operational advantages of ballooning and the fidelity of space-like stressors in the stratosphere, researchers in aerobiology, astrobiology, and space biology can benefit from balloon flight experiments as an intermediary step on the extraterrestrial continuum (ground, low Earth orbit, and deep space studies). Our presentation targets biologists with no background or experience in scientific ballooning. We will provide an overview of large balloon operations, biology topics that can be uniquely addressed in the stratosphere, and a roadmap for developing payloads to fly with NASA.

Integrated INS/GPS Navigation from a Popular Perspective

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Omerbashich, Mensur

2002-01-01

Inertial navigation, blended with other navigation aids, Global Positioning System (GPS) in particular, has gained significance due to enhanced navigation and inertial reference performance and dissimilarity for fault tolerance and anti-jamming. Relatively new concepts based upon using Differential GPS (DGPS) blended with Inertial (and visual) Navigation Sensors (INS) offer the possibility of low cost, autonomous aircraft landing. The FAA has decided to implement the system in a sophisticated form as a new standard navigation tool during this decade. There have been a number of new inertial sensor concepts in the recent past that emphasize increased accuracy of INS/GPS versus INS and reliability of navigation, as well as lower size and weight, and higher power, fault tolerance, and long life. The principles of GPS are not discussed; rather the attention is directed towards general concepts and comparative advantages. A short introduction to the problems faced in kinematics is presented. The intention is to relate the basic principles of kinematics to probably the most used navigation method in the future-INS/GPS. An example of the airborne INS is presented, with emphasis on how it works. The discussion of the error types and sources in navigation, and of the role of filters in optimal estimation of the errors then follows. The main question this paper is trying to answer is 'What are the benefits of the integration of INS and GPS and how is this, navigation concept of the future achieved in reality?' The main goal is to communicate the idea about what stands behind a modern navigation method.

A stress index model for ascending balloons

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, I. S.

1986-01-01

Attention is given to the development on the part of NASA of a simplified stress 'index' model to establish the relative stress magnitudes along a balloon's gore position as a function of altitude. Application of this model to several hundred balloon flights showed a good correlation between balloon failure rate and stress 'index' level. This model can be used during the balloon design process to lower the levels of stress in the balloon. By increasing the wall thickness of the balloon, adding caps, lengthening caps, or using external caps, lower stress can be accomplished. As a result, in January 1985, the NASA Balloon Program established a stress index specification to limit the design and flight stresses for NASA balloons.

High Altitude Balloons as a Platform for Space Radiation Belt Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mazzino, L.; Buttenschoen, A.; Farr, Q.; Hodgson, C.; Johnson, W.; Mann, I. R.; Rae, J.; University of Alberta High Altitude Balloons (UA-HAB)

2011-12-01

The goals of the University of Alberta High Altitude Balloons Program (UA-HAB) are to i) use low cost balloons to address space radiation science, and ii) to utilise the excitement of "space mission" involvement to promote and facilitate the recruitment of undergraduate and graduate students in physics, engineering, and atmospheric sciences to pursue careers in space science and engineering. The University of Alberta High Altitude Balloons (UA-HAB) is a unique opportunity for University of Alberta students (undergraduate and graduate) to engage in the hands-on design, development, build, test and flight of a payload to operate on a high altitude balloon at around 30km altitude. The program development, including formal design and acceptance tests, reports and reviews, mirror those required in the development of an orbital satellite mission. This enables the students to gain a unique insight into how space missions are flown. UA-HAB is a one and half year program that offers a gateway into a high-altitude balloon mission through hands on experience, and builds skills for students who may be attracted to participate in future space missions in their careers. This early education will provide students with the experience necessary to better assess opportunities for pursuing a career in space science. Balloons offer a low-cost alternative to other suborbital platforms which can be used to address radiation belt science goals. In particular, the participants of this program have written grant proposal to secure funds for this project, have launched several 'weather balloon missions', and have designed, built, tested, and launched their particle detector called "Maple Leaf Particle Detector". This detector was focussed on monitoring cosmic rays and space radiation using shielded Geiger tubes, and was flown as one of the payloads from the institutions participating in the High Altitude Student Platform (HASP), organized by the Louisiana State University and the Louisiana

Launching Garbage-Bag Balloons.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Hy

1997-01-01

Presents a modification of a procedure for making and launching hot air balloons made out of garbage bags. Student instructions for balloon construction, launching instructions, and scale diagrams are included. (DDR)

Reloading Continuous GPS in Northwest Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonzalez-Garcia, J. J.; Suarez-Vidal, F.; Gonzalez-Ortega, J. A.

2007-05-01

For more than 10 years we try to follow the steps of the Southern California Integrated GPS Network (SCIGN) and the Plate Boundary Observatory (PBO) in USA, this gives us the opportunity to be in position to contribute to develop a modern GPS Network in Mexico. During 1998 and 2001, three stations were deployed in Northwest Mexico in concert with the development of SCIGN: SPMX in north central Baja California state at the National Astronomical Observatory, UNAM in the Sierra San Pedro Martir; CORX in Isla Coronados Sur, offshore San Diego, Ca./Tijuana, Mexico and GUAX in Guadalupe island 150 miles offshore Baja California peninsula, which provide a unique site on the Pacific plate in the Northamerica/Pacific boundary zone in Las Californias. The former IGS station in CICESE, Ensenada, CICE installed in 1995, was replaced by CIC1 in 1999. In 2004 and 2005 with partial support from SCIGN and UNAVCO to University of Arizona a volunteer team from UNAVCO, Caltech, U.S. Geological Survey, Universidad de la Sierra at Moctezuma Sonora and CICESE built two new shallow-braced GPS sites in northwest Mexico. The first site USMX is located at east-central Sonora and the second YESX is located high in the Sierra Madre Occidental at Yecora near the southern border of Sonora and Chihuahua. All data is openly available at SOPAC and/or UNAVCO. The existing information has been valuable to resolve the "total" plate motion between the Pacific plate (GUAX) and the Northamerica plate (USMX and YESX) in the north- central Gulf of California. Since the last year we have the capability of GPS data processing using GAMIT/GLOBK, and after gain some practice with survey mode data processing we can convert us in a GPS processing center in Mexico. Currently only 2 sites are operational: CIC1 and USMX. With new energy we are ready to contribute to the establishment of a modern GPS network in Mexico for science, hazard monitoring and infrastructure.

Hot-Air Balloons: Project-Centered Study as a Bridge between Science and Technology Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barak, Moshe; Raz, Eli

2000-01-01

Describes the development of a project-based unit on hot-air balloons used with Israeli junior high school students. Concludes that students in the program gained experience with high-level scientific principles and technological processes, the project allows for a learning environment of cooperation and teamwork, and collaboration between…

Mechanical properties of ANTRIX balloon film and fabrication of single cap large volume balloons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suneel Kumar, B.; Sreenivasan, S.; Subba Rao, J. V.; Manchanda, R. K.

2008-11-01

The zero pressure plastic balloons used for high altitude studies are generally made from polyethylene material. Tensile properties of the thin film polymer are the key parameters for material selection due to extremely low temperature of -90 °C encountered by the balloons in the tropopause region during the ascent at equatorial latitudes. The physical and structural properties of the material determine the uniformity of the stress distribution over the entire shell. Load stresses from the suspended load propagate via load tapes heat sealed along with the gore seals as per the balloon design. A balance between this heat seal strength and the film strength is a desirable property of the basic resin in terms of the bubble strength, gauge uniformity, and long-term storage properties. In addition, the design of the top shell of the balloon and its stress distribution play an important role since only a fraction of the balloon is deployed during the filling operation and the ascent. In this paper we describe the mechanical properties of the 'ANTRIX' film developed by us and the optimized design of single cap balloons, which have been successfully used in our experiments over the past 5 years.

Percutaneous Mitral Valve Dilatation: Single Balloon versus Double Balloon - A Finite Element Study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schievano, Silvia; Kunzelman, Karyn; Nicosia, Mark

2009-01-01

Background: Percutaneous mitral valve (MV) dilatation is performed with either a single balloon (SB) or double balloon (DB) technique. The aim of this study was to compare the two balloon system results using the finite element (FE) method. Methods and Results: An established FE model of the MV was modified by fusing the MV leaflet edges at commissure level to simulate a stenotic valve (orifice area=180mm2). A FE model of a 30mm SB (low-pressure, elastomeric balloon) and an 18mm DB system (high-pressure, non-elastic balloon) was created. Both SB and DB simulations resulted in splitting of the commissures and subsequent stenosismore » dilatation (final MV area=610mm2 and 560mm2 respectively). Stresses induced by the two balloon systems varied across the valve. At the end of inflation, SB showed higher stresses in the central part of the leaflets and at the commissures compared to DB simulation, which demonstrated a more uniform stress distribution. The higher stresses in the SB analysis were due to the mismatch of the round balloon shape with the oval mitral orifice. The commissural split was not easily accomplished with the SB due to its high compliance. The high pressure applied to the DB guaranteed the commissural split even when high forces were required to break the commissure welds. Conclusions: The FE model demonstrated that MV dilatation can be accomplished by both SB and DB techniques. However, the DB method resulted in higher probability of splitting of the fused commissures and less damage caused to the MV leaflets by overstretching.« less

Technologies developed by CNES balloon team

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sosa-Sesma, Sergio; Charbonnier, Jean-Marc; Deramecourt, Arnaud

CNES balloon team develops and operates all the components of this kind of vehicle: it means envelope and gondola. This abstract will point out only developments done for envelope. Nowadays CNES offers to scientists four types of envelops that cover a large range of mission demands. These envelops are: 1. Zero pressure balloons: Size going from 3,000m3 to 600,000m3, this kind of envelop is ideal for short duration flights (a few hours) but if we use an intelligent management of ballast consumption and if we chose the best launch site, it is possible to perform medium duration flights (10/20 days depending on the ballast on board). Flight train mass starts at 50kg for small balloons and reach 1000kg for larger ones. Zero pressure balloons are inflated with helium gas. 2. Super pressure balloons: Diameter going from 2.5m to 12m, this kind of envelop is ideal for long duration flights (1 to 6 months). Flight train is inside the envelop for small balloons, it means 2.5 diameter meters which is usually called BPCL (Super pressure balloon for Earth boundary layer) and it is about 3kg of mass. Larger ones could lift external flight trains about 50kg of mass. Super pressure balloons are inflated with helium gas. 3. MIR balloons: Size going from 36,000m3 to 46,000m3. Ceiling is reach with helium gas but after three days helium is no longer present inside and lift force is produced by difference of temperature between air inside and air of atmosphere. Flight trains must not be over 50kg. 4. Aero Clipper balloons: A concept to correlate measurements done in oceans and in nearest layers of atmosphere simultaneously. Flight train is made by a "fish" that drags inside water and an atmospheric gondola few meters above "fish", both pushed by a balloon which profits of the wind force. Materials used for construction and assembling depend on balloon type; they are usually made of polyester or polyethylene. Thickness varies from 12 micrometers to 120 micrometers. Balloon assembling

Retrieval of impacted broken balloon by balloon inflation in guiding catheter.

PubMed

Mehta, Vimal; Pandit, Bhagya Narayan; Yusuf, Jamal; Mukhopadhyay, Saibal; Trehan, Vijay; Tyagi, Sanjay

2014-07-01

Broken catheter fragment in a coronary artery during percutaneous coronary angioplasty is a rare complication. It can result in serious problems as a result of thrombus formation and embolization of broken fragment. We report an unusual complication of a broken balloon catheter during angioplasty, which was successfully retrieved by balloon inflation in guiding catheter technique.

Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratories balloon operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Danaher, T. J.

1974-01-01

The establishment and functions of the AFCRL balloon operations facility are discussed. The types of research work conducted by the facility are defined. The facilities which support the balloon programs are described. The free balloon and tethered balloon capabilities are analyzed.

Morphological characterization of selected balloon films and its effects on balloon performances

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Said, Magdi A.

1994-01-01

Morphological characterization of several polyethylene balloon films have been studied using various techniques. The objective is to determine, if any, differentiating structural or morphological features that can be related to the performance of these balloon film materials. The results of the study indicate that the films are composed of either linear low denstiy polyethylene (LLDPE) or low density polyethylene (LDPE). A selective examination of these data imply that films limited degree of branching and larger crystallites size (same % crystallinity) showed good mechanical properties that appear to correlate with their high level of success in balloon flights.

The EUSO-Balloon pathfinder

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adams, J. H.; Ahmad, S.; Albert, J.-N.; Allard, D.; Anchordoqui, L.; Andreev, V.; Anzalone, A.; Arai, Y.; Asano, K.; Ave Pernas, M.; Baragatti, P.; Barrillon, P.; Batsch, T.; Bayer, J.; Bechini, R.; Belenguer, T.; Bellotti, R.; Belov, K.; Berlind, A. A.; Bertaina, M.; Biermann, P. L.; Biktemerova, S.; Blaksley, C.; Blanc, N.; Błȩcki, J.; Blin-Bondil, S.; Blümer, J.; Bobik, P.; Bogomilov, M.; Bonamente, M.; Briggs, M. S.; Briz, S.; Bruno, A.; Cafagna, F.; Campana, D.; Capdevielle, J.-N.; Caruso, R.; Casolino, M.; Cassardo, C.; Castellinic, G.; Catalano, C.; Catalano, G.; Cellino, A.; Chikawa, M.; Christl, M. J.; Cline, D.; Connaughton, V.; Conti, L.; Cordero, G.; Crawford, H. J.; Cremonini, R.; Csorna, S.; Dagoret-Campagne, S.; de Castro, A. J.; De Donato, C.; de la Taille, C.; De Santis, C.; del Peral, L.; Dell'Oro, A.; De Simone, N.; Di Martino, M.; Distratis, G.; Dulucq, F.; Dupieux, M.; Ebersoldt, A.; Ebisuzaki, T.; Engel, R.; Falk, S.; Fang, K.; Fenu, F.; Fernández-Gómez, I.; Ferrarese, S.; Finco, D.; Flamini, M.; Fornaro, C.; Franceschi, A.; Fujimoto, J.; Fukushima, M.; Galeotti, P.; Garipov, G.; Geary, J.; Gelmini, G.; Giraudo, G.; Gonchar, M.; González Alvarado, C.; Gorodetzky, P.; Guarino, F.; Guzmán, A.; Hachisu, Y.; Harlov, B.; Haungs, A.; Hernández Carretero, J.; Higashide, K.; Ikeda, D.; Ikeda, H.; Inoue, N.; Inoue, S.; Insolia, A.; Isgrò, F.; Itow, Y.; Joven, E.; Judd, E. G.; Jung, A.; Kajino, F.; Kajino, T.; Kaneko, I.; Karadzhov, Y.; Karczmarczyk, J.; Karus, M.; Katahira, K.; Kawai, K.; Kawasaki, Y.; Keilhauer, B.; Khrenov, B. A.; Kim, J.-S.; Kim, S.-W.; Kim, S.-W.; Kleifges, M.; Klimov, P. A.; Kolev, D.; Kreykenbohm, I.; Kudela, K.; Kurihara, Y.; Kusenko, A.; Kuznetsov, E.; Lacombe, M.; Lachaud, C.; Lee, J.; Licandro, J.; Lim, H.; López, F.; Maccarone, M. C.; Mannheim, K.; Maravilla, D.; Marcelli, L.; Marini, A.; Martinez, O.; Masciantonio, G.; Mase, K.; Matev, R.; Medina-Tanco, G.; Mernik, T.; Miyamoto, H.; Miyazaki, Y.; Mizumoto, Y.; Modestino, G.; Monaco, A.; Monnier-Ragaigne, D.; Morales de los Ríos, J. A.; Moretto, C.; Morozenko, V. S.; Mot, B.; Murakami, T.; Murakami, M. Nagano; Nagata, M.; Nagataki, S.; Nakamura, T.; Napolitano, T.; Naumov, D.; Nava, R.; Neronov, A.; Nomoto, K.; Nonaka, T.; Ogawa, T.; Ogio, S.; Ohmori, H.; Olinto, A. V.; Orleański, P.; Osteria, G.; Panasyuk, M. I.; Parizot, E.; Park, I. H.; Park, H. W.; Pastircak, B.; Patzak, T.; Paul, T.; Pennypacker, C.; Perez Cano, S.; Peter, T.; Picozza, P.; Pierog, T.; Piotrowski, L. W.; Piraino, S.; Plebaniak, Z.; Pollini, A.; Prat, P.; Prévôt, G.; Prieto, H.; Putis, M.; Reardon, P.; Reyes, M.; Ricci, M.; Rodríguez, I.; Rodríguez Frías, M. D.; Ronga, F.; Roth, M.; Rothkaehl, H.; Roudil, G.; Rusinov, I.; Rybczyński, M.; Sabau, M. D.; Sáez-Cano, G.; Sagawa, H.; Saito, A.; Sakaki, N.; Sakata, M.; Salazar, H.; Sánchez, S.; Santangelo, A.; Santiago Crúz, L.; Sanz Palomino, M.; Saprykin, O.; Sarazin, F.; Sato, H.; Sato, M.; Schanz, T.; Schieler, H.; Scotti, V.; Segreto, A.; Selmane, S.; Semikoz, D.; Serra, M.; Sharakin, S.; Shibata, T.; Shimizu, H. M.; Shinozaki, K.; Shirahama, T.; Siemieniec-Oziȩbło, G.; Silva López, H. H.; Sledd, J.; Słomińska, K.; Sobey, A.; Sugiyama, T.; Supanitsky, D.; Suzuki, M.; Szabelska, B.; Szabelski, J.; Tajima, F.; Tajima, N.; Tajima, T.; Takahashi, Y.; Takami, H.; Takeda, M.; Takizawa, Y.; Tenzer, C.; Tibolla, O.; Tkachev, L.; Tokuno, H.; Tomida, T.; Tone, N.; Toscano, S.; Trillaud, F.; Tsenov, R.; Tsunesada, Y.; Tsuno, K.; Tymieniecka, T.; Uchihori, Y.; Unger, M.; Vaduvescu, O.; Valdés-Galicia, J. F.; Vallania, P.; Valore, L.; Vankova, G.; Vigorito, C.; Villaseñor, L.; von Ballmoos, P.; Wada, S.; Watanabe, J.; Watanabe, S.; Watts, J.; Weber, M.; Weiler, T. J.; Wibig, T.; Wiencke, L.; Wille, M.; Wilms, J.; Włodarczyk, Z.; Yamamoto, T.; Yamamoto, Y.; Yang, J.; Yano, H.; Yashin, I. V.; Yonetoku, D.; Yoshida, K.; Yoshida, S.; Young, R.; Zotov, M. Yu.; Zuccaro Marchi, A.

2015-11-01

EUSO-Balloon is a pathfinder for JEM-EUSO, the Extreme Universe Space Observatory which is to be hosted on-board the International Space Station. As JEM-EUSO is designed to observe Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECR)-induced Extensive Air Showers (EAS) by detecting their ultraviolet light tracks "from above", EUSO-Balloon is a nadir-pointing UV telescope too. With its Fresnel Optics and Photo-Detector Module, the instrument monitors a 50 km2 ground surface area in a wavelength band of 290-430 nm, collecting series of images at a rate of 400,000 frames/sec. The objectives of the balloon demonstrator are threefold: a) perform a full end-to-end test of a JEM-EUSO prototype consisting of all the main subsystems of the space experiment, b) measure the effective terrestrial UV background, with a spatial and temporal resolution relevant for JEM-EUSO. c) detect tracks of ultraviolet light from near space for the first time. The latter is a milestone in the development of UHECR science, paving the way for any future space-based UHECR observatory. On August 25, 2014, EUSO-Balloon was launched from Timmins Stratospheric Balloon Base (Ontario, Canada) by the balloon division of the French Space Agency CNES. From a float altitude of 38 km, the instrument operated during the entire astronomical night, observing UV-light from a variety of ground-covers and from hundreds of simulated EASs, produced by flashers and a laser during a two-hour helicopter under-flight.

An Undergraduate Student Instrumentation Project (USIP) to Develop New Instrument Technology to Study the Auroral Ionosphere and Stratospheric Ozone Layer Using Ultralight Balloon Payloads

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nowling, M.; Ahmad, H.; Gamblin, R.; Guala, D.; Hermosillo, D.; Pina, M.; Marrero, E.; Canales, D. R. J.; Cao, J.; Ehteshami, A.; Bering, E. A., III; Lefer, B. L.; Dunbar, B.; Bias, C.; Shahid, S.

2015-12-01

This project is currently engaging twelve undergraduate students in the process of developing new technology and instrumentation for use in balloon borne geospace investigations in the auroral zone. Motivation stems from advances in microelectronics and consumer electronic technology. Given the technological innovations over the past 20 years it now possible to develop new instrumentation to study the auroral ionosphere and stratospheric ozone layer using ultralight balloon payloads for less than 6lbs and $3K per payload. The University of Houston Undergraduate Student Instrumentation Project (USIP) team has built ten such payloads for launch using 1500 gm latex weather balloons deployed in Houston, TX, Fairbanks, AK, and as well as zero pressure balloons launched from northern Sweden. The latex balloon project will collect vertical profiles of wind velocity, temperature, electrical conductivity, ozone, and odd nitrogen. This instrument payload will also produce profiles of pressure, electric field, and air-earth electric current. The zero pressure balloons will obtain a suite of geophysical measurements including: DC electric field, electric field and magnetic flux, optical imaging, total electron content of ionosphere via dual-channel GPS, X-ray detection, and infrared/UV spectroscopy. Students flew payloads with different combinations of these instruments to determine which packages are successful. Data collected by these instruments will be useful in understanding the nature of electrodynamic coupling in the upper atmosphere and how the global earth system is changing. Twelve out of the launched fifteen payloads were successfully launched and recovered. Results and best practices learned from lab tests and initial Houston test flights will be discussed.

An Undergraduate Student Instrumentation Project (USIP) to Develop New Instrument Technology to Study the Auroral Ionosphere and Stratospheric Ozone Layer Using Ultralight Balloon Payloads

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gamblin, R.; Marrero, E.; Bering, E. A., III; Leffer, B.; Dunbar, B.; Ahmad, H.; Canales, D.; Bias, C.; Cao, J.; Pina, M.; Ehteshami, A.; Hermosillo, D.; Siddiqui, A.; Guala, D.

2014-12-01

This project is currently engaging tweleve undergraduate students in the process of developing new technology and instrumentation for use in balloon borne geospace investigations in the auroral zone. Motivation stems from advances in microelectronics and consumer electronic technology. Given the technological inovations over the past 20 years it now possible to develop new instrumentation to study the auroral ionosphere and stratospheric ozone layer using ultralight balloon payloads for less than 6lbs and $3K per payload. The UH USIP undergraduate team is currently in the process of build ten such payloads for launch using1500 gm latex weather balloons to be deployed in Houston and Fairbanks, AK as well as zero pressure balloons launched from northern Sweden. The latex balloon project will collect vertical profiles of wind speed, wind direction, temperature, electrical conductivity, ozone and odd nitrogen. This instrument payload will also profiles of pressure, electric field, and air-earth electric current. The zero pressure balloons will obtain a suite of geophysical measurements including: DC electric field, electric field and magnetic flux, optical imaging, total electron content of ionosphere via dual-channel GPS, X-ray detection, and infrared/UV spectroscopy. Students will fly payloads with different combinations of these instruments to determine which packages are successful. Data collected by these instruments will be useful in understanding the nature of electrodynamic coupling in the upper atmosphere and how the global earth system is changing. Results and best practices learned from lab tests and initial Houston test flights will be discussed.

A Real-Time Capable Software-Defined Receiver Using GPU for Adaptive Anti-Jam GPS Sensors

PubMed Central

Seo, Jiwon; Chen, Yu-Hsuan; De Lorenzo, David S.; Lo, Sherman; Enge, Per; Akos, Dennis; Lee, Jiyun

2011-01-01

Due to their weak received signal power, Global Positioning System (GPS) signals are vulnerable to radio frequency interference. Adaptive beam and null steering of the gain pattern of a GPS antenna array can significantly increase the resistance of GPS sensors to signal interference and jamming. Since adaptive array processing requires intensive computational power, beamsteering GPS receivers were usually implemented using hardware such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). However, a software implementation using general-purpose processors is much more desirable because of its flexibility and cost effectiveness. This paper presents a GPS software-defined radio (SDR) with adaptive beamsteering capability for anti-jam applications. The GPS SDR design is based on an optimized desktop parallel processing architecture using a quad-core Central Processing Unit (CPU) coupled with a new generation Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) having massively parallel processors. This GPS SDR demonstrates sufficient computational capability to support a four-element antenna array and future GPS L5 signal processing in real time. After providing the details of our design and optimization schemes for future GPU-based GPS SDR developments, the jamming resistance of our GPS SDR under synthetic wideband jamming is presented. Since the GPS SDR uses commercial-off-the-shelf hardware and processors, it can be easily adopted in civil GPS applications requiring anti-jam capabilities. PMID:22164116

A real-time capable software-defined receiver using GPU for adaptive anti-jam GPS sensors.

PubMed

Seo, Jiwon; Chen, Yu-Hsuan; De Lorenzo, David S; Lo, Sherman; Enge, Per; Akos, Dennis; Lee, Jiyun

2011-01-01

Due to their weak received signal power, Global Positioning System (GPS) signals are vulnerable to radio frequency interference. Adaptive beam and null steering of the gain pattern of a GPS antenna array can significantly increase the resistance of GPS sensors to signal interference and jamming. Since adaptive array processing requires intensive computational power, beamsteering GPS receivers were usually implemented using hardware such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). However, a software implementation using general-purpose processors is much more desirable because of its flexibility and cost effectiveness. This paper presents a GPS software-defined radio (SDR) with adaptive beamsteering capability for anti-jam applications. The GPS SDR design is based on an optimized desktop parallel processing architecture using a quad-core Central Processing Unit (CPU) coupled with a new generation Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) having massively parallel processors. This GPS SDR demonstrates sufficient computational capability to support a four-element antenna array and future GPS L5 signal processing in real time. After providing the details of our design and optimization schemes for future GPU-based GPS SDR developments, the jamming resistance of our GPS SDR under synthetic wideband jamming is presented. Since the GPS SDR uses commercial-off-the-shelf hardware and processors, it can be easily adopted in civil GPS applications requiring anti-jam capabilities.

Can you score with balloons to enhance outcomes after drug coated balloon angioplasty? Insights from the Paris DCB Registry for in-stent restenosis.

PubMed

Merat, Benoît; Waliszewski, Matthias; Dillinger, Guillaume; Henry, Patrick; Sideris, Georgios

2018-06-01

The objective of this study was to assess the 12-month clinical outcomes in patients with drug-eluting stent in-stent restenosis (DES-ISR) who were either pre-dilated with non-compliant balloons (NCBA) and with additional scoring balloons (NCBA + SBA) prior to drug coated balloon (DCB) angioplasty. This monocentric, retrospective study included patients with DES-ISR who were routinely treated over a 2-year time span. Patients with stable angina and documented ischemia or selected forms of unstable angina due to a culprit DES-ISR lesion were analyzed. The primary endpoint was the clinically driven target-lesion revascularization (TLR) rate at 12 months. Secondary endpoints included post-interventional lumen gain and late lumen loss (LLL) at 6 months. The 12-month TLR rates in 124 patients who underwent either NCBA + SBA or NCBA only group were not different (17.3%, 9/52 vs 11.6%, 8/69, P = 0.371) and low as compared to other comparable studies. The use of SBA led to equally high post minimal lumen diameters (MLD) in both treatment arms (NCBA 2.21 ± 0.33 vs NCBA + SBA 2.18 ± 0.41, P = 0.868). We did not find a significant difference in late lumen loss (LLL) between both groups (0.50 ± 0.62 mm vs 0.40 ± 0.46 mm, P = 0.468). Scoring Balloon Angioplasty can safely and effectively prepare DES-ISR lesions to render them suitable for DCB angioplasty with acceptable TLR and MACE rates. © 2018, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Two Tethered Balloon Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Youngbluth, Otto; Owens, Thomas L.; Storey, Richard W.

1990-01-01

Systems take meteorological measurements for variety of research projects. Report describes work done by NASA Langley Research Center in atmospheric research using tethered balloon systems composed of commercially available equipment. Two separate tethered balloon systems described in report have payloads and configurations tailored to requirements of specific projects. Each system capable of measuring atmospheric parameter or species in situ and then telemetering this data in real time to ground station. Meteorological data and concentration of ozone typically measured. Indicates instrumented tethered balloon systems have distinct advantages over other systems for gathering data on troposphere.

Analyzing JAVAD TR-G2 GPS Receiver's Sensitivities to SLS Trajectory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schuler, Tristan

2017-01-01

Automated guidance and navigation systems are an integral part to successful space missions. Previous researchers created Python tools to receive and parse data from a JAVAD TR-G2 space-capable GPS receiver. I improved the tool by customizing the output for plotting and comparing several simulations. I analyzed position errors, data loss, and signal loss by comparing simulated receiver data from an IFEN GPS simulator to ‘truth data’ from a proposed trajectory. By adjusting the trajectory simulation’s gain, attitude, and start time, NASA can assess the best time to launch the SLS, where to position the antennas on the Block 1-B, and which filter to use. Some additional testing has begun with the Novatel SpaceQuestGPS receiver as well as a GNSS SDR receiver.

Precipitable Water Vapour at the Canarian Observatories (Teide and Roque de los Muchachos) from routine GPS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castro-Almazán, Julio A.; Muñoz-Tuñón, Casiana; García-Lorenzo, Begoña.; Pérez-Jordán, Gabriel; Varela, Antonia M.; Romero, Ignacio

2016-07-01

We are presenting two years (2012 and 2013) of preliminary statistical results of calibrated PWV values from the GPS geodesic antennas (LPAL and IZAN) at Teide and Roque de los Muchachos Observatories (OT and ORM), Canary Islands. To calibrate the PWV from both GPS antennas we have selected a set of simultaneous high vertical resolution radio-sounding profiles from the closest operational balloon station, Güímar (GUI-WMO 60018; ≍15 km distant from OT and ≍150 km from ORM). The calibrations showed a correlation of 0.994 and 0.970 for OT and ORM, respectively, with rmse of 0.44 and 0.70 mm. The calibrated PWV series brought median values of 3.5 mm at OT and 4.0 mm at ORM. The difference is explained by the 200 m of difference in height of the antennas (LPAL antenna is below the telescopes altitude). Twenty five percent of the time, PWV is less than 1.7 mm.

Mobile, high-wind, balloon-launching apparatus

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rust, W. David; Marshall, Thomas C.

1989-01-01

In order to place instruments for measuring meteorological and electrical parameters into thunderstorms, an inexpensive apparatus has been developed which makes it possible to inflate, transport, and launch balloons in high winds. The launching apparatus is a cylinder of bubble plastic that is made by joining the sides of the cylinder together with a velcro rip strip. A balloon is launched by pulling the rip strip rapidly. This allows the balloon to pop upward into the ambient low-level wind and carry its instrumentation aloft. Different-sized launch tubes are constructed to accommodate particular sizes of balloons. Balloons have been launched in winds of about 20 m/s.

Combined GPS/GLONASS Precise Point Positioning with Fixed GPS Ambiguities

PubMed Central

Pan, Lin; Cai, Changsheng; Santerre, Rock; Zhu, Jianjun

2014-01-01

Precise point positioning (PPP) technology is mostly implemented with an ambiguity-float solution. Its performance may be further improved by performing ambiguity-fixed resolution. Currently, the PPP integer ambiguity resolutions (IARs) are mainly based on GPS-only measurements. The integration of GPS and GLONASS can speed up the convergence and increase the accuracy of float ambiguity estimates, which contributes to enhancing the success rate and reliability of fixing ambiguities. This paper presents an approach of combined GPS/GLONASS PPP with fixed GPS ambiguities (GGPPP-FGA) in which GPS ambiguities are fixed into integers, while all GLONASS ambiguities are kept as float values. An improved minimum constellation method (MCM) is proposed to enhance the efficiency of GPS ambiguity fixing. Datasets from 20 globally distributed stations on two consecutive days are employed to investigate the performance of the GGPPP-FGA, including the positioning accuracy, convergence time and the time to first fix (TTFF). All datasets are processed for a time span of three hours in three scenarios, i.e., the GPS ambiguity-float solution, the GPS ambiguity-fixed resolution and the GGPPP-FGA resolution. The results indicate that the performance of the GPS ambiguity-fixed resolutions is significantly better than that of the GPS ambiguity-float solutions. In addition, the GGPPP-FGA improves the positioning accuracy by 38%, 25% and 44% and reduces the convergence time by 36%, 36% and 29% in the east, north and up coordinate components over the GPS-only ambiguity-fixed resolutions, respectively. Moreover, the TTFF is reduced by 27% after adding GLONASS observations. Wilcoxon rank sum tests and chi-square two-sample tests are made to examine the significance of the improvement on the positioning accuracy, convergence time and TTFF. PMID:25237901

The Great Balloon Controversy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chase, Valerie

1989-01-01

Discusses the harmful effects of balloon launches and the dumping of plastic debris into oceans. Cites several examples of plastic materials being discovered inside the bodies of sick and/or dead marine animals. Offers alternative activities to releasing balloons into the atmosphere. (RT)

Current trends of balloon laryngoplasty in Thailand.

PubMed

Moungthong, Greetha; Bunbanjerdsuk, Sacarin; Wright, Nida; Sathavornmanee, Thanakrit; Setabutr, Dhave

2017-06-01

To describe the current trend in balloon laryngoplasty usage and experience by practicing otolaryngologists in Thailand. Anonymous 11 question online and paper survey of otolaryngologists on their current balloon laryngoplasty practices. Current practices and experience in balloon laryngoplasty were queried with multiple choice and open-ended questions. Laser use is the most commonly utilized instrument to treat airway stenosis in Thailand. 86% of respondents do not have experience with balloon dilatation; yet, almost half (47.6%) report they perform a minimum of five airway surgeries per year. Most respondents had been in practice for less than 6 years (41%) and reported that they did not have exposure to balloon use during residency training. The largest barrier reported for the use of balloon instrumentation in the airway is inexperience (44.4%) followed by cost (38.3%), yet most feel that treatment in airway stenosis could benefit by usage of balloons (95.5%). Most otolaryngologists in Thailand do not have experience with the use of balloon dilatation and lack of exposure remains the largest barrier to its use. Otolaryngologists in Thailand feel that increased usage of balloons in the airway could improve airway stenosis treatment in the country.

Reference level winds from balloon platforms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lally, Vincent E.

1985-01-01

The superpressure balloon was developed to provide a method of obtaining global winds at all altitudes from 5 to 30 km. If a balloon could be made to fly for several weeks at a constant altitude, and if it could be tracked accurately on its global circuits, the balloon would provide a tag for the air parcel in which it was embedded. The Lagrangian data on the atmospheric circulation would provide a superior data input to the numerical model. The Global Atmospheric Research Program (GARP) was initiated in large part based on the promise of this technique coupled with free-floating ocean buoys and satellite radiometers. The initial name proposed by Charney for GARP was SABABURA 'SAtellite BAlloon BUoy RAdiometric system' (Charney, 1966). However, although the superpressure balloon exceeded its designers' expectations for flight duration in the stratosphere (longest flight duration of 744 days), flight duration below 10 km was limited by icing in super-cooled clouds to a few days. The balloon was relegated to a secondary role during the GARP Special Observing Periods. The several major superpressure balloon programs for global wind measurement are described as well as those new developments which make the balloon once again an attractive vehicle for measurement of global winds as a reference and bench-mark system for future satellite systems.

Modelling Hot Air Balloons.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brimicombe, M. W.

1991-01-01

A macroscopic way of modeling hot air balloons using a Newtonian approach is presented. Misleading examples using a car tire and the concept of hot air rising are discussed. Pressure gradient changes in the atmosphere are used to explain how hot air balloons work. (KR)

Balloon-augmented Onyx embolization of cerebral arteriovenous malformations using a dual-lumen balloon: a multicenter experience.

PubMed

Spiotta, Alejandro M; James, Robert F; Lowe, Stephen R; Vargas, Jan; Turk, Aquilla S; Chaudry, M Imran; Bhalla, Tarun; Janjua, Rashid M; Delaney, John J; Quintero-Wolfe, Stacey; Turner, Raymond D

2015-10-01

Conventional Onyx embolization of cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) requires lengthy procedure and fluoroscopy times to form an adequate 'proximal plug' which allows forward nidal penetration while preventing reflux and non-targeted embolization. We review our experience with balloon-augmented Onyx embolization of cerebral AVMs using a dual-lumen balloon catheter technique designed to minimize these challenges. Retrospectively acquired data for all balloon-augmented cerebral AVM embolizations performed between 2011 and 2014 were obtained from four tertiary care centers. For each procedure, at least one Scepter C balloon catheter was advanced into the AVM arterial pedicle of interest and Onyx embolization was performed through the inner lumen after balloon inflation via the outer lumen. Twenty patients underwent embolization with the balloon-augmented technique over 24 discreet treatment episodes. There were 37 total arterial pedicles embolized with the balloon-augmented technique, a mean of 1.9 per patient (range 1-5). The treated AVMs were heterogeneous in their location and size (mean 3.3±1.6 cm). Mean fluoroscopy time for each procedure was 48±26 min (28 min per embolized pedicle). Two Scepter C balloon catheter-related complications (8.3% of embolization sessions, 5.4% of pedicles embolized) were observed: an intraprocedural rupture of a feeding pedicle and fracture and retention of a catheter fragment. This multicenter experience represents the largest reported series of balloon-augmented Onyx embolization of cerebral AVMs. The technique appears safe and effective in the treatment of AVMs, allowing more efficient and controlled injection of Onyx with a decreased risk of reflux and decreased fluoroscopy times. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Solar research with stratospheric balloons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vázquez, Manuel; Wittmann, Axel D.

Balloons, driven by hot air or some gas lighter than air, were the first artificial machines able to lift payloads (including humans) from the ground. After some pioneering flights the study of the physical properties of the terrestrial atmosphere constituted the first scientific target. A bit later astronomers realized that the turbulence of the atmospheric layers above their ground-based telescopes deteriorated the image quality, and that balloons were an appropriate means to overcome, total or partially, this problem. Some of the most highly-resolved photographs and spectrograms of the sun during the 20th century were actually obtained by balloon-borne telescopes from the stratosphere. Some more recent projects of solar balloon astronomy will also be described.

Student-Built High-Altitude Balloon Payload with Sensor Array and Flight Computer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeffery, Russell; Slaton, William

A payload was designed for a high-altitude weather balloon. The flight controller consisted of a Raspberry Pi running a Python 3.4 program to collect and store data. The entire payload was designed to be versatile and easy to modify so that it could be repurposed for other projects: The code was written with the expectation that more sensors and other functionality would be added later, and a Raspberry Pi was chosen as the processor because of its versatility, its active support community, and its ability to interface easily with sensors, servos, and other such hardware. For this project, extensive use was made of the Python 3.4 libraries gps3, PiCamera, and RPi.GPIO to collect data from a GPS breakout board, a Raspberry Pi camera, a geiger counter, two thermocouples, and a pressure sensor. The data collected clearly shows that pressure and temperature decrease as altitude increases, while β-radiation and γ-radiation increase as altitude increases. These trends in the data follow those predicted by theoretical calculations made for comparison. This payload was developed in such a way that future students could easily alter it to include additional sensors, biological experiments, and additional error monitoring and management. Arkansas Space Grant Consortium (ASGC) Workforce Development Grant.

GPs' management strategies for patients with insomnia: a survey and qualitative interview study.

PubMed

Everitt, Hazel; McDermott, Lisa; Leydon, Geraldine; Yules, Harvey; Baldwin, David; Little, Paul

2014-02-01

Patients frequently experience sleep problems and present to primary care. However, information is limited regarding the management strategies that GPs employ. To gain an understanding of current GP management strategies for insomnia. A postal questionnaire survey and qualitative interviews with GPs in the south of England. A postal survey of 296 GPs and qualitative interviews were carried out with 23 of the GPs. The survey response rate was 56% (166/296). GPs look for signs of depression and anxiety in patients and if present treat these first. 'Sleep hygiene' advice is provided by 88% (147/166) of GPs but often seems insufficient and they feel under pressure to prescribe. Benzodiazepines and Z drugs are prescribed, often reluctantly, for short periods, because of known problems with dependence and tolerance. Many GPs prescribe low-dose amitriptyline for insomnia although it is not licensed for this indication. For insomnia 95% (157/166) of survey responders 'ever prescribe' amitriptyline, with 31% (52/166) stating they do so commonly. Most GPs perceived amitriptyline to be effective and a longer-term option for those with ongoing sleep problems. GPs report a lack of knowledge and confidence in the provision and use of psychological therapies, such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), in the management of insomnia. GPs often find 'sleep hygiene' advice is insufficient for managing insomnia and report frequently prescribing medication, including amitriptyline (off licence), which is often based on perceived patient pressure for a prescription. Patients are rarely offered psychological therapies such as CBT for insomnia, despite evidence suggesting its potential effectiveness.

21 CFR 870.1350 - Catheter balloon repair kit.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Catheter balloon repair kit. 870.1350 Section 870... repair kit. (a) Identification. A catheter balloon repair kit is a device used to repair or replace the balloon of a balloon catheter. The kit contains the materials, such as glue and balloons, necessary to...

21 CFR 870.1350 - Catheter balloon repair kit.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Catheter balloon repair kit. 870.1350 Section 870... repair kit. (a) Identification. A catheter balloon repair kit is a device used to repair or replace the balloon of a balloon catheter. The kit contains the materials, such as glue and balloons, necessary to...

21 CFR 870.1350 - Catheter balloon repair kit.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Catheter balloon repair kit. 870.1350 Section 870... repair kit. (a) Identification. A catheter balloon repair kit is a device used to repair or replace the balloon of a balloon catheter. The kit contains the materials, such as glue and balloons, necessary to...

Calculating Payload for a Tethered Balloon System

Treesearch

Charles D. Tangren

1980-01-01

A graph method to calculate payload for a tethered balloon system, with the supporting helium lift and payload equations. is described. The balloon system is designed to collect emissions data during the convective-lift and no-convective-lift phases of a forest fire. A description of the balloon system and a list of factors affecting balloon selection are included....

Concept report: Experimental vector magnetograph (EXVM) operational configuration balloon flight assembly

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

The observational limitations of earth bound solar studies has prompted a great deal of interest in recent months in being able to gain new scientific perspectives through, what should prove to be, relatively low cost flight of the magnetograph system. The ground work done by TBE for the solar balloon missions (originally planned for SOUP and GRID) as well as the rather advanced state of assembly of the EXVM has allowed the quick formulation of a mission concept for the 30 cm system currently being assembled. The flight system operational configuration will be discussed as it is proposed for short duration flight (on the order of one day) over the continental United States. Balloon hardware design requirements used in formulation of the concept are those set by the National Science Balloon Facility (NSBF), the support agency under NASA contract for flight services. The concept assumes that the flight hardware assembly would come together from three development sources: the scientific investigator package, the integration contractor package, and the NSBF support system. The majority of these three separate packages can be independently developed; however, the computer control interfaces and telemetry links would require extensive preplanning and coordination. A special section of this study deals with definition of a dedicated telemetry link to be provided by the integration contractor for video image data for pointing system performance verification. In this study the approach has been to capitalize to the maximum extent possible on existing hardware and system design. This is the most prudent step that can be taken to reduce eventual program cost for long duration flights. By fielding the existing EXVM as quickly as possible, experience could be gained from several short duration flight tests before it became necessary to commit to major upgrades for long duration flights of this system or of the larger 60 cm version being considered for eventual development.

Early Cosmic Ray Research with Balloons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walter, Michael

2013-06-01

The discovery of cosmic rays by Victor Hess during a balloon flight in 1912 at an altitude of 5350 m would not have been possible without the more than one hundred years development of scientific ballooning. The discovery of hot air and hydrogen balloons and their first flights in Europe is shortly described. Scientific ballooning was mainly connected with activities of meteorologists. It was also the geologist and meteorologist Franz Linke, who probably observed first indications of a penetrating radiation whose intensity seemed to increase with the altitude. Karl Bergwitz and Albert Gockel were the first physicists studying the penetrating radiation during balloon flights. The main part of the article deals with the discovery of the extraterrestrial radiation by V. Hess and the confirmation by Werner Kolhörster.

History and perspectives of scientific ballooning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lefevre, Frank

2001-08-01

Prehistory: Robertson, Biot and Gay-Lussac; Glaisher and the first studies of the atmosphere; Flammarion. The rebirth of scientific ballooning: polyethylene and mylar vehicles at Minneapolis. Super-pressurized balloons. The CNES and the Nasa programs; meteorology, aeronomy and astronomy, The Eole program. The Venus and Mars balloons in the French-Soviet space program. The future.

Assessment of GPS Reflectometry from TechDemoSat-1 for Scatterometry and Altimetry Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shah, R.; Hajj, G. A.

2015-12-01

The value of GPS reflectometry for scatterometry and altimetry applications has been a topic of investigation for the past two decades. TechDemoSat-1 (TDS-1), a technology demonstration satellite launched in July of 2014, with an instrument to collect GPS reflections from 4 GPS satellites simultaneously, provide the first extensive data that allows for validation and evaluation of GPS reflectometry from space against more established techniques. TDS-1 uses a high gain (~13 dBi) L1 antenna pointing 6 degrees off nadir with a 60ohalf-beam width. Reflected GPS L1 signals are processed into Delay Doppler Maps (DDMs) inside the receiver and made available (through Level-1b) along with metadata describing the bistatic geometry, antenna gain, etc., on a second-by-second basis for each of the 4 GPS tracks recorded at any given time. In this paper we examine level-1b data from TDS-1 for thousands of tracks collected over the span of Jan.-Feb., 2015. This data corresponds to reflections from various types of surfaces throughout the globe including ice, deserts, forests, oceans, lakes, wetlands, etc. Our analysis will consider how the surface type manifests itself in the DDMs (e.g., coherence vs. non-coherence reflection) and derivable physical quantities. We will consider questions regarding footprint resolution, waveform rise time and corresponding bistatic range accuracy, and level of precision for altimetry (sea surface height) and scatterometry (significant wave height and sea surface wind). Tracks from TDS-1 that coincide with Jason-1 or 2 tracks will be analyzed, where the latter can be used as truth for comparison and validation. Where coincidences are found, vertical delay introduced by the media as measured by Jason will be mapped to bistatic propagation path to correct for neutral atmospheric and ionospheric delays.

Histopathology of balloon-dilation Eustachian tuboplasty.

PubMed

Kivekäs, Ilkka; Chao, Wei-Chieh; Faquin, William; Hollowell, Monica; Silvola, Juha; Rasooly, Tali; Poe, Dennis

2015-02-01

Surgical intervention of the Eustachian tube (ET) has become increasingly common in the past decade, and balloon dilation has shown promising results in recent studies. It is unclear how balloon dilation enhances ET function. Our aim was to evaluate histological changes in the ET's mucosal lumen comparing before balloon dilation, immediately after, and postoperatively. Case series. Thirteen patients with bilateral ET dysfunction were enrolled. Biopsies of the ET mucosa were obtained just before balloon dilation; immediately after; and in three cases, 5 to 12 weeks postoperatively. Specimens were retrospectively examined under light microscopy by two pathologists blinded to the clinical information and whether specimens were pre- or postballoon dilation. Preoperative biopsies were characterized by inflammatory changes within the epithelium and submucosal layer. Immediate response to balloon dilation was thinning of the mucosa, shearing of epithelium and crush injury to the submucosa, especially to lymphocytic infiltrates. Postoperative biopsies demonstrated healthy pseudocolumnar epithelium and replacement of lymphocytic infiltrate with a thinner layer of fibrous tissue. Reduction of inflammatory epithelial changes and submucosal inflammatory infiltrate appeared to be the principal result of balloon dilation. The balloon may shear or crush portions of inflamed epithelium but usually spared the basal layer, allowing for rapid healing. Additionally, it appeared to effectively crush lymphocytes and lymphocytic follicles that may become replaced with thinner fibrous scar. Histopathology of the ET undergoing balloon dilation demonstrated effects that could reduce the overall inflammatory burden and may contribute to clinical improvement in ET function. 4. © 2014 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

Effect of intra-aortic balloon pump on coronary blood flow during different balloon cycles support: A computer study.

PubMed

Aye, Thin Pa Pa; Htet, Zwe Lin; Singhavilai, Thamvarit; Naiyanetr, Phornphop

2015-01-01

Intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) has been used in clinical treatment as a mechanical circulatory support device for patients with heart failure. A computer model is used to study the effect on coronary blood flow (CBF) with different balloon cycles under both normal and pathological conditions. The model of cardiovascular and IABP is developed by using MATLAB SIMULINK. The effect on coronary blood flow has been studied under both normal and pathological conditions using different balloon cycles (balloon off; 1:4; 1:2; 1:1). A pathological heart is implemented by reducing the left ventricular contractility. The result of this study shows that the rate of balloon cycles is related to the level of coronary blood flow.

NASA balloon design and flight - Philosophy and criteria

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, I. S., Jr.

1993-01-01

The NASA philosophy and criteria for the design and flight of scientific balloons are set forth and discussed. The thickness of balloon films is standardized at 20.3 microns to isolate potential film problems, and design equations are given for specific balloon parameters. Expressions are given for: flight-stress index, total required thickness, cap length, load-tape rating, and venting-duct area. The balloon design criteria were used in the design of scientific balloons under NASA auspices since 1986, and the resulting designs are shown to be 95 percent effective. These results represent a significant increase in the effectiveness of the balloons and therefore indicate that the design criteria are valuable. The criteria are applicable to four balloon volume classes in combination with seven payload ranges.

Long-Duration Altitude-Controlled Balloons for Venus: A Feasibility Study Informed by Balloon Flights in Remote Environments on Earth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voss, P. B.; Nott, J.; Cutts, J. A.; Hall, J. L.; Beauchamp, P. M.; Limaye, S. S.; Baines, K. H.; Hole, L. R.

2013-12-01

In situ exploration of the upper atmosphere of Venus, approximately 65-77 km altitude, could answer many important questions (Limaye 2013, Crisp 2013). This region contains a time-variable UV absorber of unknown composition that controls many aspects of the heat balance on Venus. Understanding the composition and dynamics of this unknown absorber is an important science goal; in situ optical and chemical measurements are needed. However, conventional approaches do not provide access to this altitude range, repeated traverses, and a mission lifetime of several months needed to effectively carry out the science. This paper examines concepts for altitude-controlled balloons not previously flown on planetary missions that could potentially provide the desired measurements. The concepts take advantage of the fact that at 60 km altitude, for example, the atmospheric density on Venus is about 40% of the sea-level density on earth and the temperature is a moderate 230 K. The solar flux is approximately double that on earth, creating some thermal challenges, but making photovoltaic power highly effective. Using a steady-state thermodynamic model and flight data from Earth, we evaluate the suitability of two types of altitude-controlled balloons for a potential mission on Venus. Such balloons could repeatedly measure profiles, avoid diurnal temperature extremes, and navigate using wind shear. The first balloon design uses air ballast (AB) whereby ambient air can be compressed into or released from a constant-volume balloon, causing it to descend or ascend accordingly. The second design uses lift-gas compression (LGC) to change the volume of a zero-pressure balloon, thereby changing its effective density and altitude. For an altitude range of 60-75 km on Venus, we find that the superpressure volume for a LGC balloon is about 5% of that needed for an AB balloon while the maximum pressurization is the same for both systems. The compressor work per km descent of the LGC balloon

What is the problem with medically unexplained symptoms for GPs? A meta-synthesis of qualitative studies.

PubMed

Johansen, May-Lill; Risor, Mette Bech

2017-04-01

To gain a deeper understanding of challenges faced by GPs when managing patients with MUS. We used meta-ethnography to synthesize qualitative studies on GPs' perception and management of MUS. The problem with MUS for GPs is the epistemological incongruence between dominant disease models and the reality of meeting patients suffering from persistent illness. GPs have used flexible approaches to manage the situation, yet patients and doctors have had parallel negative experiences of being stuck, untrustworthy and helpless. In the face of cognitive incongruence, GPs have strived to achieve relational congruence with their patients. This has led to parallel positive experiences of mutual trust and validation. With more experience, some GPs seem to overcome the incongruences, and later studies point towards a reframing of the MUS problem. For GPs, the challenge with MUS is most importantly at an epistemological level. Hence, a full reframing of the problem of MUS for GPs (and for patients) implies broad changes in basic medical knowledge and education. Short-term: Improve management of patients with MUS by transferring experience-based, reality-adjusted knowledge from senior GPs to juniors. Long-term: Work towards new models of disease that integrate knowledge from all relevant disciplines. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Power supplies for long duration balloon flights

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lichfield, Ernest W.

Long duration balloon flights require more electrical power than can be carried in primary batteries. This paper provides design information for selecting rechargeable batteries and charging systems. Solar panels for recharging batteries are discussed, with particular emphasis on cells mounting suitable for balloon flights and panel orientation for maximum power collection. Since efficient utilization of power is so important, modern DC to DC power conversion techniques are presented. On short flights of 1 day or less, system designers have not been greatly concerned with battery weight. But, with the advent of long duration balloon flights using superpressure balloons, anchor balloon systems, and RACOON balloon techniques, power supplies and their weight become of prime importance. The criteria for evaluating power systems for long duration balloon flights is performance per unit weight. Instrumented balloon systems have flown 44 days. For these very long duration flights, batteries recharged from solar cells are the only solution. For intermediate flight duration, say less than 10 days, the system designer should seriously consider using primary cells. The National Center for Atmospheric Research is sponsored by the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

How GPs learn.

PubMed

MacLeod, Sheona

2009-07-01

As the requirements for the revalidation of general practitioners (GPs) unfold, there is an increasing emphasis on demonstrating effective continued medical education (CME) based on identified learning needs. This qualitative study aimed to promote understanding of how GPs currently approach their learning. The behaviour of one group of GPs was studied to explore how they assessed and met individual learning needs. The GPs studied showed a pragmatic approach, valuing learning that gave them practical advice and instant access to information for patient-specific problems. The main driver for the GPs' learning was discomfort during their daily work if a possible lack of knowledge or skills was perceived. However, some learning benchmarked current good practice or ensured continued expertise. Learning purely for interest was also described. The GPs in this study all demonstrated a commitment to personal learning, although they were not yet thinking about demonstrating the effectiveness of this for revalidation. The GPs prioritised their learning needs and were beginning to use some objective assessment methods to do this and the GP appraisal process was found to have a mainly positive effect on learning.

Endovascular balloon-assisted embolization of intracranial and cervical arteriovenous malformations using dual-lumen coaxial balloon microcatheters and Onyx: initial experience.

PubMed

Jagadeesan, Bharathi D; Grigoryan, Mikayel; Hassan, Ameer E; Grande, Andrew W; Tummala, Ramachandra P

2013-12-01

Ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer (Onyx) is widely used for the embolization of arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) of the brain, head, and neck. Balloon-assisted Onyx embolization may provide additional unique advantages in the treatment of AVMs in comparison with traditional catheter-based techniques. To report our initial experience in performing balloon-assisted AVM embolization for brain and neck AVMs with the use of the new Scepter-C and Scepter-XC coaxial dual-lumen balloon microcatheters. Balloon-assisted transarterial embolization was performed in a series of 7 patients with AVMs (4 with brain AVMs, 1 with a dural arteriovenous fistula, and 2 with neck AVMs) by using Onyx delivered through the lumen of Scepter-C or Scepter XC coaxial balloon microcatheters. Following the initial balloon-catheter navigation into a feeding artery and the subsequent inflation of the balloon, the embolization was performed by using Onyx 18, Onyx 34, or both. A total of 12 embolization sessions were performed via 17 arterial feeders in these 7 patients. In 1 patient, there was an arterial perforation from the inflation of the balloon; in all others, the embolization goals were successfully achieved with no adverse events. The balloon microcatheters showed excellent navigability, and there were no problems with retrieval or with the repeated inflation and deflation of the balloons. A proximal Onyx plug, which is crucial in many AVM embolizations, was not necessary with this technique. Additionally, fluoroscopy and procedural times seemed lower with this technique compared with conventional embolization methods.

Are drug-coated balloons cost effective for femoropopliteal occlusive disease? A comparison of bare metal stents and uncoated balloons.

PubMed

Poder, Thomas G; Fisette, Jean-François

2016-07-01

To perform a cost-effectiveness analysis to help hospital decision-makers with regard to the use of drug-coated balloons compared with bare metal stents and uncoated balloons for femoropopliteal occlusive disease. Clinical outcomes were extracted from the results of meta-analyses already published, and cost units are those used in the Quebec healthcare network. The literature review was limited to the last four years to obtain the most recent data. The cost-effectiveness analysis was based on a 2-year perspective, and risk factors of reintervention were considered. The cost-effectiveness analysis indicated that drug-coated balloons were generally more efficient than bare metal stents, particularly for patients with higher risk of reintervention (up to CAD$1686 per patient TASC II C or D). Compared with uncoated balloons, results indicated that drug-coated balloons were more efficient if the reintervention rate associated with uncoated balloons is very high and for patients with higher risk of reintervention (up to CAD$3301 per patient). The higher a patient's risk of reintervention, the higher the savings associated with the use of a drug-coated balloon will be. For patients at lower risk, the uncoated balloon strategy is still recommended as a first choice for endovascular intervention.

Management of obstructed balloon catheters.

PubMed Central

Browning, G G; Barr, L; Horsburgh, A G

1984-01-01

Failure of a balloon catheter to deflate is not uncommon and prevents its removal. Methods of overcoming the problem include traction, bursting the balloon by overinflation, dissolving it with solvents, puncturing it percutaneously with a needle, or puncturing it with a wire stylet passed through the catheter. All except the last technique have major disadvantages and are of questionable safety. Transcatheter puncture of the balloon was used in 16 patients to remove obstructed balloon catheters without any technical difficulty, distress to the patient, or complication. The procedure is safe, simple, and does not require an anaesthetic. If necessary it could be performed safely by nursing or paramedical staff without the patient having to be admitted to hospital. It is the method of choice for the management of this problem. Images FIG 1 FIG 2 FIG 3 FIG 4 PMID:6428691

USNO GPS program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Putkovich, K.

1981-01-01

Initial test results indicated that the Global Positioning System/Time Transfer Unit (GPS/TTU) performed well within the + or - 100 nanosecond range required by the original system specification. Subsequent testing involved the verification of GPS time at the master control site via portable clocks and the acquisition and tracking of as many passes of the space vehicles currently in operation as possible. A description and discussion of the testing, system modifications, test results obtained, and an evaluation of both GPS and the GPS/TTU are presented.

Balloon Ascent: 3-D Simulation Tool for the Ascent and Float of High-Altitude Balloons

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Farley, Rodger E.

2005-01-01

The BalloonAscent balloon flight simulation code represents a from-scratch development using Visual Basic 5 as the software platform. The simulation code is a transient analysis of balloon flight, predicting the skin and gas temperatures along with the 3-D position and velocity in a time and spatially varying environment. There are manual and automated controls for gas valving and the dropping of ballast. Also, there are many handy calculators, such as appropriate free lift, and steady-state thermal solutions with temperature gradients. The strength of this simulation model over others in the past is that the infrared environment is deterministic rather than guessed at. The ground temperature is specified along with the emissivity, which creates a ground level IR environment that is then partially absorbed as it travels upward through the atmosphere to the altitude of the balloon.

Meeting the Challenge to Balloon Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, W. Vernon

The promise of superpressure ballooning is helping the balloon program evolve toward a cost-effective means for frequent access to near-space. Superpressure balloons fabricated from strong, light-weight composite materials have the potential for increasing flight times of ton-class payloads to 100 days or more at altitudes above 5 mbars at essentially any geographic latitude. Although this new capability is still in an embryonic stage, its potential has already had an impact. Specifically, a new NASA Office of Space Science policy for University-class Explorer missions allows balloon investigations to compete on an equal basis with other low-cost missions requiring expendable launch vehicles. The new challenge for the science community is to design winning payloads that can be built within the cost cap of $13 M, including launch costs, and be developed within two to three years from selection to launch. Defining the international trajectories and getting the overflight agreements for balloon flights that make several circumnavigations of Earth will also be a challenge

The French balloon and sounding rocket space program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coutin/Faye, S.; Sadourny, I.

1987-08-01

Stratospheric and long duration flight balloon programs are outlined. Open stratospheric balloons up to 1 million cu m volume are used to carry astronomy, solar system, aeronomy, stratosphere, biology, space physics, and geophysics experiments. The long duration balloons can carry 50 kg payloads at 20 to 30 km altitude for 10 days to several weeks. Pressurized stratospheric balloons, and infrared hot air balloons are used. They are used to study the dynamics of stratospheric waves and atmospheric water vapor. Laboratories participating in sounding rocket programs are listed.

TMBM: Tethered Micro-Balloons on Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sims, M. H.; Greeley, R.; Cutts, J. A.; Yavrouian, A. H.; Murbach, M.

2000-01-01

The use of balloons/aerobots on Mars has been under consideration for many years. Concepts include deployment during entry into the atmosphere from a carrier spacecraft, deployment from a lander, use of super-pressurized systems for long duration flights, 'hot-air' systems, etc. Principal advantages include the ability to obtain high-resolution data of the surface because balloons provide a low-altitude platform which moves relatively slowly. Work conducted within the last few years has removed many of the technical difficulties encountered in deployment and operation of balloons/aerobots on Mars. The concept proposed here (a tethered balloon released from a lander) uses a relatively simple approach which would enable aspects of Martian balloons to be tested while providing useful and potentially unique science results. Tethered Micro-Balloons on Mars (TMBM) would be carried to Mars on board a future lander as a stand-alone experiment having a total mass of one to two kilograms. It would consist of a helium balloon of up to 50 cubic meters that is inflated after landing and initially tethered to the lander. Its primary instrumentation would be a camera that would be carried to an altitude of up to tens of meters above the surface. Imaging data would be transmitted to the lander for inclusion in the mission data stream. The tether would be released in stages allowing different resolutions and coverage. In addition during this staged release a lander camera system may observe the motion of the balloon at various heights above he lander. Under some scenarios upon completion of the primary phase of TMBM operations, the tether would be cut, allowing TMBM to drift away from the landing site, during which images would be taken along the ground.

Advances in Scientific Balloon Thermal Modeling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bohaboj, T.; Cathey, H. M., Jr.

2004-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Balloon Program office has long acknowledged that the accurate modeling of balloon performance and flight prediction is dependant on how well the balloon is thermally modeled. This ongoing effort is focused on developing accurate balloon thermal models that can be used to quickly predict balloon temperatures and balloon performance. The ability to model parametric changes is also a driver for this effort. This paper will present the most recent advances made in this area. This research effort continues to utilize the "Thrmal Desktop" addition to AUTO CAD for the modeling. Recent advances have been made by using this analytical tool. A number of analyses have been completed to test the applicability of this tool to the problem with very positive results. Progressively detailed models have been developed to explore the capabilities of the tool as well as to provide guidance in model formulation. A number of parametric studies have been completed. These studies have varied the shape of the structure, material properties, environmental inputs, and model geometry. These studies have concentrated on spherical "proxy models" for the initial development stages and then to transition to the natural shaped zero pressure and super pressure balloons. An assessment of required model resolution has also been determined. Model solutions have been cross checked with known solutions via hand calculations. The comparison of these cases will also be presented. One goal is to develop analysis guidelines and an approach for modeling balloons for both simple first order estimates and detailed full models. This papa presents the step by step advances made as part of this effort, capabilities, limitations, and the lessons learned. Also presented are the plans for further thermal modeling work.

75 FR 8928 - Announcement of IS-GPS-200, IS-GPS-705, IS-GPS-800 Interface Control Working Group (ICWG...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-26

... DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Department of the Air Force Announcement of IS-GPS-200, IS-GPS-705, IS-GPS-800Interface Control Working Group (ICWG) Teleconference Meeting AGENCY: Department of the Air Force, DoD... Positioning Systems Wing will be hosting an Interface Control Working Group (ICWG) teleconference meeting for...

Thermal performance modeling of NASA s scientific balloons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Franco, H.; Cathey, H.

The flight performance of a scientific balloon is highly dependant on the interaction between the balloon and its environment. The balloon is a thermal vehicle. Modeling a scientific balloon's thermal performance has proven to be a difficult analytical task. Most previous thermal models have attempted these analyses by using either a bulk thermal model approach, or by simplified representations of the balloon. These approaches to date have provided reasonable, but not very accurate results. Improvements have been made in recent years using thermal analysis tools developed for the thermal modeling of spacecraft and other sophisticated heat transfer problems. These tools, which now allow for accurate modeling of highly transmissive materials, have been applied to the thermal analysis of NASA's scientific balloons. A research effort has been started that utilizes the "Thermal Desktop" addition to AUTO CAD. This paper will discuss the development of thermal models for both conventional and Ultra Long Duration super-pressure balloons. This research effort has focused on incremental analysis stages of development to assess the accuracy of the tool and the required model resolution to produce usable data. The first stage balloon thermal analyses started with simple spherical balloon models with a limited number of nodes, and expanded the number of nodes to determine required model resolution. These models were then modified to include additional details such as load tapes. The second stage analyses looked at natural shaped Zero Pressure balloons. Load tapes were then added to these shapes, again with the goal of determining the required modeling accuracy by varying the number of gores. The third stage, following the same steps as the Zero Pressure balloon efforts, was directed at modeling super-pressure pumpkin shaped balloons. The results were then used to develop analysis guidelines and an approach for modeling balloons for both simple first order estimates and detailed

Development of a super-pressure balloon with a diamond-shaped net --- result of a ground inflation test of a 2,000 cubic-meter balloon ---

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saito, Yoshitaka; Nakashino, Kyoichi; Akita, Daisuke; Matsushima, Kiyoho; Shimadu, Shigeyuki; Goto, Ken; Hashimoto, Hiroyuki; Matsuo, Takuma

2016-07-01

A light super-pressure balloon has been developed using a method to cover a balloon with a diamond-shaped net of high-tensile fibers. The goal is to fly a payload of 900 kg to the altitude of 37 km with a 300,000 m^{3} balloon. Beginning from a demonstration test of the net-balloon with a 10 m^{3} balloon in 2010, we have been polished the net-balloon through ground inflation tests and flight tests, including a flight test of a 3,000 m ^{3} balloon in the tandem balloon configuration with a 15,000 m^{3} zero-pressure balloon in 2012, and a flight test of a 10 m^{3} balloon in the tandem balloon configuration with a 2 kg rubber balloon in 2013, as reported in the last COSPAR. In 2014, we developed a 5,000 m^{3} balloon and performed a ground inflation test to find that the balloon burst from a lip panel for termination with a differential pressure of 425 Pa. It was due to a stress concentration at the edge of a thick tape attached along the termination mechanism. In 2015, we modified the balloon by adding tapes on the lip panel to avoid the stress concentration, and also shorten the net length to leave some margin of the film and performed a ground inflation test again to find the balloon showed asymmetrical deployment and burst from the edge of the net with a differential pressure of 348 Pa. We consider it is due to the margin of the film along the circumferential direction, and proposed a gore shape which circumference length is kept as determined by the pumpkin shape of the balloon but setting meridian length longer than that. We developed a 10 m^{3} balloon with the gore design to find that the balloon deployed symmetrically and showed the burst pressure of 10,000 Pa. In 2016, we are going to develop a 2,000 m^{3} balloon with the gore design and perform its ground inflation test. In this paper, we are going to report its result with the sequence of the development.

Immediate Outcome of Balloon Mitral Valvuloplasty with JOMIVA Balloon during Pregnancy

PubMed Central

Ramasamy, Ramona; Kaliappan, Tamilarasu; Gopalan, Rajendiran; Palanimuthu, Ramasmy; Anandhan, Premkrishna

2017-01-01

Introduction Rheumatic mitral stenosis is the most common Valvular Heart Disease encountered during pregnancy. Balloon Mitral Valvuloplasty (BMV) is one of the treatment option available if the symptoms are refractory to the medical management and the valve anatomy is suitable for balloon dilatation. BMV with Inoue balloon is the most common technique being followed worldwide. Over the wire BMV is a modified technique using Joseph Mitral Valvuloplasty (JOMIVA) balloon catheter which is being followed in certain centres. Aim To assess the immediate post procedure outcome of over the wire BMV with JOMIVA balloon. Materials and Methods Clinical and echocardiographic parameters of pregnant women with significant mitral stenosis who underwent elective BMV with JOMIVA balloon in our institute from 2005 to 2015 were analysed retrospectively. Severity of breathlessness (New York Heart Association Functional Class), and duration of pregnancy was included in the analysis. Pre procedural echocardiographic parameters which included severity of mitral stenosis and Wilkin’s scoring were analysed. Clinical, haemodynamic and echocardiographic outcomes immediately after the procedure were analysed. Results Among the patients who underwent BMV in our Institute 38 were pregnant women. Twenty four patients (63%) were in New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class III. All of them were in sinus rhythm except two (5%) who had atrial fibrillation. Thirty four patients (89.5%) were in second trimester of pregnancy at the time of presentation and four (10.5%) were in third trimester. Echocardiographic analysis of the mitral valve showed that the mean Wilkin’s score was 7.3. Mean mitral valve area pre procedure was 0.8 cm2. Mean gradient across the valve was 18 mmHg. Ten patients (26.5%) had mild mitral regurgitation and none had more than mild mitral regurgitation. Thirty six patients had pulmonary hypertension as assessed by tricuspid regurgitation jet velocity. All of them underwent BMV

A Methane Balloon Inflation Chamber

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Czerwinski, Curtis J.; Cordes, Tanya J.; Franek, Joe

2005-01-01

The various equipments, procedure and hazards in constructing the device for inflating a methane balloon using a standard methane outlet in a laboratory are described. This device is fast, safe, inexpensive, and easy to use as compared to a hydrogen gas cylinder for inflating balloons.

Balloon pulmonary valvotomy--not just a simple balloon dilatation.

PubMed

Mohanty, Subhendu; Pandit, Bhagya Narayan; Tyagi, Sanjay

2014-01-01

Balloon pulmonary valvotomy is the preferred mode of treatment in patients with isolated pulmonary valvar stenosis and has shown good long term results. It is generally considered a safe procedure with few complications. There have been however, case reports of potentially fatal acute severe pulmonary edema occurring after the procedure in some patients. The cause of this complication and its pathophysiology is still not clear. Its occurrence is also infrequent with less than 5 cases reported till now. We report a case of pulmonary valvar stenosis which developed acute severe refractory pulmonary edema immediately after balloon pulmonary valvotomy. Copyright © 2014 Cardiological Society of India. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

14 CFR 61.115 - Balloon rating: Limitations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... takes a practical test in a balloon with an airborne heater: (1) The pilot certificate will contain a limitation restricting the exercise of the privileges of that certificate to a balloon with an airborne... removed when the person obtains the required aeronautical experience in a balloon with an airborne heater...

Gradient magnetometer system balloons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Korepanov, Valery; Tsvetkov, Yury

2005-08-01

Earth's magnetic field study still remains one of the leading edges of experimental geophysics. Thus study is executed on the Earth surface, including ocean bottom, and on satellite heights using component, mostly flux-gate magnetometers. But balloon experiments with component magnetometers are very seldom, first of all because of great complexity of data interpretation. This niche still waits for new experimental ideology, which will allow to get the measurements results with high accuracy, especially in gradient mode. The great importance of precise balloon-borne component magnetic field gradient study is obvious. Its technical realization is based both on the available at the marked high-precision non-magnetic tiltmeters and on recent achievements of flux-gate magnetometry. The scientific goals of balloon-borne magnetic gradiometric experiment are discussed and its practical realization is proposed.

Laser welding of balloon catheters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flanagan, Aidan J.

2003-03-01

The balloon catheter is one of the principal instruments of non-invasive vascular surgery. It is used most commonly for angioplasty (and in recent years for delivering stents) at a multitude of different sites in the body from small arteries in the heart to the bilary duct. It is composed of a polymer balloon that is attached to a polymer shaft at two points called the distal and proximal bonds. The diverse utility of balloon catheters means a large range of component sizes and materials are used during production; this leads to a complexity of bonding methods and technology. The proximal and distal bonds have been conventionally made using cyanoacrylate or UV curing glue, however with performance requirements of bond strength, flexibility, profile, and manufacturing costs these bonds are increasingly being made by welding using laser, RF, and Hot Jaw methods. This paper describes laser welding of distal and proximal balloon bonds and details beam delivery, bonding mechanisms, bond shaping, laser types, and wavelength choice.

NASA Langley Research Center tethered balloon systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Owens, Thomas L.; Storey, Richard W.; Youngbluth, Otto

1987-01-01

The NASA Langley Research Center tethered balloon system operations are covered in this report for the period of 1979 through 1983. Meteorological data, ozone concentrations, and other data were obtained from in situ measurements. The large tethered balloon had a lifting capability of 30 kilograms to 2500 meters. The report includes descriptions of the various components of the balloon systems such as the balloons, the sensors, the electronics, and the hardware. Several photographs of the system are included as well as a list of projects including the types of data gathered.

Heat Transfer Model for Hot Air Balloons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Llado-Gambin, Adriana

A heat transfer model and analysis for hot air balloons is presented in this work, backed with a flow simulation using SolidWorks. The objective is to understand the major heat losses in the balloon and to identify the parameters that affect most its flight performance. Results show that more than 70% of the heat losses are due to the emitted radiation from the balloon envelope and that convection losses represent around 20% of the total. A simulated heating source is also included in the modeling based on typical thermal input from a balloon propane burner. The burner duty cycle to keep a constant altitude can vary from 10% to 28% depending on the atmospheric conditions, and the ambient temperature is the parameter that most affects the total thermal input needed. The simulation and analysis also predict that the gas temperature inside the balloon decreases at a rate of -0.25 K/s when there is no burner activity, and it increases at a rate of +1 K/s when the balloon pilot operates the burner. The results were compared to actual flight data and they show very good agreement indicating that the major physical processes responsible for balloon performance aloft are accurately captured in the simulation.

Balloon Borne Ultraviolet Spectrometer.

DTIC Science & Technology

1978-12-28

n.c.aaary ond lden lfy by block numb.r) ultraviolet ground support equipment (GSE) spectrometers flight electronics instrumentation balloons \\ solar ...Assembly 4 Fig. 3 Solar Balloon Experiment Ass ’y 7 Fig. 4 Mechanical Interface , UV Spectrometer 8 Fig . 5 Spectrometer Body Assemb ly 10 Fig. 6...Diagram, GSE )bnitor 48 Selector and Battery Charger Fig. 25 Schematic Diagram, GSE Serial to 49 Parallel Data Converter Fig. 26 Schematic Diagram

Determination of balloon drag

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Conrad, George R.; Robbins, Edward J.

1991-01-01

The evolution of an empirical drag relationship that has stimulated rethinking regarding the physics of balloon drag phenomena is discussed. Combined parasitic drag from all sources in the balloon system are estimated to constitute less than 10 percent of the total system drag. It is shown that the difference between flight-determined drag coefficients and those based on the spherical assumption should be related to the square of the Froude number.

Is side-viewing endoscope assisted balloon dilatation better for corrosive gastric outlet obstruction?

PubMed

Katiyar, Prashant; Nijhawan, Sandeep; Saradava, Vimal; Nagaich, Neeraj; Gupta, Gaurav; Mathur, Amit; Nepalia, Subhash

2013-11-01

Endoscopic balloon dilatation (EBD) is an effective therapy for caustic-induced gastric outlet obstruction (GOO). Gaining access to the stricture site is the most important step. It is sometimes difficult to negotiate a balloon through the stricture with a front-viewing endoscope due to deformed anatomy of stomach. To overcome this technical difficulty, a side-viewing endoscope can be used. There is limited data regarding the use of side-viewing endoscopes in EBD. We here report on the short-term efficacy and safety of EBD in caustic-induced GOO. In technically difficult cases, a side-viewing endoscope was used for EBD and its efficacy and safety were assessed. The study included 25 patients with caustic-induced GOO. Patients underwent EBD using a through-the-scope balloon. Initial balloon dilatation was performed with a front-viewing endoscope. A side-viewing endoscope was used where negotiation across the stricture failed with a front-viewing endoscope. Dilatation was started at 8 mm diameter and was performed at 1-week intervals. The end point of dilatation was 15 mm diameter. In 18 patients successful balloon dilatation was possible with a front-viewing endoscope. A side-viewing endoscope was used in six patients as negotiation across the stricture was not possible with a front-viewing endoscope. In all six patients negotiation across the stricture followed by successful dilatation was successful with a side-viewing endoscope. Of the 25 patients included in this study, 24 (96%) achieved procedural success (18 with a front-viewing endoscope and 6 with a side-viewing endoscope) in 3-9 sessions. Our results show that EBD is a safe and effective option for caustic-induced GOO and in difficult cases a side-viewing endoscope can be used to achieve technical success.

Yellow Balloon in a Briar Patch.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cooper, Frank; Fitzmaurice, Robert W.

1978-01-01

As part of a meteorology unit, sixth grade science students launched helium balloons with attached return postcards. This article describes Weather Service monitoring of the balloons and postcard return results. (MA)

21 CFR 874.4100 - Epistaxis balloon.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

.... An epistaxis balloon is a device consisting of an inflatable balloon intended to control internal... (general controls). The device is exempt from the premarket notification procedures in subpart E of part...

Auditory Risk of Exploding Hydrogen-Oxygen Balloons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gee, Kent L.; Vernon, Julia A.; Macedone, Jeffrey H.

2010-01-01

Although hydrogen-oxygen balloon explosions are popular demonstrations, the acoustic impulse created poses a hearing damage risk if the peak level exceeds 140 dB at the listener's ear. The results of acoustical measurements of hydrogen-oxygen balloons of varying volume and oxygen content are described. It is shown that hydrogen balloons may be…

Balloon cell nevus of the iris.

PubMed

Morcos, Mohib W; Odashiro, Alexandre; Bazin, Richard; Pereira, Patricia Rusa; O'Meara, Aisling; Burnier, Miguel N

2014-12-01

Balloon cell nevus is a rare histopathological lesion characterized by a predominance of large, vesicular and clear cells, called balloon cells. There is only 1 case of balloon cell nevus of the iris reported in the literature. A 55 year-old man presented a pigmented elevated lesion in the right iris since the age of 12 years old. The lesion had been growing for the past 2 years and excision was performed. Histopathological examination showed a balloon cell nevus composed of clear and vacuolated cells without atypia. A typical spindle cell nevus of the iris was also observed. The differential diagnosis included xanthomatous lesions, brown adipocyte or other adipocytic lesions, clear cell hidradenoma, metastatic clear cell carcinoma of the kidney and clear cell sarcoma. The tumor was positive for Melan A, S100 protein and HMB45. Balloon cell nevus of the iris is rare but should be considered in the differential diagnosis of melanocytic lesions of the iris. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

The French Balloon Program 2013 - 2017

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dubourg, Vincent; Vargas, André; Raizonville, Philippe

2016-07-01

With over 50 years' experience in the field, the French Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES) goes on supporting - as designer and operator - a significant scientific ballooning program. In particular so because balloons still give a unique and valuable access to near space science. From 2008 to 2013, an important renovation effort was achieved, beginning by Zero Pressure Balloons (ZPB) systems, to comply with more stringent Safety constraints and to the growing reliability and performance requirements from scientific missions. The paper will give an overview of the CNES new capabilities and services for operational balloon activities, and their availability status. The scientific launch campaigns of the past two years will be presented. A focus will be made on the results of the Stratoscience 2015 flight campaign from Timmins, Ontario, using the NOSYCA command and control system for ZPB, qualified in flight in 2013. In particular, the PILOT telescope successfully flew during the 2015 campaign, key figures about the flight and mission will be given. An outlook of the new stratospheric long duration flight systems currently in process of developement at CNES will be given, as well as the presentation of the Stratéole 2 project, dedicated to the survey of the low stratosphere and upper troposphere in equatorial regions, with a fleet of small suprer pressure balloons (SPB). As far as tropospheric balloons are concerned, the Aeroclipper initiative will be presented, aiming at qualifying a quasi-tethered balloon, pushed by the winds close to the sea surface, for the study of cyclones. The scientific launch campaigns and the main payloads in the study for the near future will also be presented.

Vertical sounding balloons for stratospheric photochemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pommereau, J. P.

The use of vertical sounding balloons for stratospheric photochemistry studies is illustrated by the use of a vertical piloted gas balloon for the search of NO2 diurnal variations. It is shown that the use of montgolfieres (hot air balloons) can enhance the vertical sounding technique. Particular attention is given to a sun-heated montgolfiere and to the more sophisticated infrared montgolfiere that is able to perform three to four vertical excursions per day and to remain aloft for weeks or months.

Balloon mania: news in the air.

PubMed

Kim, Mi Gyung

2004-12-01

The hot-air balloon, invented by the Montgolfier brothers in 1783, enabled the French King to project his glory, the nobility to exhibit their valor, the literary public to transmit the ideal of the Enlightenment and the plebian public to rejoice in a scientific spectacle. The ensuing balloon mania helped create an integrated public that, because of its size and composition, can only be described as 'democratic' just a few years before the French Revolution. The monumental impact of the balloon was well represented in a flood of poetry, pamphlets, books, journal reports, academic papers and consumer items. Sifting through these artifacts and considering the crowd that witnessed the ascent of the balloon will bring us to the historical moment when things, spectacles, and events (rather than words) shaped public and popular opinion.

Clinical experience with the Monorail balloon catheter for coronary angioplasty.

PubMed

Finci, L; Meier, B; Roy, P; Steffenino, G; Rutishauser, W

1988-01-01

The Monorail balloon catheter is distinctly different from other current balloon catheters: the guidewire passes through the balloon itself, exits the catheter proximal to the balloon, and runs alongside its small shaft (3 French) through the guiding catheter. Monorail coronary angioplasty was attempted in 61 patients on 73 lesions with balloons from 2.0 to 3.7 mm. Angiographic success was obtained in 66 lesions (90%). For 15 lesions, balloon exchanges were needed. In three lesions, the Monorail balloon failed to cross the lesion, while a standard balloon succeeded; two lesions could not be crossed with any balloon. Vessel occlusion occurred in four patients: two had emergency surgery without infarct (one died suddenly 4 days later and one had a stroke 1 day later), one was recanalized with a standard balloon, and one had a myocardial infarct. Continuous infusion of urokinase was used until patient 3 in whom problems with the delivery system led to cardiocerebral air embolization (with complete recovery). No thrombotic complications were observed in the subsequent 58 patients with only a bolus of 10,000 U of heparin. The Monorail balloon facilitates contrast injections and balloon exchanges but appears more difficult to pass through tight lesions. Omission of the previously recommended infusion with a thrombolytic agent proved safe.

Soil Moisture Sensing Using Reflected GPS Signals: Description of the GPS Soil Moisture Product.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larson, Kristine; Small, Eric; Chew, Clara

2015-04-01

As first demonstrated by the GPS reflections group in 2008, data from GPS networks can be used to monitor multiple parameters of the terrestrial water cycle. The GPS L-band signals take two paths: (1) the "direct" signal travels from the satellite to the antenna, which is typically located 2-3 meters above the ground; (2) the reflected signal interacts with the Earth's surface before traveling to the antenna. The direct signal is used by geophysicists and surveyors to measure the position of the antenna, while the effects of reflected signals are a source of error. If one focuses on the reflected signal rather than the positioning observables, one has a method that is sensitive to surface soil moisture (top 5 cm), vegetation water content, and snow depth. This method - known as GPS Interferometric Reflectometry (GPS-IR) - has a footprint of ~1000 m2 for most GPS sites. This is intermediate in scale to most in situ and satellite observations. A significant advantage of GPS-IR is that data from existing GPS networks can be used without any changes to the instrumentation. This means that there is a new source of cost-effective instrumentation for satellite validation and climate studies. This presentation will provide an overview of the GPS-IR methodology with an emphasis on the soil moisture product. GPS water cycle products are currently produced on a daily basis for a network of ~500 sites in the western United States; results are freely available at http://xenon.colorado.edu/portal. Plans to expand the GPS-IR method to the network of international GPS sites will also be discussed.

A comparision of temperature detection with the small rotorcraft and the balloon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cui, X.

2016-12-01

To observe the upper atmosphere, we can use balloons, aircrafts, and rockets etc. With the popularity of UAV applications in various fields, the use of small rotorcraft as a meteorological observation carrier has gained more and more attention. Small rotorcrafts have the following advantages, such as easy portability, high controllability, and reusable. They have a good prospect in the atmospheric boundary layer detection. In this paper, we detect the vertical temperature profile using the small rotorcraft carrying the temperature sensor and also the radiosonde at the same time. We conduct flight tests in Baoshan District Meteorological Bureau of Shanghai in China as is shown in Fig. 1, and mainly focus on the comparision of their differences. The preliminary results showed that the absolute error is less than 0.07 ° comparing with the balloon-borne sensors as is shown in Fig. 2. Our tests showed that using small rotorcraft as a platform to observe the atmosphere is feasible means.

Use of monorail PTCA balloon catheter for local drug delivery.

PubMed

Trehan, Vijay; Nair, Girish M; Gupta, Mohit D

2007-01-01

We report the use of monorail coronary balloon as an infusion catheter to give bailout abciximab selectively into the site of stent thrombosis as an adjunct to plain old balloon angioplasty (POBA) in a patient of subacute stent thrombosis of the left anterior descending coronary artery. The balloon component (polyamide material) of the monorail balloon catheter was shaved off the catheter so that abciximab injected through the balloon port of the catheter exited out the shaft of the balloon catheter at the site from where the balloon material was shaved off. We believe that selective infusion with abciximab along with POBA established antegrade flow and relieved the patient's ischemia. In the absence of essential hardware to give intracoronary drugs in an emergency situation, one may employ our technique of infusion through a monorail balloon catheter after shaving the balloon component from the catheter.

Application of Electrocautery Needle Knife Combined with Balloon Dilatation versus Balloon Dilatation in the Treatment of Tracheal Fibrotic Scar Stenosis.

PubMed

Bo, Liyan; Li, Congcong; Chen, Min; Mu, Deguang; Jin, Faguang

Electrocautery needle knives can largely reduce scar and granulation tissue hyperplasia and play an important role in treating patients with benign stricture. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of electrocautery needle knife combined with balloon dilatation versus balloon dilatation alone in the treatment of tracheal stenosis caused by tracheal intubation or tracheotomy. We retrospectively analysed the clinical data of 43 patients with tracheal stenosis caused by tracheotomy or tracheal intubation in our department from January 2013 to January 2016. Among these 43 patients, 23 had simple web-like stenosis and 20 had complex steno sis. All patients were treated under general anaesthesia, and the treatment methods were (1) balloon dilatation alone, (2) needle knife excision of fibrotic tissue combined with balloon dilatation, and (3) needle knife radial incision of fibrotic tissue combined with balloon dilatation. After treatment the symptoms, such as shortness of breath, were markedly improved immediately in all cases. The stenosis degree of patients who were treated with the elec-trocautery needle knife combined with balloon dilatation had better improvement compared with that of those treated with balloon dilatation treatment alone after 3 months (0.45 ± 0.04 vs. 0.67 ± 0.05, p < 0.01), and the proportion of restenosis occurrence that required further treatment was decreased at 6 months (46.9 vs. 81.8%), especially for the web-like stenosis patients, as most of their stenoses dilated with no obvious restenosis and achieved clinical cure. Electrocautery needle knife combined with balloon dilatation is an effective and safe treatment for tracheal fibrotic stenosis compared with balloon dilatation alone. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Global electrodynamics from superpressure balloons

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holzworth, R. H.; Hu, H.

1995-01-01

Electric field and conductivity measurements in the stratosphere between November 1992 and March 1993 have been made using superpressure balloons in the southern hemisphere. Over 400 payload-days of data have been made during a record setting experiment called ELBBO (Extended Life Balloon Borne Observatories). This experiment resulted in 4 flights aloft simultaneously for over 2 months including one flight which lasted over 4 months. Electrodynamical coupling between the atmosphere and ionosphere is studied using the measured electric fields, and a simple empirical model of the stratospheric conductivity. Altitude profiles of conductivity have been obtained from several superpressure balloon flights using the large end-of-flight altitude swings on the last few days of each flight (as the balloon begins to loose superpressure). Coupling between the fields and atmospheric inertial waves has been observed. Effects and dynamics of the global circuit suggest that standard models are missing significant phenomena. Large scale ionospheric convection activity has been studied from the polar cap to the middle latitudes. Cusp latitude fields have been continuously measured for many days in a row.

NASA Scientific Balloon in Antarctica

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

NASA image captured December 25, 2011 A NASA scientific balloon awaits launch in McMurdo, Antarctica. The balloon, carrying Indiana University's Cosmic Ray Electron Synchrotron Telescope (CREST), was launched on December 25. After a circum-navigational flight around the South Pole, the payload landed on January 5. The CREST payload is one of two scheduled as part of this seasons' annual NASA Antarctic balloon Campaign which is conducted in cooperation with the National Science Foundation's Office of Polar Programs. The campaign's second payload is the University of Arizona's Stratospheric Terahertz Observatory (STO). You can follow the flights at the Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility's web site at www.csbf.nasa.gov/antarctica/ice.htm Credit: NASA NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

The GPS Space Service Volume

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bauer, F. H.; Moreau, M. C.; Dahle-Melsaether, M. E.; Petrofski, W. P.; Stanton, B. J.; Thomason, S.; Harris, G. A.; Sena, R. P.; Temple, L. Parker, III

2006-01-01

Prior to the advent of artificial satellites, the concept of navigating in space and the desire to understand and validate the laws of planetary and satellite motion dates back centuries. At the initiation of orbital flight in 1957, space navigation was dominated by inertial and groundbased tracking methods, underpinned by the laws of planetary motion. It was early in the 1980s that GPS was first explored as a system useful for refining the position, velocity, and timing (PVT) of other spacecraft equipped with GPS receivers. As a result, an entirely new GPS utility was developed beyond its original purpose of providing PVT services for land, maritime, and air applications. Spacecraft both above and below the GPS constellation now receive the GPS signals, including the signals that spill over the limb of the Earth. The use of radionavigation satellite services for space navigation in High Earth Orbits is in fact a capability unique to GPS. Support to GPS space applications is being studied and planned as an important improvement to GPS. This paper discusses the formalization of PVT services in space as part of an overall GPS improvement effort. It describes the GPS Space Service Volume (SSV) and compares it to the Terrestrial Service Volume (TSV). It also discusses SSV coverage with the current GPS constellation, coverage characteristics as a function of altitude, expected power levels, and coverage figures of merit.

Development of a Super-Pressure Balloon with an Improved Design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Izutsu, Naoki; Akita, Daisuke; Fuke, Hideyuki; Iijima, Issei; Kato, Yoichi; Kawada, Jiro; Matsushima, Kiyoho; Matsuzaka, Yukihiko; Mizuta, Eiichi; Nakada, Takashi; Nonaka, Naoki; Saito, Yoshitaka; Takada, Atsushi; Tamura, Keisuke; Yamada, Kazuhiko; Yoshida, Tetsuya

A zero-pressure balloon used for scientific observation in the stratosphere has an unmanageable limitation that its floating altitude decreases during a nighttime because of temperature drop of the lifting gas. Since a super-pressure balloon may not change its volume, the lifetime can extend very long. We had introduced so called the ‘lobed-pumpkin’ type of super-pressure balloon that can realize a full-scale long-duration balloon and it will be in practical use in the very near future. As for larger super-pressure balloons, however, we still have some potential difficulties to be resolved. We here propose a new design suitable for a larger super-pressure balloon, which is roughly ‘lobed pumpkin with lobed cylinder’ and can adapt a single design for balloons of a wide range of volumes. Indoor inflation tests were successfully carried out with balloons designed and made by the method. It has been shown that the limit of the resisting pressure differential for a new designed balloon is same as that of a normal lobed-pumpkin balloon.

Evolution of scientific ballooning and its impact on astrophysics research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, William Vernon

2014-05-01

As we celebrate the centennial year of the discovery of cosmic rays on a manned balloon, it seems appropriate to reflect on the evolution of ballooning and its scientific impact. Balloons have been used for scientific research since they were invented in France more than 200 years ago. Ballooning was revolutionized in 1950 with the introduction of the so-called natural shape balloon with integral load tapes. This basic design has been used with more or less continuously improved materials for scientific balloon flights for more than a half century, including long-duration balloon (LDB) flights around Antarctica for the past two decades. The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is currently developing the next generation super-pressure balloon that would enable extended duration missions above 99.5% of the Earth's atmosphere at any latitude. The Astro2010 Decadal Survey report supports super-pressure balloon development and the giant step forward it offers with ultra-long-duration balloon (ULDB) flights at constant altitudes for about 100 days.

Absorption spectrometer balloon flight and iodine investigations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1970-01-01

A high altitude balloon flight experiment to determine the technical feasibility of employing absorption spectroscopy to measure SO2 and NO2 gases in the earth's atmosphere from above the atmospheric ozone layer is discussed. In addition to the balloon experiment the contract includes a ground-based survey of natural I emissions from geological sources and studies of the feasibility of mapping I2 from spacecraft. This report is divided into three major sections as follows: (1) the planning engineering and execution of the balloon experiment, (2) data reduction and analysis of the balloon data, and (3) the results of the I2 phase of the contract.

Aerodynamics of a Party Balloon

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cross, Rod

2007-01-01

It is well-known that a party balloon can be made to fly erratically across a room, but it can also be used for quantitative measurements of other aspects of aerodynamics. Since a balloon is light and has a large surface area, even relatively weak aerodynamic forces can be readily demonstrated or measured in the classroom. Accurate measurements…

Non-traditional approaches to teaching GPS online

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matias, A.; Wolf, D. F., II

2009-12-01

Students are increasingly turning to the web for quality education that fits into their lives. Nonetheless, online learning brings challenges as well as a fresh opportunity for exploring pedagogical practices not present on traditional higher education programs, particularly in the sciences. A team of two dozen Empire State College-State University of New York instructional designers, faculty, and other staff are working on making science relevant to non-majors who may initially have anxiety about general education science courses. One of these courses, GPS and the New Geography, focuses on how Global Positioning System (GPS) technology provides a base for inquiry and scientific discovery from a range of environmental issues with local, regional, and global scope. GPS and the New Geography is an introductory level course developed under a grant supported by the Charitable Leadership Foundation. Taking advantage of the proliferation of tools currently available for online learning management systems, we explore current trends in Web 2.0 applications to aggregate and leverage data to create a nontraditional, interactive learning environment. Using our best practices to promote on-line discussion and interaction, these tools help engage students and foster deep learning. During the 15-week term students learn through case studies, problem-based exercises, and the use of scientific data; thus, expanding their spatial literacy and gain experience using real spatial technology tools to enhance their understanding of real-world issues. In particular, we present how the use of Mapblogs an in-house developed blogging platform that uses GIS interplaying with GPS units, interactive data presentations, intuitive visual working environments, harnessing RSS feeds, and other nontraditional Web 2.0 technology has successfully promoted active learning in the virtual learning environment.

Optimizing logistics for balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration (BRTO) of gastric varices by doing away with the indwelling balloon: concept and techniques.

PubMed

Saad, Wael E; Nicholson, David B

2013-06-01

Since the conception of balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration (BRTO) of gastric varices 25 years ago, the placement of an indwelling balloon for hours has been central to the BRTO procedure. Numerous variables and variations of the BRTO procedure have been described, including methods to reduce sclerosant, combining percutaneous transhepatic obliteration, varying sclerosant, and using multiple sclerosants within the same procedure. However, the consistent feature of BRTO has always remained the indwelling balloon. Placing an indwelling balloon over hours for the BRTO procedure is a logistical burden that taxes the interventional radiology team and hospital resources. Substituting the balloon with hardware (coils or Amplatzer vascular plugs [AVPs] or both) is technically feasible and its risks most likely correlate with gastrorenal shunt (GRS) size. The current authors use packed 0.018- or 0.035-in coils or both for small gastric variceal systems (GRS size A and B) and AVPs for GRS sizes up to size E (from size A-E). The current authors recommend an indwelling balloon (no hardware substitute) for very large gastric variceal system (GRS size F). Substituting the indwelling balloon for hardware in size F and potentially size E GRS can also be risky. The current article describes the techniques of placing up to 16-mm AVPs through balloon occlusion guide catheters and then deflating the balloon once it has been substituted with the AVPs. In addition, 22-mm AVPs can be placed through sheaths once the balloon occlusion catheters are removed to further augment the 16-mm Amplatzer occlusion. To date, there are no studies describing, let alone evaluating, the clinical feasibility of performing BRTO without indwelling balloons. The described techniques have been successfully performed by the current authors. However, the long-term safety and effectiveness of these techniques is yet to be determined. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Concepts for autonomous flight control for a balloon on Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heinsheimer, Thomas F.; Friend, Robyn C.; Siegel, Neil G.

1988-01-01

Balloons operating as airborne rovers have been suggested as ideal candidates for early exploration of the Martian surface. An international study team composed of scientists from the U.S.S.R., France, and the U.S.A. is planning the launching in 1994 of a balloon system to fly on Mars. The current likely design is a dual thermal/gas balloon that consists of a gas balloon suspended above a solar-heated thermal balloon. At night, the thermal balloon provides no lift, and the balloon system drifts just above the Martian surface; the lift of the gas balloon is just sufficient to prevent the science payload from hitting the ground. During the day, the balloon system flies at an altitude of 4 to 5 kilometers, rising due to the added lift provided by the thermal balloon. Over the course of a single Martian day, there may be winds in several directions, and in fact it can be expected that there will be winds simultaneously in different directions at different altitudes. Therefore, a balloon system capable of controlling its own altitude, via an autonomous flight control system, can take advantage of these different winds to control its direction, thereby greatly increasing both its mission utility and its longevity.

Stratospheric Balloons for Planetary Science and the Balloon Observation Platform for Planetary Science (BOPPS) Mission Summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kremic, Tibor; Cheng, Andrew F.; Hibbitts, Karl; Young, Eliot F.; Ansari, Rafat R.; Dolloff, Matthew D.; Landis, Rob R.

2015-01-01

NASA and the planetary science community have been exploring the potential contributions approximately 200 questions raised in the Decadal Survey have identified about 45 topics that are potentially suitable for addressing by stratospheric balloon platforms. A stratospheric balloon mission was flown in the fall of 2014 called BOPPS, Balloon Observation Platform for Planetary Science. This mission observed a number of planetary targets including two Oort cloud comets. The optical system and instrumentation payload was able to provide unique measurements of the intended targets and increase our understanding of these primitive bodies and their implications for us here on Earth. This paper will discuss the mission, instrumentation and initial results and how these may contribute to the broader planetary science objectives of NASA and the scientific community. This paper will also identify how the instrument platform on BOPPS may be able to contribute to future balloon-based science. Finally the paper will address potential future enhancements and the expected science impacts should those enhancements be implemented.

How to perform combined cutting balloon and high pressure balloon valvuloplasty for dogs with subaortic stenosis.

PubMed

Kleman, Mandi E; Estrada, Amara H; Maisenbacher, Herbert W; Prošek, Robert; Pogue, Brandon; Shih, Andre; Paolillo, Joseph A

2012-01-01

Subvalvular aortic stenosis (SAS) is one of the most common congenital cardiac malformations in dogs. Unfortunately, the long term success rate and survival data following either open heart surgery or catheter based intervention has been disappointing in dogs with severe subaortic stenosis. Medical therapy is currently the only standard recommended treatment option. A cutting balloon dilation catheter has been used successfully for resistant coronary artery and peripheral pulmonary arterial stenoses in humans. This catheter is unique in that it has the ability to cut, or score, the stenotic region prior to balloon dilatation of the stenosis. The use of cutting balloon valvuloplasty combined with high pressure valvuloplasty for dogs with severe subaortic stenosis has recently been reported to be a safe and feasible alternative therapeutic option. The following report describes this technique, outlines the materials required, and provides some 'tips' for successful percutaneous subaortic balloon valvuloplasty. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fracture, inflation and floatation embolisation of PTCA balloon.

PubMed

O'Neill, Louisa; Sowbhaga, Vinay; Owens, Patrick

2015-01-09

This case outlines an unusual complication of coronary intervention, the likely mechanisms leading to this and possible retrieval options. It is the first case to the best of our knowledge reporting this complication. A 78-year-old Caucasian man underwent coronary stenting. During the procedure kinking and subsequent fracture of a non-compliant percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) balloon occurred. Injection of contrast down the guide to opacify the coronary arteries resulted in 'inflation' of the balloon with air, and embolisation of the inflated balloon into the proximal left anterior descending artery. The embolised balloon was retrieved by removal of the guide catheter and wire as a unit. The patient had a good angiographic outcome. This case highlights risks associated with usage of kinked balloons catheters, and describes for the first time to our knowledge, the inflation of a PTCA balloon with air from its shaft within the catheter, causing 'floatation' embolisation into the coronary artery. 2015 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.

Fracture, inflation and floatation embolisation of PTCA balloon

PubMed Central

O'Neill, Louisa; Sowbhaga, Vinay; Owens, Patrick

2015-01-01

This case outlines an unusual complication of coronary intervention, the likely mechanisms leading to this and possible retrieval options. It is the first case to the best of our knowledge reporting this complication. A 78-year-old Caucasian man underwent coronary stenting. During the procedure kinking and subsequent fracture of a non-compliant percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) balloon occurred. Injection of contrast down the guide to opacify the coronary arteries resulted in ‘inflation’ of the balloon with air, and embolisation of the inflated balloon into the proximal left anterior descending artery. The embolised balloon was retrieved by removal of the guide catheter and wire as a unit. The patient had a good angiographic outcome. This case highlights risks associated with usage of kinked balloons catheters, and describes for the first time to our knowledge, the inflation of a PTCA balloon with air from its shaft within the catheter, causing ‘floatation’ embolisation into the coronary artery. PMID:25576524

Long-period GPS waveforms. What can GPS bring to Earth seismic velocity models?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelevitz, Krisztina; Houlié, Nicolas; Boschi, Lapo; Nissen-Meyer, Tarje; Giardini, Domenico

2014-05-01

It is now commonly admitted that high rate GPS observations can provide reliable surface displacement waveforms (Cervelli, et al., 2001; Langbein, et al., 2006; Houlié, et al., 2006; Houlié et al., 2011). For long-period (T>5s) transients, it was shown that GPS and seismometer (STS-1) displacements are in agreement at least for vertical component (Houlié, et al., Sci. Rep. 2011). We propose here to supplement existing long-period seismic networks with high rate (>= 1Hz) GPS data in order to improve the resolution of global seismic velocity models. GPS measurements are providing a wide range of frequencies, going beyond the range of STS-1 in the low frequency end. Nowadays, almost 10.000 GPS receivers would be able to record data at 1 Hz with 3000+ stations already streaming data in Real-Time (RT). The reasons for this quick expansion are the price of receivers, their low maintenance, and the wide range of activities they can be used for (transport, science, public apps, navigation, etc.). We are presenting work completed on the 1Hz GPS records of the Hokkaido earthquake (25th of September, 2003, Mw=8.3). 3D Waveforms have been computed with an improved, stabilised inversion algorithm in order to constrain the ground motion history. Through the better resolution of inversion of the GPS phase observations, we determine displacement waveforms of frequencies ranging from 0.77 mHz to 330 mHz for a selection of sites. We compare inverted GPS waveforms with STS-1 waveforms and synthetic waveforms computed using 3D global wave propagation with SPECFEM. At co-located sites (STS-1 and GPS located within 10km) the agreement is good for the vertical component between seismic (both real and synthetic) and GPS waveforms.

Multi-Flight-Phase GPS Navigation Filter Applications to Terrestrial Vehicle Navigation and Positioning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Park, Young W.; Montez, Moises N.

1994-01-01

A candidate onboard space navigation filter demonstrated excellent performance (less than 8 meter level RMS semi-major axis accuracy) in performing orbit determination of a low-Earth orbit Explorer satellite using single-frequency real GPS data. This performance is significantly better than predicted by other simulation studies using dual-frequency GPS data. The study results revealed the significance of two new modeling approaches evaluated in the work. One approach introduces a single-frequency ionospheric correction through pseudo-range and phase range averaging implementation. The other approach demonstrates a precise axis-dependent characterization of dynamic sample space uncertainty to compute a more accurate Kalman filter gain. Additionally, this navigation filter demonstrates a flexibility to accommodate both perturbational dynamic and observational biases required for multi-flight phase and inhomogeneous application environments. This paper reviews the potential application of these methods and the filter structure to terrestrial vehicle and positioning applications. Both the single-frequency ionospheric correction method and the axis-dependent state noise modeling approach offer valuable contributions in cost and accuracy improvements for terrestrial GPS receivers. With a modular design approach to either 'plug-in' or 'unplug' various force models, this multi-flight phase navigation filter design structure also provides a versatile GPS navigation software engine for both atmospheric and exo-atmospheric navigation or positioning use, thereby streamlining the flight phase or application-dependent software requirements. Thus, a standardized GPS navigation software engine that can reduce the development and maintenance cost of commercial GPS receivers is now possible.

A small hemispherical helical antenna array for two-dimensional GPS beam-forming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hui, H. T.; Aditya, S.; Mohamed, F. Bin S.; Hafiedz-Ul, A. Bin T.

2005-02-01

A small hemispherical helical antenna array with multibeam output for GPS beam-forming is designed and characterized. A Butler matrix beam-forming network is designed to provide four spatial beams in a two-dimensional directional space. The original design of the hemispherical helical antenna elements is modified in order to match it to the system impedance. Our study shows that even after an ˜30° scan from the normal direction, the maximum change in beam width is only 6°, the maximum change in axial ratio is 1.4 dB, and the maximum change in power gain is 1.1 dB. These characteristics indicate that the array can be potentially used for GPS beam-forming.

NASA’s BARREL Mission Launches 20 Balloons

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

A BARREL balloon floats into the sky as it is partially filled. When fully inflated, each balloon is 90 feet in diameter and carries an instrument suite that weighs 50 pounds. This is small for an Antarctica balloon launch, which can have balloons Typical balloons l the size of a football field with payloads of some 3,000 pounds. Credit: NASA --- In Antarctica in January, 2013 – the summer at the South Pole – scientists launched 20 balloons up into the air to study an enduring mystery of space weather: when the giant radiation belts surrounding Earth lose material, where do the extra particles actually go? The mission is called BARREL (Balloon Array for Radiation belt Relativistic Electron Losses) and it is led by physicist Robyn Millan of Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH. Millan provided photographs from the team’s time in Antarctica. The team launched a balloon every day or two into the circumpolar winds that circulate around the pole. Each balloon floated for anywhere from 3 to 40 days, measuring X-rays produced by fast-moving electrons high up in the atmosphere. BARREL works hand in hand with another NASA mission called the Van Allen Probes, which travels through the Van Allen radiation belts surrounding Earth. The belts wax and wane over time in response to incoming energy and material from the sun, sometimes intensifying the radiation through which satellites must travel. Scientists wish to understand this process better, and even provide forecasts of this space weather, in order to protect our spacecraft. As the Van Allen Probes were observing what was happening in the belts, BARREL tracked electrons that precipitated out of the belts and hurtled down Earth’s magnetic field lines toward the poles. By comparing data, scientists will be able to track how what’s happening in the belts correlates to the loss of particles – information that can help us understand this mysterious, dynamic region that can impact spacecraft. Having launched balloons in

21 CFR 884.5050 - Metreurynter-balloon abortion system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Metreurynter-balloon abortion system. 884.5050... Devices § 884.5050 Metreurynter-balloon abortion system. (a) Identification. A metreurynter-balloon abortion system is a device used to induce abortion. The device is inserted into the uterine cavity...

21 CFR 884.5050 - Metreurynter-balloon abortion system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Metreurynter-balloon abortion system. 884.5050... Devices § 884.5050 Metreurynter-balloon abortion system. (a) Identification. A metreurynter-balloon abortion system is a device used to induce abortion. The device is inserted into the uterine cavity...

21 CFR 884.5050 - Metreurynter-balloon abortion system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Metreurynter-balloon abortion system. 884.5050... Devices § 884.5050 Metreurynter-balloon abortion system. (a) Identification. A metreurynter-balloon abortion system is a device used to induce abortion. The device is inserted into the uterine cavity...

21 CFR 884.5050 - Metreurynter-balloon abortion system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Metreurynter-balloon abortion system. 884.5050... Devices § 884.5050 Metreurynter-balloon abortion system. (a) Identification. A metreurynter-balloon abortion system is a device used to induce abortion. The device is inserted into the uterine cavity...

21 CFR 884.5050 - Metreurynter-balloon abortion system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Metreurynter-balloon abortion system. 884.5050... Devices § 884.5050 Metreurynter-balloon abortion system. (a) Identification. A metreurynter-balloon abortion system is a device used to induce abortion. The device is inserted into the uterine cavity...

Investigating Diffusion and Entropy with Carbon Dioxide-Filled Balloons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jadrich, James; Bruxvoort, Crystal

2010-01-01

Fill an ordinary latex balloon with helium gas and you know what to expect. Over the next day or two the volume will decrease noticeably as helium escapes from the balloon. So what happens when a latex balloon is filled with carbon dioxide gas? Surprisingly, carbon dioxide balloons deflate at rates as much as an order of magnitude faster than…

Dose Reduction Study in Vaginal Balloon Packing Filled With Contrast for HDR Brachytherapy Treatment;HDR; Uterine cervix cancer; Vaginal balloon packing; Contrast; Monte Carlo

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Saini, Amarjit S.; Zhang, Geoffrey G., E-mail: geoffrey.zhang@moffitt.org; Finkelstein, Steven E.

2011-07-15

Purpose: Vaginal balloon packing is a means to displace organs at risk during high dose rate brachytherapy of the uterine cervix. We tested the hypothesis that contrast-filled vaginal balloon packing reduces radiation dose to organs at risk, such as the bladder and rectum, in comparison to water- or air-filled balloons. Methods and Materials: In a phantom study, semispherical vaginal packing balloons were filled with air, saline solution, and contrast agents. A high dose rate iridium-192 source was placed on the anterior surface of the balloon, and the diode detector was placed on the posterior surface. Dose ratios were taken withmore » each material in the balloon. Monte Carlo (MC) simulations, by use of the MC computer program DOSXYZnrc, were performed to study dose reduction vs. balloon size and contrast material, including commercially available iodine- and gadolinium-based contrast agents. Results: Measured dose ratios on the phantom with the balloon radius of 3.4 cm were 0.922 {+-} 0.002 for contrast/saline solution and 0.808 {+-} 0.001 for contrast/air. The corresponding ratios by MC simulations were 0.895 {+-} 0.010 and 0.781 {+-} 0.010. The iodine concentration in the contrast was 23.3% by weight. The dose reduction of contrast-filled balloon ranges from 6% to 15% compared with water-filled balloon and 11% to 26% compared with air-filled balloon, with a balloon size range between 1.4 and 3.8 cm, and iodine concentration in contrast of 24.9%. The dose reduction was proportional to the contrast agent concentration. The gadolinium-based contrast agents showed less dose reduction because of much lower concentrations in their solutions. Conclusions: The dose to the posterior wall of the bladder and the anterior wall of the rectum can be reduced if the vaginal balloon is filled with contrast agent in comparison to vaginal balloons filled with saline solution or air.« less

The International GPS Service: A Global Resource for GPS Applications and Research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neilan, Ruth E.; Zumberge, James F.; Beutler, Gerhard; Kouba, Jan

1997-01-01

Since June, 1992, the International GPS service has been coordinating a global civilian GPS infrastructure in order to support numerous GPS applications and research activities. A key aspect of the IGS is the reliability and quality of the analysis products that have been made available over the past five years through the IGS Analysis Centers and the Analysis Center Coordinator.

Under Pressure: Intraluminal Filling Pressures of Postpartum Hemorrhage Tamponade Balloons

PubMed Central

Antony, Kathleen M.; Racusin, Diana A.; Belfort, Michael A.; Dildy, Gary A.

2017-01-01

Objective Uterine tamponade by fluid-filled balloons is now an accepted method of controlling postpartum hemorrhage. Available tamponade balloons vary in design and material, which affects the filling attributes and volume at which they rupture. We aimed to characterize the filling capacity and pressure-volume relationship of various tamponade balloons. Study Design Balloons were filled with water ex vivo. Intraluminal pressure was measured incrementally (every 10 mL for the Foley balloons and every 50 mL for all other balloons). Balloons were filled until they ruptured or until 5,000 mL was reached. Results The Foley balloons had higher intraluminal pressures than the larger-volume balloons. The intraluminal pressure of the Sengstaken-Blakemore tube (gastric balloon) was initially high, but it decreased until shortly before rupture occurred. The Bakri intraluminal pressure steadily increased until rupture occurred at 2,850 mL. The condom catheter, BT-Cath, and ebb all had low intraluminal pressures. Both the BT-Cath and the ebb remained unruptured at 5,000 mL. Conclusion In the setting of acute hemorrhage, expeditious management is critical. Balloons that have a low intraluminal pressure-volume ratio may fill more rapidly, more easily, and to greater volumes. We found that the BT-Cath, the ebb, and the condom catheter all had low intraluminal pressures throughout filling. PMID:28497006

Overview of the Scientific Balloon Activity in Sweden

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abrahamsson, Mattias; Kemi, Stig; Lockowandt, Christian; Andersson, Kent

SSC, formerly known as Swedish Space Corporation, is a Swedish state-owned company working in several different space related fields, including scientific stratospheric balloon launches. Esrange Space Centre (Esrange in short) located in the north of Sweden is the launch facility of SSC, where both sounding rocket launches and stratospheric balloon launches are conducted. At Esrange there are also facilities for satellite communication, including one of the largest civilian satellite data reception stations in the world. Stratospheric balloons have been launched from Esrange since 1974, when the first flights were performed together with the French space agency CNES. These balloon flights have normally flown eastward either only over Sweden or into Finland. Some flights have also had permission to fly into Russia, as far as the Ural Mountains. Normal flight times are from 4 to 12 hours. These eastward flights are conducted during the winter months (September to May). Long duration flights have been flown from ESC since 2005, when NASA flew the BLAST payload from Sweden to north Canada. The prevailing westerly wind pattern is very advantageous for trans-Atlantic flights during summer (late May to late July). The long flight times are very beneficial for astronomical payloads, such as telescopes that need long observation times. In 2013 two such payloads were flown, the first called SUNRISE was a German/US solar telescope, and the other called PoGOLite with a Swedish gamma-ray telescope. In 14 days PoGOLite, which had permission to fly over Russia, made an almost complete circumpolar flight. Typical scientific balloon payload fields include atmospheric research, including research on ozone depletion, astronomical and cosmological research, and research in technical fields such as aerodynamics. University students from all over Europe are involved in flights from Esrange under a Swedish/German programme called BEXUS. Two stratospheric balloons are flown with student

Simulating clefts in pumpkin balloons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baginski, Frank; Brakke, Kenneth

2010-02-01

The geometry of a large axisymmetric balloon with positive differential pressure, such as a sphere, leads to very high film stresses. These stresses can be significantly reduced by using a tendon re-enforced lobed pumpkin-like shape. A number of schemes have been proposed to achieve a cyclically symmetric pumpkin shape, including the constant bulge angle (CBA) design, the constant bulge radius (CBR) design, CBA/CBR hybrids, and NASA’s recent constant stress (CS) design. Utilizing a hybrid CBA/CBR pumpkin design, Flight 555-NT in June 2006 formed an S-cleft and was unable to fully deploy. In order to better understand the S-cleft phenomenon, a series of inflation tests involving four 27-m diameter 200-gore pumpkin balloons were conducted in 2007. One of the test vehicles was a 1/3-scale mockup of the Flight 555-NT balloon. Using an inflation procedure intended to mimic ascent, the 1/3-scale mockup developed an S-cleft feature strikingly similar to the one observed in Flight 555-NT. Our analysis of the 1/3-scale mockup found it to be unstable. We compute asymmetric equilibrium configurations of this balloon, including shapes with an S-cleft feature.

Drug coated balloon in peripheral artery disease.

PubMed

Shanmugasundaram, Madhan; Murugapandian, Sangeetha; Truong, Huu Tam; Lotun, Kapildeo; Banerjee, Subhash

2018-04-21

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) is highly prevalent but is often underdiagnosed and undertreated. Lower extremity PAD can often be life style limiting. Revascularization in carefully selected lower extremity PAD patients improves symptoms and functional status. Surgical revascularization used to be the only available strategy, but in the recent years, endovascular strategies have gained popularity due to faster recovery times with low morbidity and mortality rates. Endovascular procedures have increased significantly in the United States in the past few years. That being said, higher restenosis rates and low long-term patency rates have been the limiting factors for this strategy. Drug eluting stents have been introduced to help with lowering restenosis, however lower extremity PAD involves long segment where the outcomes of stents are suboptimal. Also, the disease often crosses joint line that makes it less ideal for the stents. Drug coated balloons (DCB) have been introduced to improve patency rates following endovascular intervention for lower extremity PAD. They have gained popularity among endovascular specialists due to its ease of use and the concept of "leave nothing behind". This is a review of scientific evidence supporting DCB use in PAD. Published by Elsevier Inc.

A simulation of GPS and differential GPS sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rankin, James M.

1993-01-01

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a revolutionary advance in navigation. Users can determine latitude, longitude, and altitude by receiving range information from at least four satellites. The statistical accuracy of the user's position is directly proportional to the statistical accuracy of the range measurement. Range errors are caused by clock errors, ephemeris errors, atmospheric delays, multipath errors, and receiver noise. Selective Availability, which the military uses to intentionally degrade accuracy for non-authorized users, is a major error source. The proportionality constant relating position errors to range errors is the Dilution of Precision (DOP) which is a function of the satellite geometry. Receivers separated by relatively short distances have the same satellite and atmospheric errors. Differential GPS (DGPS) removes these errors by transmitting pseudorange corrections from a fixed receiver to a mobile receiver. The corrected pseudorange at the moving receiver is now corrupted only by errors from the receiver clock, multipath, and measurement noise. This paper describes a software package that models position errors for various GPS and DGPS systems. The error model is used in the Real-Time Simulator and Cockpit Technology workstation simulations at NASA-LaRC. The GPS/DGPS sensor can simulate enroute navigation, instrument approaches, or on-airport navigation.

Retained intraaortic balloon. Case report and review of the literature.

PubMed

Grande, A M; Martinelli, L; Graffigna, A; Viganò, M

1995-01-01

We report a case of intraaortic balloon entrapment in a 70-year-old man who underwent emergency triple coronary bypass. Intraaortic balloon rupture caused the formation of a clot inside the balloon that eventually was responsible for the balloon's entrapment at the aortic bifurcation. The patient had severe atherosclerosis of the aorta and iliac arteries. Balloon removal required aorto-iliac exposure and aorto-bifemoral bypass. After 16 months, he is symptom free and at home.

Incorporation of Scientific Ballooning into Science Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chanover, N.; Stochaj, S.; Petty, C.

1999-12-01

We are augmenting the science curriculum of the Roswell Independent School District in Roswell, NM, to take advantage of the proximity of a NASA scientific balloon base. The basic science related to balloon experimentation is being incorporated into the K-12 science curriculum via the discussion of topics such as atmospheric properties, weather, phases of matter, plotting skills, and communications in the context of a high-altitude balloon flight. These efforts will culminate in the construction of balloon-borne instruments by high school students, which will be launched during the spring of 2000. A demonstration flight, launched in the spring of 1999, was used to build student enthusiasm and community support for this program, which is funded by the NASA/IDEAS program.

Nimbus 4/IRLS Balloon Interrogation Package (BIP)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1971-01-01

The balloon interrogation package (BIP), an integral part of the overall interrogation, recording, and location subsystems (IRLS) for the Nimbus 4 program, is described. The BIP is a self-contained, integrated transponder designed to be carried aloft by a constant altitude, superpressure balloon to an altitude of 67,000 or 78,000 feet. After launch the BIP senses high-altitude balloon overpressure and temperature, and upon receipt of an interrogated command from the IRLS aboard the Nimbus 4 satellite, the BIP enodes the data on a real-time basis into a pulse-code modulation (PCM) format and transmits this data to the satellite. A summary of the program activity to produce 30 BIP systems and to support balloon launches from Ascension Island is presented.

Scientific balloons: historical remarks.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ubertini, P.

The paper is an overview of the Human attempt to fly, from the myth of Daedalus and his son Icarus to the first "aerostatic" experiment by Joseph-Michel and Jaques-Etienne Montgolfier. Then, via a jump of about 200 years, we arrive to the era of the modern stratospheric ballooning that, from the beginning of the last century, have provided a unique flight opportunity for aerospace experiments. In particular, the Italian scientific community has employed stratospheric balloons since the '50s for cosmic rays and high energy astrophysical experiments with initial launches performed from Cagliari Helmas Airport (Sardinia). More recently an almost ideal location was found in the area of Trapani-Milo (Sicily, Italy), were an old abandoned airport was refurbished to be used as a new launch site that became operative at the beginning of the '70s. Finally, we suggest a short reminiscence of the first transatlantic experiment carried out on August 1975 in collaboration between SAS-CNR (Italy) and NSBF-NASA (USA). The reason why the Long Duration Balloon has been recently re-oriented in a different direction is analysed and future perspectives discussed. Finally, the spirit of the balloon launch performed by the Groups lead by Edoardo Amaldi, Livio Scarsi and other Italian pioneers, with payloads looking like "refrigerators" weighting a few tens of kg is intact and the wide participation to the present Workshop is the clear demonstration.

Factors influencing recording of drug misuse in primary care: a qualitative study of GPs in England.

PubMed

Davies-Kershaw, Hilary; Petersen, Irene; Nazareth, Irwin; Stevenson, Fiona

2018-04-01

Drug misuse is a serious public health problem. Evidence from previous epidemiological studies show that GPs are recording drug misuse in electronic patient records (EPR). However, although the recording trends are similar to national surveys, recording rates are much lower. To explore the factors that influence GPs to record drug misuse in the EPR, and to gain a clearer understanding of the gap between the amount of drug misuse recorded in primary care and that in national surveys and other studies. A semi-structured qualitative interview study of GPs working in general practices across England. Purposive sampling was employed to recruit 12 GPs, both with and without a special interest in drug misuse, from across England. Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted to consider whether and why GPs record drug misuse, which methods GPs use for recording, GPs' actions if a patient asks for the information not to be recorded, and GPs' actions if they think a patient misuses drugs but does not disclose the information. Resulting data were analysed using a combination of inductive and deductive thematic analysis. The complexity of asking about drug misuse preceded GPs' decision to record. They described how the context of the general practice protocols, interaction between GP and patient, and the questioning process affected whether, how, and in which circumstances they asked about drug use. This led to GPs making a clinical decision on whether, who, and how to record in the EPR. When making decisions about whether or not to record drug misuse, GPs face complex choices. Aside from their own views, they reported feelings of pressure from the general practice environment in which they worked and their clinical commissioning group, as well as government policies. © British Journal of General Practice 2018.

Balloon augmented Onyx embolization utilizing a dual lumen balloon catheter: utility in the treatment of a variety of head and neck lesions.

PubMed

Spiotta, Alejandro M; Miranpuri, Amrendra S; Vargas, Jan; Magarick, Jordan; Turner, Raymond D; Turk, Aquilla S; Chaudry, M Imran

2014-09-01

Endovascular embolization for tumors and vascular malformations has emerged as an important preoperative adjunct prior to resection. We describe the advantages of utilizing a recently released dual lumen balloon catheter for ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer, also known as Onyx (ev3, Irvine, California, USA), embolization for a variety of head and neck pathologies. A retrospective review of all cases utilizing the Scepter C balloon catheter (MicroVention Inc, Tustin, California, USA) for use in balloon augmented embolization was performed over a 4 month period from October 2012 to February 2013 at the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA. Charts and angiographic images were reviewed. Representative cases involving diverse pathologies are summarized and illustrate the observed advantages of balloon augmented Onyx embolization with a dual lumen balloon catheter. Balloon augmented Onyx embolization utilizing a novel dual lumen balloon catheter was employed to treat both ruptured and unruptured arteriovenous malformations, intracranial dural arteriovenous fistulae, intracranial neoplasms, carotid body tumors, a thyroid mass, and an extracranial arteriovenous fistula. The dual lumen balloon catheter has several advantages for use with Onyx embolization over older devices, including more efficient proximal plug formation and enhanced navigability for placement deep within the pedicles. The balloon augmented Onyx embolization technique represents a valuable tool to add to the armamentarium of the neurointerventionalist to address a variety of head and neck lesions. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Balloon Exoplanet Nulling Interferometer (BENI)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lyon, Richard G.; Clampin, Mark; Woodruff, Robert A.; Vasudevan, Gopal; Ford, Holland; Petro, Larry; Herman, Jay; Rinehart, Stephen; Carpenter, Kenneth; Marzouk, Joe

2009-01-01

We evaluate the feasibility of using a balloon-borne nulling interferometer to detect and characterize exosolar planets and debris disks. The existing instrument consists of a 3-telescope Fizeau imaging interferometer with 3 fast steering mirrors and 3 delay lines operating at 800 Hz for closed-loop control of wavefront errors and fine pointing. A compact visible nulling interferometer is under development which when coupled to the imaging interferometer would in-principle allow deep suppression of starlight. We have conducted atmospheric simulations of the environment above 100,000 feet and believe balloons are a feasible path forward towards detection and characterization of a limited set of exoplanets and their debris disks. Herein we will discuss the BENI instrument, the balloon environment and the feasibility of such as mission.

Practical method for estimating road curvatures using onboard GPS and IMU equipment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zamfir, S.; Drosescu, R.; Gaiginschi, R.

2016-08-01

This paper describes an experimental method to determine with high accuracy the curvature of a road segment, the turning radius of a car, and the discomfort level perceived by the passengers in the vehicle cabin when passing through a curve. For these experiments we used professional equipment provided with two GPS active antennas with 13 dB gain featuring non-contact 100 Hz speed and distance measurement, and a ten degree Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) with dynamic orientation outputs. The same experimental measurements also usedthe low cost GPS equipment available on smartphones, domestic vehicle GPS devices, as well as an Arduino GPS shield in order to compare the results generated by professional equipment. The purpose of these experiments was also to establish if certain road curve sections were correctly executed in order to ensure the safety and comfort of passengers. Another use of the proposed method relates to the road accident reconstruction field, providing experts and forensics with an accurate method of measuring the roadway curvature at accident scenes or traffic events. The research and equipment described in this paper have been acquired and developed under a PhD studyand a European funded project won and elaborated by the authors.

Retained intraaortic balloon. Case report and review of the literature.

PubMed Central

Grande, A M; Martinelli, L; Graffigna, A; Viganò, M

1995-01-01

We report a case of intraaortic balloon entrapment in a 70-year-old man who underwent emergency triple coronary bypass. Intraaortic balloon rupture caused the formation of a clot inside the balloon that eventually was responsible for the balloon's entrapment at the aortic bifurcation. The patient had severe atherosclerosis of the aorta and iliac arteries. Balloon removal required aorto-iliac exposure and aorto-bifemoral bypass. After 16 months, he is symptom free and at home. Images PMID:8605436

Low-Altitude Exploration of the Venus Atmosphere by Balloon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Landis, Geoffrey A.

2010-01-01

The planet Venus represents an exciting target for future exploration by spacecraft. One target of scientific interest is the lower atmosphere, which represents an environment of high temperature and moderate to high atmospheric pressure. This represents a considerable challenge to the technical art of ballooning, but one which may be amenable to solution. Several possible designs for low-altitude balloons are discussed. Conceptual design for three mission examples are analyzed: a conventional balloon operating below the cloud level at an altitude of 25 kilometers, a large rigid-envelope balloon operating near the surface at an altitude of 5 kilometers, and a small, technology demonstrator rigid-envelope balloon operating at 5 kilometers.

The radiation controlled balloon (RACOON)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lally, Vincent E.

The RACOON concept permits the flight of large, low-cost polyethylene balloons for several weeks at stratospheric altitudes without ballast. The theory of operations is described. The RACOON balloon ascends each morning and descends at night. This movement of 15 to 20 km in altitude provides an ideal platform for vertical soundings and sampling measurements in the stratosphere. Results of a number of globe-circling flights are presented.

TLALOCNet continuous GPS-Met Array in Mexico supporting the 2017 NAM GPS Hydrometeorological Network.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cabral-Cano, E.; Salazar-Tlaczani, L.; Adams, D. K.; Vivoni, E. R.; Grutter, M.; Serra, Y. L.; DeMets, C.; Galetzka, J.; Feaux, K.; Mattioli, G. S.; Miller, M. M.

2017-12-01

TLALOCNet is a network of continuous GPS and meteorology stations in Mexico to study atmospheric and solid earth processes. This recently completed network spans most of Mexico with a strong coverage emphasis on southern and western Mexico. This network, funded by NSF, CONACyT and UNAM, recently built 40 cGPS-Met sites to EarthScope Plate Boundary Observatory standards and upgraded 25 additional GPS stations. TLALOCNet provides open and freely available raw GPS data, and high frequency surface meteorology measurements, and time series of daily positions. This is accomplished through the development of the TLALOCNet data center (http://tlalocnet.udg.mx) that serves as a collection and distribution point. This data center is based on UNAVCO's Dataworks-GSAC software and also works as part of UNAVCO's seamless archive for discovery, sharing, and access to GPS data. The TLALOCNet data center also contains contributed data from several regional GPS networks in Mexico for a total of 100+ stations. By using the same protocols and structure as the UNAVCO and other COCONet regional data centers, the scientific community has the capability of accessing data from the largest Mexican GPS network. This archive provides a fully queryable and scriptable GPS and Meteorological data retrieval point. In addition, real-time 1Hz streams from selected TLALOCNet stations are available in BINEX, RTCM 2.3 and RTCM 3.1 formats via the Networked Transport of RTCM via Internet Protocol (NTRIP) for real-time seismic and weather forecasting applications. TLALOCNet served as a GPS-Met backbone for the binational Mexico-US North American Monsoon GPS Hydrometeorological Network 2017 campaign experiment. This innovative experiment attempts to address water vapor source regions and land-surface water vapor flux contributions to precipitation (i.e., moisture recycling) during the 2017 North American Monsoon in Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, and Arizona. Models suggest that moisture recycling is

The NASA super pressure balloon - A path to flight

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cathey, H. M.

2009-07-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Balloon Program Office has invested significant time and effort in extensive ground testing of model super pressure balloons. The testing path has been developed as an outgrowth of the results of the super pressure balloon test flight in 2006. Summary results of the June 2006 super pressure test flight from Kiruna, Sweden are presented including the balloon performance and "lessons learned". This balloons flight performance exceeded expectations, but did not fully deploy. The flight was safely terminated by command. The results of this test flight refocused the project's efforts toward additional ground testing and analysis; a path to flight. A series of small 4 m diameter models were made and tested to further explore the deployment and structural capabilities of the balloons and materials. A series of ˜27 m model balloons were successfully tested indoors. These balloons successfully replicated the cleft seen in the Sweden flight, explored the deployment trade space to help characterize better design approaches, and demonstrated an acceptable fix to the deployment issue. Photogrammetry was employed during these ˜27 m model tests to help characterize both the balloon and gore shape evolution under pressurization. A ˜8.5 m ground model was used to explore the design and materials performance. Results of these tests will be presented. A general overview of some of the other project advancements made related to demonstrating the strain arresting nature of the proposed design, materials and analysis work will also be presented. All of this work has prepared a clear path toward a renewed round of test flights. This paper will give an overview of the development approach pursued for this super pressure balloon development. A description of the balloon design, including the modifications made as a result of the lessons learned, is presented. A short deployment test flight of the National Aeronautics and Space

Experiments with Helium-Filled Balloons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zable, Anthony C.

2010-12-01

The concepts of Newtonian mechanics, fluids, and ideal gas law physics are often treated as separate and isolated topics in the typical introductory college-level physics course, especially in the laboratory setting. To bridge these subjects, a simple experiment was developed that utilizes computer-based data acquisition sensors and a digital gram scale to estimate the molar mass of the gas in an inflated balloon. In this experiment, the comparable density of an inflated balloon to that of atmospheric air introduces a significant role for buoyancy that must be accounted for. The ideal gas law approximation is assumed for both the isolated gas mixture within the balloon and the surrounding air, which defines the relationship between the gas pressure, volume, temperature, and molar quantity. Analysis of the forces associated with the inflated balloon with the incorporation of Archimedes' principle and the ideal gas law into Newton's second law results in an experimental method for the measurement of the molar mass and mole fraction of a gas that is easy to implement yet academically challenging for students. The following narrative describes the basic setup of this experiment, along with a sample set of data as acquired and analyzed by a typical physics student from one of my classes.

Balloon concepts for scientific investigation of Mars and Jupiter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ash, R. L.

1979-01-01

Opportunities for scientific investigation of the atmospheric planets using buoyant balloons have been explored. Mars and Jupiter were considered in this study because design requirements at those planets bracket nominally the requirements at Venus, and plans are already underway for a joint Russian-French balloon system at Venus. Viking data has provided quantitative information for definition of specific balloon systems at Mars. Free flying balloons appear capable of providing valuable scientific support for more sophisticated Martian surface probes, but tethered and powered aerostats are not attractive. The Jovian environment is so extreme, hot atmosphere balloons may be the only scientific platforms capable of extended operations there. However, the estimated system mass and thermal energy required are very large.

Analysis of Flight of Near-Space Balloon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Zech; Evans, Austin; Seyfert, James; Leadlove, Kyle; Gumina, Kaitlyn; Martell, Eric

2015-04-01

In December 2014, the Electronics class at Millikin University launched a balloon designed to travel into the near-space region of the atmosphere. The balloon was equipped with an instrumentation package including a camera, accelerometer, barometric pressure sensor, temperature probes, as well as a system for tracking using an Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS). The balloon was launched from Decatur, IL, and landed in Marysville, OH, nearly 320 miles away. The students then analyzed the data from the flight and compared results to expectations.

Accurate Determination of the Volume of an Irregular Helium Balloon

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blumenthal, Jack; Bradvica, Rafaela; Karl, Katherine

2013-01-01

In a recent paper, Zable described an experiment with a near-spherical balloon filled with impure helium. Measuring the temperature and the pressure inside and outside the balloon, the lift of the balloon, and the mass of the balloon materials, he described how to use the ideal gas laws and Archimedes' principal to compute the average molecular…

Cosmic Balloons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

El Abed, Mohamed

2014-01-01

A team of French high-school students sent a weather balloon into the upper atmosphere to recreate Viktor Hess's historical experiment that demonstrated the existence of ionizing radiation from the sky--later called cosmic radiation. This discovery earned him the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1936.

GPS/INS Sensor Fusion Using GPS Wind up Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williamson, Walton R. (Inventor)

2013-01-01

A method of stabilizing an inertial navigation system (INS), includes the steps of: receiving data from an inertial navigation system; and receiving a finite number of carrier phase observables using at least one GPS receiver from a plurality of GPS satellites; calculating a phase wind up correction; correcting at least one of the finite number of carrier phase observables using the phase wind up correction; and calculating a corrected IMU attitude or velocity or position using the corrected at least one of the finite number of carrier phase observables; and performing a step selected from the steps consisting of recording, reporting, or providing the corrected IMU attitude or velocity or position to another process that uses the corrected IMU attitude or velocity or position. A GPS stabilized inertial navigation system apparatus is also described.

Determining GPS average performance metrics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, G. V.

1995-01-01

Analytic and semi-analytic methods are used to show that users of the GPS constellation can expect performance variations based on their location. Specifically, performance is shown to be a function of both altitude and latitude. These results stem from the fact that the GPS constellation is itself non-uniform. For example, GPS satellites are over four times as likely to be directly over Tierra del Fuego than over Hawaii or Singapore. Inevitable performance variations due to user location occur for ground, sea, air and space GPS users. These performance variations can be studied in an average relative sense. A semi-analytic tool which symmetrically allocates GPS satellite latitude belt dwell times among longitude points is used to compute average performance metrics. These metrics include average number of GPS vehicles visible, relative average accuracies in the radial, intrack and crosstrack (or radial, north/south, east/west) directions, and relative average PDOP or GDOP. The tool can be quickly changed to incorporate various user antenna obscuration models and various GPS constellation designs. Among other applications, tool results can be used in studies to: predict locations and geometries of best/worst case performance, design GPS constellations, determine optimal user antenna location and understand performance trends among various users.

A Survey of Titan Balloon Concepts and Technology Status

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, Jeffery L.

2011-01-01

This paper surveys the options for, and technology status of, balloon vehicles to explore Saturn's moon Titan. A significant amount of Titan balloon concept thinking and technology development has been performed in recent years, particularly following the spectacular results from the descent and landing of the Huygens probe and remote sensing observations by the Cassini spacecraft. There is widespread recognition that a balloon vehicle on the next Titan mission could provide an outstanding and unmatched capability for in situ exploration on a global scale. The rich variety of revealed science targets has combined with a highly favorable Titan flight environment to yield a wide diversity of proposed balloon concepts. The paper presents a conceptual framework for thinking about balloon vehicle design choices and uses it to analyze various Titan options. The result is a list of recommended Titan balloon vehicle concepts that could perform a variety of science missions, along with their projected performance metrics. Recent technology developments for these balloon concepts are discussed to provide context for an assessment of outstanding risk areas and technological maturity. The paper concludes with suggestions for technology investments needed to achieve flight readiness.

Cryo-balloon catheter localization in fluoroscopic images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurzendorfer, Tanja; Brost, Alexander; Jakob, Carolin; Mewes, Philip W.; Bourier, Felix; Koch, Martin; Kurzidim, Klaus; Hornegger, Joachim; Strobel, Norbert

2013-03-01

Minimally invasive catheter ablation has become the preferred treatment option for atrial fibrillation. Although the standard ablation procedure involves ablation points set by radio-frequency catheters, cryo-balloon catheters have even been reported to be more advantageous in certain cases. As electro-anatomical mapping systems do not support cryo-balloon ablation procedures, X-ray guidance is needed. However, current methods to provide support for cryo-balloon catheters in fluoroscopically guided ablation procedures rely heavily on manual user interaction. To improve this, we propose a first method for automatic cryo-balloon catheter localization in fluoroscopic images based on a blob detection algorithm. Our method is evaluated on 24 clinical images from 17 patients. The method successfully detected the cryoballoon in 22 out of 24 images, yielding a success rate of 91.6 %. The successful localization achieved an accuracy of 1.00 mm +/- 0.44 mm. Even though our methods currently fails in 8.4 % of the images available, it still offers a significant improvement over manual methods. Furthermore, detecting a landmark point along the cryo-balloon catheter can be a very important step for additional post-processing operations.

Introduction (Special Issue on Scientific Balloon Capabilities and Instrumentation)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gaskin, Jessica A.; Smith, I. S.; Jones, W. V.

2014-01-01

In 1783, the Montgolfier brothers ushered in a new era of transportation and exploration when they used hot air to drive an un-tethered balloon to an altitude of 2 km. Made of sackcloth and held together with cords, this balloon challenged the way we thought about human travel, and it has since evolved into a robust platform for performing novel science and testing new technologies. Today, high-altitude balloons regularly reach altitudes of 40 km, and they can support payloads that weigh more than 3,000 kg. Long-duration balloons can currently support mission durations lasting 55 days, and developing balloon technologies (i.e. Super-Pressure Balloons) are expected to extend that duration to 100 days or longer; competing with satellite payloads. This relatively inexpensive platform supports a broad range of science payloads, spanning multiple disciplines (astrophysics, heliophysics, planetary and earth science.) Applications extending beyond traditional science include testing new technologies for eventual space-based application and stratospheric airships for planetary applications.

US Coast Guard GPS Information Center (GPSIC) and its function within the Civil GPS Service (CGS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

In 1987, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) formally requested that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) take responsibility for providing an office that would respond to nonmilitary user needs for GPS information, data, and assistance. DOT accepted this responsibility and in February 1989, named the Coast Guard as their lead agency for the project. Since that time, the U.S. Coast Guard has worked with the U.S. Space Command to develop requirements and implement a plan for providing the requested interface with the civil GPS community. The Civil GPS Service (CGS) consists of four main elements: GPS Information Center (GPSIC) - provides GPS status information to civilian users of the system: Civil GPS Service Interface Committee (CGSIC) - established to identify civil GPS user technical information needs in support of the CGS program; Differential GPS (DGPS) - Coast Guard Research and Development Project; and PPS Program Office (PPSPO) - (Under development) will administer the program allowing qualified civil users to have access to the PPS signal. Details about the services these organizations provide are described.

Taking the Hot Air Out of Balloons.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brinks, Virgil L.; Brinks, Robyn L.

1994-01-01

Describes how a teacher can give their students the challenge of designing and building model balloons or blimps. The project helps students learn the basics of balloon flight and what it really means to be "lighter than air." (PR)

GPS-UTC Time Synchronization

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-11-01

GPS-UTC TIME SYNCHRONIZATION C. H. MCKENZIE W. A. FEESS R, H. LUCAS H. HOLTZ A. L. SATIN The Aerospace Corporation El Segundo, California...Abstract Two automatic algorithms for synchronizing the GPS time standard to the UTC time standard are evaluated. Both algorithms control GPS-UTC...is required to synchronize its broadcast time standard to within one microsecond o f the time standard maintained by the US Naval Observatory

Endovascular balloon-assisted embolization of high-flow peripheral vascular lesions using dual-lumen coaxial balloon microcatheter and Onyx: initial experience.

PubMed

Jagadeesan, Bharathi D; Mortazavi, Shabnam; Hunter, David W; Duran-Castro, Olga L; Snyder, Gregory B; Siedel, Glen F; Golzarian, Jafar

2014-04-01

Balloon-assisted embolization performed by delivering Onyx ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer through a dual-lumen coaxial balloon microcatheter is a new technique for the management of peripheral vascular lesions. This technique does not require an initial reflux of Onyx to form around the tip of the microcatheter before antegrade flow of Onyx can commence. In a series of four patients who were treated with the use of this technique, the absence of significant reflux of Onyx was noted, as were excellent navigability and easy retrieval of the balloon microcatheter. However, in one patient, there was inadvertent adverse embolization of a digital artery, which was not caused by reflux of Onyx but could still be related to balloon inflation. © 2013 SIR Published by SIR All rights reserved.

Balloons on Ice: NASA Launches Antarctica Scientific Balloon Campaign

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

Cosmic rays and the chemicals and atoms that make up the interstellar space between stars are the focus of this year’s NASA Antarctica Long Duration Balloon Flight Campaign, which kicked into high gear with the launch of the Boron And Carbon Cosmic rays in the Upper Stratosphere (BACCUS) payload Nov. 28. The University of Maryland’s BACCUS mission is the first of three payloads taking flight from a balloon launch site on Antarctica’s Ross Ice Shelf near McMurdo Station with support from the National Science Foundation’s United States Antarctic Program. Read more: go.nasa.gov/2gCMtyP NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

Controlled weather balloon ascents and descents for atmospheric research and climate monitoring

PubMed Central

Kräuchi, Andreas; Philipona, Rolf; Romanens, Gonzague; Hurst, Dale F.; Hall, Emrys G.; Jordan, Allen F.

2017-01-01

In situ upper-air measurements are often made with instruments attached to weather balloons launched at the surface and lifted into the stratosphere. Present-day balloon-borne sensors allow near-continuous measurements from the Earth’s surface to about 35 km (3–5 hPa), where the balloons burst and their instrument payloads descend with parachutes. It has been demonstrated that ascending weather balloons can perturb the air measured by very sensitive humidity and temperature sensors trailing behind them, particularly in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS). The use of controlled balloon descent for such measurements has therefore been investigated and is described here. We distinguish between the single balloon technique that uses a simple automatic valve system to release helium from the balloon at a preset ambient pressure, and the double balloon technique that uses a carrier balloon to lift the payload and a parachute balloon to control the descent of instruments after the carrier balloon is released at preset altitude. The automatic valve technique has been used for several decades for water vapor soundings with frost point hygrometers, whereas the double balloon technique has recently been re-established and deployed to measure radiation and temperature profiles through the atmosphere. Double balloon soundings also strongly reduce pendulum motion of the payload, stabilizing radiation instruments during ascent. We present the flight characteristics of these two ballooning techniques and compare the quality of temperature and humidity measurements made during ascent and descent. PMID:29263765

Controlled weather balloon ascents and descents for atmospheric research and climate monitoring.

PubMed

Kräuchi, Andreas; Philipona, Rolf; Romanens, Gonzague; Hurst, Dale F; Hall, Emrys G; Jordan, Allen F

2016-01-01

In situ upper-air measurements are often made with instruments attached to weather balloons launched at the surface and lifted into the stratosphere. Present-day balloon-borne sensors allow near-continuous measurements from the Earth's surface to about 35 km (3-5 hPa), where the balloons burst and their instrument payloads descend with parachutes. It has been demonstrated that ascending weather balloons can perturb the air measured by very sensitive humidity and temperature sensors trailing behind them, particularly in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS). The use of controlled balloon descent for such measurements has therefore been investigated and is described here. We distinguish between the single balloon technique that uses a simple automatic valve system to release helium from the balloon at a preset ambient pressure, and the double balloon technique that uses a carrier balloon to lift the payload and a parachute balloon to control the descent of instruments after the carrier balloon is released at preset altitude. The automatic valve technique has been used for several decades for water vapor soundings with frost point hygrometers, whereas the double balloon technique has recently been re-established and deployed to measure radiation and temperature profiles through the atmosphere. Double balloon soundings also strongly reduce pendulum motion of the payload, stabilizing radiation instruments during ascent. We present the flight characteristics of these two ballooning techniques and compare the quality of temperature and humidity measurements made during ascent and descent.

Stratospheric Balloon Platforms for Near Space Access

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dewey, R. G.

2012-12-01

For over five decades, high altitude aerospace balloon platforms have provided a unique vantage point for space and geophysical research by exposing scientific instrument packages and experiments to space-like conditions above 99% of Earth's atmosphere. Reaching altitudes in excess of 30 km for durations ranging from hours to weeks, high altitude balloons offer longer flight durations than both traditional sounding rockets and emerging suborbital reusable launch vehicles. For instruments and experiments requiring access to high altitudes, engineered balloon systems provide a timely, responsive, flexible, and cost-effective vehicle for reaching near space conditions. Moreover, high altitude balloon platforms serve as an early means of testing and validating hardware bound for suborbital or orbital space without imposing space vehicle qualifications and certification requirements on hardware in development. From float altitudes above 30 km visible obscuration of the sky is greatly reduced and telescopes and other sensors function in an orbit-like environment, but in 1g. Down-facing sensors can take long-exposure atmospheric measurements and images of Earth's surface from oblique and nadir perspectives. Payload support subsystems such as telemetry equipment and command, control, and communication (C3) interfaces can also be tested and operationally verified in this space-analog environment. For scientific payloads requiring over-flight of specific areas of interests, such as an active volcano or forest region, advanced mission planning software allows flight trajectories to be accurately modeled. Using both line-of-sight and satellite-based communication systems, payloads can be tracked and controlled throughout the entire mission duration. Under NASA's Flight Opportunities Program, NSC can provide a range of high altitude flight options to support space and geophysical research: High Altitude Shuttle System (HASS) - A balloon-borne semi-autonomous glider carries

GPS Position Time Series @ JPL

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Owen, Susan; Moore, Angelyn; Kedar, Sharon; Liu, Zhen; Webb, Frank; Heflin, Mike; Desai, Shailen

2013-01-01

Different flavors of GPS time series analysis at JPL - Use same GPS Precise Point Positioning Analysis raw time series - Variations in time series analysis/post-processing driven by different users. center dot JPL Global Time Series/Velocities - researchers studying reference frame, combining with VLBI/SLR/DORIS center dot JPL/SOPAC Combined Time Series/Velocities - crustal deformation for tectonic, volcanic, ground water studies center dot ARIA Time Series/Coseismic Data Products - Hazard monitoring and response focused center dot ARIA data system designed to integrate GPS and InSAR - GPS tropospheric delay used for correcting InSAR - Caltech's GIANT time series analysis uses GPS to correct orbital errors in InSAR - Zhen Liu's talking tomorrow on InSAR Time Series analysis

New concepts for interplanetary balloons and blimps, particularly for Titan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nott, J.

This paper proposes novel approaches for balloons for planets Titan BALLUTE A balloon or blimp arriving at a planet or moon with an atmosphere might inflate falling under a parachute or after landing Neither is ideal In both cases the envelope must include qualities needed for inflation as well as those for flight A ballute BALLoon parachUTE could be used thus a ballute is like a hot air balloon with a large mouth Initially it fills by ram pressure descending through an atmosphere As proposed it would then be heated by solid propellant It would stop descending and float level with hot air lift It is now a perfect location for inflation without wind or movement through the atmosphere and away from the uncertainties of the surface A ballute could be used over several bodies in the solar system BALLOONS FOR LOW TEMPERATURES Flight in very low temperatures is also discussed Conditions are so different that it is useful to examine basic factors These apply for any planet with low temperature and weather calm enough for balloons or blimps First for terrestrial hot air balloons thermal radiation is usually the dominant way heat is lost But radiation rises with the 4th power of absolute temperature At Titan radiation will be one or two orders of magnitude smaller Also the dense atmosphere allows small balloons small temperature differences So convection is small It appears a hot air balloon can easily be heated by a radioactive source likely carried to make electricity Pinholes are not important in such a balloon

Reduction of prostate intrafraction motion using gas-release rectal balloons

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Su Zhong; Zhao Tianyu; Li Zuofeng

2012-10-15

Purpose: To analyze prostate intrafraction motion using both non-gas-release (NGR) and gas-release (GR) rectal balloons and to evaluate the ability of GR rectal balloons to reduce prostate intrafraction motion. Methods: Twenty-nine patients with NGR rectal balloons and 29 patients with GR balloons were randomly selected from prostate patients treated with proton therapy at University of Florida Proton Therapy Institute (Jacksonville, FL). Their pretreatment and post-treatment orthogonal radiographs were analyzed, and both pretreatment setup residual error and intrafraction-motion data were obtained. Population histograms of intrafraction motion were plotted for both types of balloons. Population planning target-volume (PTV) margins were calculated withmore » the van Herk formula of 2.5{Sigma}+ 0.7{sigma} to account for setup residual errors and intrafraction motion errors. Results: Pretreatment and post-treatment radiographs indicated that the use of gas-release rectal balloons reduced prostate intrafraction motion along superior-inferior (SI) and anterior-posterior (AP) directions. Similar patient setup residual errors were exhibited for both types of balloons. Gas-release rectal balloons resulted in PTV margin reductions from 3.9 to 2.8 mm in the SI direction, 3.1 to 1.8 mm in the AP direction, and an increase from 1.9 to 2.1 mm in the left-right direction. Conclusions: Prostate intrafraction motion is an important uncertainty source in radiotherapy after image-guided patient setup with online corrections. Compared to non-gas-release rectal balloons, gas-release balloons can reduce prostate intrafraction motion in the SI and AP directions caused by gas buildup.« less

Properties of nylon 12 balloons after thermal and liquid carbon dioxide treatments.

PubMed

Ro, Andrew J; Davé, Vipul

2013-03-01

Critical design attributes of angioplasty balloons include the following: tear resistance, high burst pressures, controlled compliance, and high fatigue. Balloons must have tear resistance and high burst pressures because a calcified stenosis can be hard and nominal pressures of up to 16 atm can be used to expand the balloon. The inflated balloon diameter must be a function of the inflation pressure, thus compliance is predictable and controlled. Reliable compliance is necessary to prevent damage to vessel walls, which may be caused by over-inflation. Balloons are often inflated multiple times in a clinical setting and they must be highly resistant to fatigue. These design attributes are dependent on the mechanical properties and polymer morphology of the balloon. The effects of residual stresses on shrinkage, crystallite orientation, balloon compliance, and mechanical properties were studied for angioplasty nylon 12 balloons. Residual stresses of these balloons were relieved by oven heat treatment and liquid CO2 exposure. Residual stresses were measured by quantifying shrinkage at 80 °C of excised balloon samples using a dynamic mechanical analyzer. Shrinkage was lower after oven heat treatment and liquid CO2 exposure compared to the as-received balloons, in the axial and radial directions. As-received, oven heat treated, and liquid CO2-exposed balloon samples exhibited similar thermal properties (T(g), T(m), X(t)). Crystallite orientation was not observed in the balloon cylindrical body using X-ray scattering and polarized light microscopy, which may be due to balloon fabrication conditions. Significant differences were not observed between the stress-strain curves, balloon compliance, and average burst pressures of the as-received, oven heat treated, and liquid CO2-exposed balloons. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sensing Human Activity: GPS Tracking

PubMed Central

van der Spek, Stefan; van Schaick, Jeroen; de Bois, Peter; de Haan, Remco

2009-01-01

The enhancement of GPS technology enables the use of GPS devices not only as navigation and orientation tools, but also as instruments used to capture travelled routes: as sensors that measure activity on a city scale or the regional scale. TU Delft developed a process and database architecture for collecting data on pedestrian movement in three European city centres, Norwich, Rouen and Koblenz, and in another experiment for collecting activity data of 13 families in Almere (The Netherlands) for one week. The question posed in this paper is: what is the value of GPS as ‘sensor technology’ measuring activities of people? The conclusion is that GPS offers a widely useable instrument to collect invaluable spatial-temporal data on different scales and in different settings adding new layers of knowledge to urban studies, but the use of GPS-technology and deployment of GPS-devices still offers significant challenges for future research. PMID:22574061

Simulation and analysis of differential GPS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Denaro, R. P.

NASA is conducting a research program to evaluate differential Global Positioning System (GPS) concepts for civil helicopter navigation. It is pointed out that the civil helicopter community will probably be an early user of GPS because of the unique mission operations in areas where precise navigation aids are not available. However, many of these applications involve accuracy requirements which cannot be satisfied by conventional GPS. Such applications include remote area search and rescue, offshore oil platform approach, remote area precision landing, and other precise navigation operations. Differential GPS provides a promising approach for meeting very demanding accuracy requirements. The considered procedure eliminates some of the common bias errors experienced by conventional GPS. This is done by making use of a second GPS receiver. A simulation process is developed as a tool for analyzing various scenarios of GPS-referenced civil aircraft navigation.

14 CFR 101.39 - Balloon position reports.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Balloon position reports. 101.39 Section 101.39 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (CONTINUED) AIR TRAFFIC AND GENERAL OPERATING RULES MOORED BALLOONS, KITES, AMATEUR ROCKETS AND UNMANNED FREE...

14 CFR 101.39 - Balloon position reports.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Balloon position reports. 101.39 Section 101.39 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (CONTINUED) AIR TRAFFIC AND GENERAL OPERATING RULES MOORED BALLOONS, KITES, AMATEUR ROCKETS AND UNMANNED FREE...

14 CFR 101.39 - Balloon position reports.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Balloon position reports. 101.39 Section 101.39 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (CONTINUED) AIR TRAFFIC AND GENERAL OPERATING RULES MOORED BALLOONS, KITES, AMATEUR ROCKETS AND UNMANNED FREE...

14 CFR 101.39 - Balloon position reports.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Balloon position reports. 101.39 Section 101.39 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (CONTINUED) AIR TRAFFIC AND GENERAL OPERATING RULES MOORED BALLOONS, KITES, AMATEUR ROCKETS AND UNMANNED FREE...

14 CFR 101.39 - Balloon position reports.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Balloon position reports. 101.39 Section 101.39 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (CONTINUED) AIR TRAFFIC AND GENERAL OPERATING RULES MOORED BALLOONS, KITES, AMATEUR ROCKETS AND UNMANNED FREE...

The GPS Topex/Poseidon precise orbit determination experiment - Implications for design of GPS global networks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lindqwister, Ulf J.; Lichten, Stephen M.; Davis, Edgar S.; Theiss, Harold L.

1993-01-01

Topex/Poseidon, a cooperative satellite mission between United States and France, aims to determine global ocean circulation patterns and to study their influence on world climate through precise measurements of sea surface height above the geoid with an on-board altimeter. To achieve the mission science aims, a goal of 13-cm orbit altitude accuracy was set. Topex/Poseidon includes a Global Positioning System (GPS) precise orbit determination (POD) system that has now demonstrated altitude accuracy better than 5 cm. The GPS POD system includes an on-board GPS receiver and a 6-station GPS global tracking network. This paper reviews early GPS results and discusses multi-mission capabilities available from a future enhanced global GPS network, which would provide ground-based geodetic and atmospheric calibrations needed for NASA deep space missions while also supplying tracking data for future low Earth orbiters. Benefits of the enhanced global GPS network include lower operations costs for deep space tracking and many scientific and societal benefits from the low Earth orbiter missions, including improved understanding of ocean circulation, ocean-weather interactions, the El Nino effect, the Earth thermal balance, and weather forecasting.

An Interdisciplinary Approach at Studying the Earth-Sun System with GPS/GNSS and GPS-like Signals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zuffada, Cinzia; Hajj, George; Mannucci, Anthony J.; Chao, Yi; Ao, Chi; Zumberge, James

2005-01-01

The value of Global Positioning Satellites (GPS) measurements to atmospheric science, space physics, and ocean science, is now emerging or showing a potential to play a major role in the evolving programs of NASA, NSF and NOAA. The objective of this communication is to identify and articulate the key scientific questions that are optimally, or perhaps uniquely, addressed by GPS or GPS-like observations, and discuss their relevance to existing or planned national Earth-science research programs. The GPS-based ocean reflection experiments performed to date have demonstrated the precision and spatial resolution suitable to altimetric applications that require higher spatial resolution and more frequent repeat than the current radar altimeter satellites. GPS radio occultation is promising as a climate monitoring tool because of its benchmark properties: its raw observable is based on extremely accurate timing measurements. GPS-derived temperature profiles can provide meaningful climate trend information over decadal time scales without the need for overlapping missions or mission-to-mission calibrations. By acquiring data as GPS satellites occult behind the Earth's limb, GPS also provides high vertical resolution information on the vertical structure of electron density with global coverage. New experimental techniques will create more comprehensive TEC maps by using signals reflected from the oceans and received in orbit. This communication will discuss a potential future GNSS Earth Observing System project which would deploy a constellation of satellites using GPS and GPS-like measurements, to obtain a) topography measurements based on GPS reflections with an accuracy and horizontal resolution suitable for eddy monitoring, and h) climate-records quality atmospheric temperature profiles. The constellation would also provide for measurements of ionospheric elec tron density. This is a good example of an interdisciplinary mission concept, with broad science objectives

The balloon and the airship technological heritage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mayer, N. J.

1981-01-01

The balloon and the airship are discussed with emphasis on the identification of commonalities and distinctions. The aerostat technology behind the shape and structure of the vehicles is reviewed, including a discussion of structural weight, internal pressure, buckling, and the development of a stable tethered balloon system. Proper materials for the envelope are considered, taking elongation and stress into account, and flight operation and future developments are reviewed. Airships and tethered balloons which are designed to carry high operating pressure with low gas loss characteristics are found to share similar problems in low speed flight operations, while possessing interchangeable technologies.

Development of a super-pressure balloon with a diamond-shaped net

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saito, Y.; Iijima, I.; Matsuzaka, Y.; Matsushima, K.; Tanaka, S.; Kajiwara, K.; Shimadu, S.

2014-10-01

The essential reason of the lobed-pumpkin shaped super-pressure balloon to withstand against the high pressure is that the local curvature of the balloon film is kept small. Recently, it has been found that the small local curvature can also be obtained if the balloon is covered by a diamond-shaped net with a vertically elongated shape. The development of the super-pressure balloon using this method was started from a 3-m balloon with a polyethylene film covered by a net using Kevlar ropes. The ground inflation test showed the expected high burst pressure. Then, a 6-m and a 12-m balloon using a polyethylene film and a net using the Vectran were developed and stable deployment was checked through the ground inflation tests. The flight test of a 3000 m3 balloon was performed in 2013 and shown to resist a pressure of at least 400 Pa. In the future, after testing a new design to relax a possible stress concentration around the polar area, test flights of scaled balloons will be performed gradually enlarging their size. The goal is to launch a 300,000 m3 super-pressure balloon.

Benign Post-Radiation Rectal Stricture Treated with Endoscopic Balloon Dilation and Intralesional Triamcinolone Injection

PubMed Central

Karanikas, Michael; Touzopoulos, Panagiotis; Mitrakas, Alexandros; Zezos, Petros; Zarogoulidis, Paul; Machairiotis, Nikolaos; Efremidou, Eleni; Liratzopoulos, Nikolaos; Polychronidis, Alexandros; Kouklakis, George

2012-01-01

Post-radiation stricture is a rare complication after pelvis irradiation, but must be in the mind of the clinician evaluating a lower gastrointestinal obstruction. Endoscopy has gained an important role in chronic radiation proctitis with several therapeutic options for management of intestinal strictures. The treatment of rectal strictures has been limited to surgery with high morbidity and mortality. Therefore, a less invasive therapeutic approach for benign rectal strictures, endoscopic balloon dilation with or without intralesional steroid injection, has become a common treatment modality. We present a case of benign post-radiation rectal stricture treated successfully with balloon dilation and adjuvant intralesional triamcinolone injection. A 70-year-old woman presented to the emergency room complaining for 2 weeks of diarrhea and meteorism, 11 years after radiation of the pelvis due to adenocarcinoma of the uterus. Colonoscopy revealed a stricture at the rectum and multiple endoscopic biopsies were obtained from the stricture. The stricture was treated with endoscopic balloon dilation and intralesional triamcinolone injection. The procedure appears to have a high success rate and a very low complication rate. Histologic examination of the biopsies revealed non-specific inflammatory changes of the rectal mucosa and no specific changes of the mucosa due to radiation. All biopsies were negative for malignancy. The patient is stricture-free 12 months post-treatment. PMID:23271987

GPS-SNO: computational prediction of protein S-nitrosylation sites with a modified GPS algorithm.

PubMed

Xue, Yu; Liu, Zexian; Gao, Xinjiao; Jin, Changjiang; Wen, Longping; Yao, Xuebiao; Ren, Jian

2010-06-24

As one of the most important and ubiquitous post-translational modifications (PTMs) of proteins, S-nitrosylation plays important roles in a variety of biological processes, including the regulation of cellular dynamics and plasticity. Identification of S-nitrosylated substrates with their exact sites is crucial for understanding the molecular mechanisms of S-nitrosylation. In contrast with labor-intensive and time-consuming experimental approaches, prediction of S-nitrosylation sites using computational methods could provide convenience and increased speed. In this work, we developed a novel software of GPS-SNO 1.0 for the prediction of S-nitrosylation sites. We greatly improved our previously developed algorithm and released the GPS 3.0 algorithm for GPS-SNO. By comparison, the prediction performance of GPS 3.0 algorithm was better than other methods, with an accuracy of 75.80%, a sensitivity of 53.57% and a specificity of 80.14%. As an application of GPS-SNO 1.0, we predicted putative S-nitrosylation sites for hundreds of potentially S-nitrosylated substrates for which the exact S-nitrosylation sites had not been experimentally determined. In this regard, GPS-SNO 1.0 should prove to be a useful tool for experimentalists. The online service and local packages of GPS-SNO were implemented in JAVA and are freely available at: http://sno.biocuckoo.org/.

Balloon-Inflated Catheters for Enteral Feeding: a Word of Caution.

PubMed

Dash, Nihar Ranjan; Singh, Anand Narayan; Kilambi, Ragini

2018-02-01

Catheters with inflatable balloons such as a Foley catheter may be used for feeding gastrostomy/jejunostomy. The incorrect or improper use of these catheters can have serious consequences. We report 13 cases of feeding jejunostomy with balloon-inflated catheter's malfunction, some referred to our centre and others operated here over a period of 8 years. The most dramatic consequence of such improper use led to rupture of the small intestine due to inadvertent over-inflation (over 100 ml) of the balloon of the catheter during a contrast study. The patient required a laparotomy with resection and anastomosis of the bowel. Three other patients had similar over-inflation of the balloon leading to severe pain and discomfort. In all three patients, timely deflation of the balloon was sufficient to relieve the symptoms. One patient had intussusception with the inflated balloon acting as a lead point. The patient underwent resection of the small bowel with end jejunostomy and distal mucous fistula. All other patients presented with abdominal pain and distension and intestinal obstruction and were managed non-operatively with deflation of balloon either by aspiration, cutting the balloon port or ultrasound-guided puncture of balloon. Healthcare personnel dealing with patients with indwelling catheters must be educated to suspect, detect and manage such problems. The best measure for such unusual complications of otherwise safe devices would be prevention by training and generation of awareness.

Development of a Compact Captive Balloon and Its Level Supporting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakao, Tatsuya; Fujiwara, Kazuhito; Furukawa, Motoyasu; Hiroe, Tetsuyuki

Many kinds of observation techniques have been developed to obtain the properties of atmospheric conditions. The advanced observation techniques of the flow in relatively large scale are remote sensing by satellite facilities, long range observations by radar or Doppler Sodar, etc., while data from conventional climometers set at fixed places are merely limited information about local scale flow. Captive balloons are also available and feasible for the observation of local flows if their standing mechanics are robust against the strong wind and the motion of balloon are stable for all wind direction and the change of wind direction. In this paper, a compact captive balloon (about 2m diam.) for flow measurement is proposed and the preservation of balloon height level and the stabilization of its motion are challenged by using a kite. The relation between force balances acted on the balloon and the balloon height or position was estimated and confirmed in experiments. Although the lift force of single kite worked successfully, it is found that the performance of plural kites is less in the traction of balloon since the interaction of their tensions. The compact balloon supported by the kite enabled the over 300m floating by virtue of the small size causing only low air resistance.

Ideas for Future GPS Timing Improvements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hutsell, Steven T.

1996-01-01

Having recently met stringent criteria for full operational capability (FOC) certification, the Global Positioning System (GPS) now has higher customer expectations than ever before. In order to maintain customer satisfaction, and the meet the even high customer demands of the future, the GPS Master Control Station (MCS) must play a critical role in the process of carefully refining the performance and integrity of the GPS constellation, particularly in the area of timing. This paper will present an operational perspective on several ideas for improving timing in GPS. These ideas include the desire for improving MCS - US Naval Observatory (USNO) data connectivity, an improved GPS-Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) prediction algorithm, a more robust Kalman Filter, and more features in the GPS reference time algorithm (the GPS composite clock), including frequency step resolution, a more explicit use of the basic time scale equation, and dynamic clock weighting. Current MCS software meets the exceptional challenge of managing an extremely complex constellation of 24 navigation satellites. The GPS community will, however, always seek to improve upon this performance and integrity.

False coronary dissection with the new Monorail angioplasty balloon catheter.

PubMed

Esplugas, E; Cequier, A R; Sabaté, X; Jara, F

1990-01-01

During percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, the appearance of persistent staining in the vessel by contrast media suggests coronary dissection. We report seven patients in whom a false image of severe coronary dissection was observed during angioplasty performed with the new Monorail balloon catheter. This image emerges at the moment of balloon inflation, is distally located to the balloon, and disappears with balloon catheter deflation. No complications were associated with the appearance of this image.

GPS timing products - Naval Oceanography Portal

Science.gov Websites

section Advanced Search... Sections Home Time Earth Orientation Astronomy Meteorology Oceanography Ice You are here: Home › USNO › Precise Time › GPS USNO Logo USNO Navigation Master Clock GPS Display Clocks TWSTT Telephone Time NTP Info GPS timing products USNO monitors the GPS constellation and provides

Sounding rocket and balloon flight safety philosophy and methodologies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beyma, R. J.

1986-01-01

NASA's sounding rocket and balloon goal is to successfully and safely perform scientific research. This is reflected in the design, planning, and conduct of sounding rocket and balloon operations. The purpose of this paper is to acquaint the sounding rocket and balloon scientific community with flight safety philosophy and methodologies, and how range safety affects their programs. This paper presents the flight safety philosophy for protecting the public against the risk created by the conduct of sounding rocket and balloon operations. The flight safety criteria used to implement this philosophy are defined and the methodologies used to calculate mission risk are described.

The need for GPS standardization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lewandowski, Wlodzimierz W.; Petit, Gerard; Thomas, Claudine

1992-01-01

A desirable and necessary step for improvement of the accuracy of Global Positioning System (GPS) time comparisons is the establishment of common GPS standards. For this reason, the CCDS proposed the creation of a special group of experts with the objective of recommending procedures and models for operational time transfer by GPS common-view method. Since the announcement of the implementation of Selective Availability at the end of last spring, action has become much more urgent and this CCDS Group on GPS Time Transfer Standards has now been set up. It operates under the auspices of the permanent CCDS Working Group on TAI and works in close cooperation with the Sub-Committee on Time of the Civil GPS Service Interface Committee (CGSIC). Taking as an example the implementation of SA during the first week of July 1991, this paper illustrates the need to develop urgently at least two standardized procedures in GPS receiver software: monitoring GPS tracks with a common time scale and retaining broadcast ephemeris parameters throughout the duration of a track. Other matters requiring action are the adoption of common models for atmospheric delay, a common approach to hardware design and agreement about short-term data processing. Several examples of such deficiencies in standardization are presented.

PiVoT GPS Receiver

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wennersten, Miriam; Banes, Vince; Boegner, Greg; Clagnett, Charles; Dougherty, Lamar; Edwards, Bernard; Roman, Joe; Bauer, Frank H. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center has built an open architecture, 24 channel spaceflight Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver. The compact PCI PiVoT GPS receiver card is based on the Mitel/GEC Plessey Builder 2 board. PiVoT uses two Plessey 2021 correlators to allow tracking of up to 24 separate GPS SV's on unique channels. Its four front ends can support four independent antennas, making it a useful card for hosting GPS attitude determination algorithms. It has been built using space quality, radiation tolerant parts. The PiVoT card works at a lower signal to noise ratio than the original Builder 2 board. It also hosts an improved clock oscillator. The PiVoT software is based on the original Piessey Builder 2 software ported to the Linux operating system. The software is posix compliant and can be easily converted to other posix operating systems. The software is open source to anyone with a licensing agreement with Plessey. Additional tasks can be added to the software to support GPS science experiments or attitude determination algorithms. The next generation PiVoT receiver will be a single radiation hardened compact PCI card containing the microprocessor and the GPS receiver optimized for use above the GPS constellation.

Balloon Sculpture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warwick, James F.

1976-01-01

For the adventurous teacher and student there is an alternative to the often messy mixing, pouring, casting, cutting, scoring and sanding of plaster of Paris for casting or sculptural projects. Balloon sculpture, devised, designed and shown here by a sculptor/teacher, is an eye appealing sculptural form and holds a strong interest for students.…

Drug-eluting balloon angioplasty versus uncoated balloon angioplasty for peripheral arterial disease of the lower limbs.

PubMed

Kayssi, Ahmed; Al-Atassi, Talal; Oreopoulos, George; Roche-Nagle, Graham; Tan, Kong Teng; Rajan, Dheeraj K

2016-08-04

Atherosclerotic peripheral arterial disease (PAD) can lead to disabling ischemia and limb loss. Treatment modalities have included risk factor optimization through life-style modifications and medications, or operative approaches using both open and minimally invasive techniques, such as balloon angioplasty. Drug-eluting balloon (DEB) angioplasty has emerged as a promising alternative to uncoated balloon angioplasty for the treatment of this difficult disease process. By ballooning and coating the inside of atherosclerotic vessels with cytotoxic agents, such as paclitaxel, cellular mechanisms responsible for atherosclerosis and neointimal hyperplasia are inhibited and its devastating complications are prevented or postponed. DEBs are considerably more expensive than uncoated balloons, and their efficacy in improving patient outcomes is unclear. To assess the efficacy of drug-eluting balloons (DEBs) compared with uncoated, nonstenting balloon angioplasty in people with symptomatic lower-limb peripheral arterial disease (PAD). The Cochrane Vascular Trials Search Co-ordinator (TSC) searched the Specialised Register (last searched December 2015) and Cochrane Register of Studies (CRS) (2015, Issue 11). The TSC searched trial databases for details of ongoing and unpublished studies. We included all randomized controlled trials that compared DEBs with uncoated, nonstenting balloon angioplasty for intermittent claudication (IC) or critical limb ischemia (CLI). Two review authors (AK, TA) independently selected the appropriate trials and performed data extraction, assessment of trial quality, and data analysis. The senior review author (DKR) adjudicated any disagreements. Eleven trials that randomized 1838 participants met the study inclusion criteria. Seven of the trials included femoropopliteal arterial lesions, three included tibial arterial lesions, and one included both. The trials were carried out in Europe and in the USA and all used the taxane drug paclitaxel in the

Solar energy collector including a weightless balloon with sun tracking means

DOEpatents

Hall, Frederick F.

1978-01-01

A solar energy collector having a weightless balloon, the balloon including a transparent polyvinylfluoride hemisphere reinforced with a mesh of ropes secured to its outside surface, and a laminated reflector hemisphere, the inner layer being clear and aluminized on its outside surface and the outer layer being opaque, the balloon being inflated with lighter-than-air gas. A heat collection probe extends into the balloon along the focus of reflection of the reflective hemisphere for conducting coolant into and out of the balloon. The probe is mounted on apparatus for keeping the probe aligned with the sun's path, the apparatus being founded in the earth for withstanding wind pressure on the balloon. The balloon is lashed to the probe by ropes adhered to the outer surface of the balloon for withstanding wind pressures of 100 miles per hour. Preferably, the coolant is liquid sodium-potassium eutectic alloy which will not normally freeze at night in the temperate zones, and when heated to 4,000.degree. R exerts a pressure of only a few atmospheres.

Toward shared care for people with cancer: developing the model with patients and GPs.

PubMed

Hall, Susan J; Samuel, Leslie M; Murchie, Peter

2011-10-01

The number of people surviving cancer for extended periods is increasing. Consequently, due to workload and quality issues, there is considerable interest in alternatives to traditional secondary care-led cancer follow-up. To explore the views of potential recipients of shared follow-up of cancer. To conduct a modelling exercise for shared follow-up and to explore the opinions and experiences of both the patients and GPs involved. Semi-structured audio-taped telephone or face-to-face interviews were conducted with 18 patients with a range of cancers currently attending for structured follow-up in secondary care. Six GPs and five patients (four with melanoma and one with stable metastatic colorectal cancer) took part in a shared follow-up modelling exercise. During the modelling exercise, the GPs attended 4 review meetings, which included brief training seminars, and at the conclusion 10 individuals took part in semi-structured audio-taped telephone or face-to-face interviews. Many rural patients, and some urban patients, would appreciate follow-up being available nearer to home with the associated benefits of time saved and easier parking and continuity of care. Patients have concerns related to the level of extra training received by the GP and loss of contact with their consultant. GPs have concerns about gaining and maintaining the clinical skills needed to conduct follow-up, especially if the numbers of patients seen are small. They also have concerns about lack of support from other GPs, and some administrative and organizational issues. Many patients would be willing to have GPs share their cancer follow-up with the caveat that they had received extra training and were appropriately supported by secondary care specialists. Patients attending shared care clinics appreciated a local service and longer appointment times. GPs stress the importance of maintaining their own clinical skills and reliable clinical and administrative support from secondary care.

SLR tracking of GPS-35

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pavlis, Erricos C.

1994-01-01

An experiment was designed to launch a corner cube retroreflector array on one of the Global Positioning Satellites (GPS). The launch on Aug. 31, 1993 ushered in the era of SLR tracking of GPS spacecraft. Once the space operations group finished the check-out procedures for the new satellite, the agreed upon SLR sites were allowed to track it. The first site to acquire GPS-35 was the Russian system at Maidanak and closely after the MLRS system at McDonald Observatory, Texas. The laser tracking network is currently tracking the GPS spacecraft known as GPS-35 or PRN 5 with great success. From the NASA side there are five stations that contribute data regularly and nearly as many from the international partners. Upcoming modifications to the ground receivers will allow for a further increase in the tracking capabilities of several additional sites and add some desperately needed southern hemisphere tracking. We are analyzing the data and are comparing SLR-derived orbits to those determined on the basis of GPS radiometric data.

Strengths of balloon films with flaws and repairs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Portanova, M. A.

1989-01-01

The effects of manufacture flaws and repairs in high altitude scientific balloons was examined. A right circular cylinder was used to induce a biaxial tension-tension stress field in the polyethlene film used to manufacture these balloons. A preliminary investigation of the effect that cylinder geometry has on stress rate as a function of inflation rate was conducted. The ultimate goal was to rank, by order of degrading effects, the flaws and repairs commonly found in current high altitude balloons.

GPS net­work operations for the International GPS Geodynamics Service

USGS Publications Warehouse

Neilan, Ruth E.

1993-01-01

As GPS technology comes of age in the 1990’s, it is evident that an internationally sponsored GPS tracking system is called for to provide consistent, timely ground tracking data and data products to the geophysical community. The planning group for the International GPS Geodynamics Service (IGS), sponsored by the International Association of Geodesy (IAG), is addressing all elements of the end-to-end tracking system, ranging from data collection to data analysis and distribution of products (Mueller, 1992). Part of the planning process is to formulate how these various elements work together to create the common infrastructure needed to support a wide variety of GPS investigations. A key element for any permanent satellite tracking system is certainly the acquisition segment; the reliability and robustness of the ground network operations directly determine the fates and limitations of final products. The IGS planning group therefore included a committee tasked to develop and establish standards governing data acquisition and site-specific characteristics deemed necessary to ensure the collection of a high quality, continuous data set.

Innovations in Balloon Catheter Technology in Rhinology.

PubMed

D'Anza, Brian; Sindwani, Raj; Woodard, Troy D

2017-06-01

Since being introduced more than 10 years ago, balloon catheter technology (BCT) has undergone several generations of innovations. From construction to utilization, there has been a myriad of advancements in balloon technology. The ergonomics of the balloon dilation systems have improved with a focus on limiting the extra assembly. "Hybrid" BCT procedures have shown promise in mucosal preservation, including treating isolated complex frontal disease. Multiple randomized clinical trials report improved long-term outcomes in stand-alone BCT, including in-office use. The ever-expanding technological innovations ensure BCT will be a key component in the armamentarium of the modern sinus surgeon. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

NASA’s BARREL Mission Launches 20 Balloons

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

Some of the BARREL balloon launches took place at the South African National Antarctic Expedition Research base, called SANAE IV, the others at Halley Research Station. This balloon is taking flight at SANAE IV. Credit: NASA --- In Antarctica in January, 2013 – the summer at the South Pole – scientists launched 20 balloons up into the air to study an enduring mystery of space weather: when the giant radiation belts surrounding Earth lose material, where do the extra particles actually go? The mission is called BARREL (Balloon Array for Radiation belt Relativistic Electron Losses) and it is led by physicist Robyn Millan of Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH. Millan provided photographs from the team’s time in Antarctica. The team launched a balloon every day or two into the circumpolar winds that circulate around the pole. Each balloon floated for anywhere from 3 to 40 days, measuring X-rays produced by fast-moving electrons high up in the atmosphere. BARREL works hand in hand with another NASA mission called the Van Allen Probes, which travels through the Van Allen radiation belts surrounding Earth. The belts wax and wane over time in response to incoming energy and material from the sun, sometimes intensifying the radiation through which satellites must travel. Scientists wish to understand this process better, and even provide forecasts of this space weather, in order to protect our spacecraft. As the Van Allen Probes were observing what was happening in the belts, BARREL tracked electrons that precipitated out of the belts and hurtled down Earth’s magnetic field lines toward the poles. By comparing data, scientists will be able to track how what’s happening in the belts correlates to the loss of particles – information that can help us understand this mysterious, dynamic region that can impact spacecraft. Having launched balloons in early 2013, the team is back at home building the next set of payloads. They will launch 20 more balloons in 2014. NASA

The Latest Developments in NASA's Long Duration Balloon Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stilwell, Bryan D.

The Latest Developments in NASA’s Long Duration Balloon Systems Bryan D. Stilwell, bryan.stilwell@csbf.nasa.gov Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility, Palestine, Texas, USA The Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility, located in Palestine, Texas offers the scientific community a high altitude balloon based communications platform. Scientific payload mass can exceed 2722 kg with balloon float altitudes on average of 40000 km and flight duration of up to 100 days. Many developments in electrical systems have occurred over the more than 25 years of long duration flights. This paper will discuss the latest developments in electronic systems related to long duration flights. Over the years, the long duration flights have increased in durations exceeding 56 days. In order to support these longer flights, the systems have had to increase in complexity and reliability. Several different systems that have been upgraded and/or enhanced will be discussed.

Research in Application of Geodetic GPS Receivers in Time Synchronization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Q.; Zhang, P.; Sun, Z.; Wang, F.; Wang, X.

2018-04-01

In recent years, with the development of satellite orbit and clock parameters accurately determining technology and the popularity of geodetic GPS receivers, Common-View (CV) which proposed in 1980 by Allan has gained widespread application and achieved higher accuracy time synchronization results. GPS Common View (GPS CV) is the technology that based on multi-channel geodetic GPS receivers located in different place and under the same common-view schedule to receiving same GPS satellite signal at the same time, and then calculating the time difference between respective local receiver time and GPST by weighted theory, we will obtain the difference between above local time of receivers that installed in different station with external atomic clock. Multi-channel geodetic GPS receivers have significant advantages such as higher stability, higher accuracy and more common-view satellites in long baseline time synchronization application over the single-channel geodetic GPS receivers. At present, receiver hardware delay and surrounding environment influence are main error factors that affect the accuracy of GPS common-view result. But most error factors will be suppressed by observation data smoothing and using of observation data from different satellites in multi-channel geodetic GPS receiver. After the SA (Selective Availability) cancellation, using a combination of precise satellite ephemeris, ionospheric-free dual-frequency P-code observations and accurately measuring of receiver hardware delay, we can achieve time synchronization result on the order of nanoseconds (ns). In this paper, 6 days observation data of two IGS core stations with external atomic clock (PTB, USNO distance of two stations about 6000 km) were used to verify the GPS common-view theory. Through GPS observation data analysis, there are at least 2-4 common-view satellites and 5 satellites in a few tracking periods between two stations when the elevation angle is 15°, even there will be at least

Balloon flight test of a Compton telescope based on scintillators with silicon photomultiplier readouts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bloser, P. F.; Legere, J. S.; Bancroft, C. M.; Ryan, J. M.; McConnell, M. L.

2016-03-01

We present the results of the first high-altitude balloon flight test of a concept for an advanced Compton telescope making use of modern scintillator materials with silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) readouts. There is a need in the fields of high-energy astronomy and solar physics for new medium-energy gamma-ray ( 0.4-10 MeV) detectors capable of making sensitive observations of both line and continuum sources over a wide dynamic range. A fast scintillator-based Compton telescope with SiPM readouts is a promising solution to this instrumentation challenge, since the fast response of the scintillators permits both the rejection of background via time-of-flight (ToF) discrimination and the ability to operate at high count rates. The Solar Compton Telescope (SolCompT) prototype presented here was designed to demonstrate stable performance of this technology under balloon-flight conditions. The SolCompT instrument was a simple two-element Compton telescope, consisting of an approximately one-inch cylindrical stilbene crystal for a scattering detector and a one-inch cubic LaBr3:Ce crystal for a calorimeter detector. Both scintillator detectors were read out by 2×2 arrays of Hamamatsu S11828-3344 MPPC devices. Custom front-end electronics provided optimum signal rise time and linearity, and custom power supplies automatically adjusted the SiPM bias voltage to compensate for temperature-induced gain variations. A tagged calibration source, consisting of 240 nCi of 60Co embedded in plastic scintillator, was placed in the field of view and provided a known source of gamma rays to measure in flight. The SolCompT balloon payload was launched on 24 August 2014 from Fort Sumner, NM, and spent 3.75 h at a float altitude of 123,000 ft. The instrument performed well throughout the flight. After correcting for small ( 10%) residual gain variations, we measured an in-flight ToF resolution of 760 ps (FWHM). Advanced scintillators with SiPM readouts continue to show great promise for

Altimetry Using GPS-Reflection/Occultation Interferometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cardellach, Estel; DeLaTorre, Manuel; Hajj, George A.; Ao, Chi

2008-01-01

A Global Positioning System (GPS)- reflection/occultation interferometry was examined as a means of altimetry of water and ice surfaces in polar regions. In GPS-reflection/occultation interferometry, a GPS receiver aboard a satellite in a low orbit around the Earth is used to determine the temporally varying carrier- phase delay between (1) one component of a signal from a GPS transmitter propagating directly through the atmosphere just as the GPS transmitter falls below the horizon and (2) another component of the same signal, propagating along a slightly different path, reflected at glancing incidence upon the water or ice surface.

Balloon Program Wraps up in Antarctica, Heading to New Zealand

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-02-02

Caption: A NASA Super Pressure Balloon with the COSI payload is ready for launch from McMurdo, Antarctica. Credit: NASA More info: NASA’s globetrotting Balloon Program Office is wrapping up its 2014-2015 Antarctic campaign while prepping for an around-the-world flight launching out of Wanaka, New Zealand, in March. After 16 days, 12 hours, and 56 minutes of flight, operators successfully conducted a planned flight termination of the Suborbital Polarimeter for Inflation Dust and the Epoch of Reionization (SPIDER) mission Saturday, Jan. 18, the final mission of the campaign. Other flights in the 2014-2015 Antarctic campaign included the Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna (ANITA-III) mission as well as the Compton Spectrometer and Imager (COSI) payload flown on the developmental Super Pressure Balloon (SPB). ANITA-III successfully wrapped up Jan. 9 after 22 days, 9 hours, and 14 minutes of flight. Flight controllers terminated the COSI flight 43 hours into the mission after detecting a small gas leak in the balloon. Crews are now working to recover all three instruments from different locations across the continent. The 6,480-pound SPIDER payload is stationary at a position about 290 miles from the United Kingdom’s Sky Blu Logistics Facility in Antarctica. The 4,601 pound ANITA-III payload, located about 100 miles from Australia’s Davis Station, and the 2,866 pound COSI payload, located about 340 miles from the United States McMurdo Station both had numerous key components recovered in the past few days. Beginning in late January, the Balloon Program Office will deploy a team to Wanaka, New Zealand, to begin preparations for an SPB flight, scheduled to launch in March. The Program Office seeks to fly the SPB more than 100 days, which would shatter the current flight duration record of 55 days, 1 hour, and 34 minutes for a large scientific balloon. “We’re looking forward to the New Zealand campaign and hopefully a history-making flight with the Super

Exergames for health and fitness: the roles of GPS and geosocial apps

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Large numbers of children and adolescents in Canada, UK and USA are not getting their recommended daily dose of moderate to vigorous physical activity, and are thus more prone to obesity and its ill health effects. Exergames (video games that require physical activity to play) are rapidly gaining user acceptance, and may have the potential to increase physical activity levels among young people. Mobile exergames for GPS (global positioning system)-enabled smartphones and mini-tablets take players outdoors, in the open air, unlike console exergames, e.g., Xbox 360 Kinect exergames, which limit players to playing indoors in front of a TV set. In this paper and its companion ‘Additional file 1’, we review different examples of GPS exergames and of gamified geosocial apps and gadgets (mobile, location-aware apps and devices with social and gamification features), and briefly discuss some of the issues surrounding their use. Further research is needed to document best practices in this area, quantify the exact health and fitness benefits of GPS exergames and apps (under different settings and scenarios), and find out what is needed to improve them and the best ways to promote their adoption by the public. PMID:23561306

Exergames for health and fitness: the roles of GPS and geosocial apps.

PubMed

Boulos, Maged N Kamel; Yang, Stephen P

2013-04-05

Large numbers of children and adolescents in Canada, UK and USA are not getting their recommended daily dose of moderate to vigorous physical activity, and are thus more prone to obesity and its ill health effects. Exergames (video games that require physical activity to play) are rapidly gaining user acceptance, and may have the potential to increase physical activity levels among young people. Mobile exergames for GPS (global positioning system)-enabled smartphones and mini-tablets take players outdoors, in the open air, unlike console exergames, e.g., Xbox 360 Kinect exergames, which limit players to playing indoors in front of a TV set. In this paper and its companion 'Additional file 1', we review different examples of GPS exergames and of gamified geosocial apps and gadgets (mobile, location-aware apps and devices with social and gamification features), and briefly discuss some of the issues surrounding their use. Further research is needed to document best practices in this area, quantify the exact health and fitness benefits of GPS exergames and apps (under different settings and scenarios), and find out what is needed to improve them and the best ways to promote their adoption by the public.

Evaluation of balloon withdrawal forces with bare-metal stents, compared with Taxus and Cypher drug-eluting coronary stents: balloon, stent and polymer interactions.

PubMed

Turk, Marvee; Gupta, Vishal; Fischell, Tim A

2010-03-01

There have been reports of serious complications related to difficulty removing the deflated Taxus stent delivery balloon after stent deployment. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the Taxus SIBS polymer was "sticky" and associated with an increase in the force required to remove the stent delivery balloon after stent deployment, using a quantitative, ex-vivo model. Balloon-polymer-stent interactions during balloon withdrawal were measured with the Taxus Liberté, Liberté bare-metal stent (BMS; no polymer = control), the Cordis Cypher drug-eluting stent (DES; PEVA/PBMA polymer) and the BX Velocity (no polymer). We quantitatively measured the force required to remove the deflated stent delivery balloon from each of these stents in simulated vessels at 37 degrees C in a water bath. Balloon withdrawal forces were measured in straight (0 degree curve), mildly curved (20 degree curve) and moderately curved (40 degree curve) simulated vessel segments. The average peak force required to remove the deflated balloon catheter from the Taxus Liberté DES, the Liberté BMS, the Cypher DES, and the Bx Velocity BMS were similar in straight segments, but were much greater for the Taxus Liberté in the moderately curved segments (1.4 lbs vs. 0.11 lbs, 0.11 lbs and 0.12 lbs, respectively; p < 0.0001). The SIBS polymer of the Taxus Liberté DES appears to be "sticky" and is associated with high forces required to withdraw the deflated balloon from the deployed stent in curved segments. This withdrawal issue may help to explain the clinical complications that have been reported with this device.

GPS in ten years

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-09-16

What will GPS look like in ten years? This paper discusses improvements to the overall GPS system planned over the next ten years and examines their impact on system performance for several applications. The Presidential Decision Directive (PDD) rele...

What do troubled adolescents expect from their GPs?

PubMed

Tudrej, Benoit V; Heintz, Anne-Laure; Ingrand, Pierre; Gicquel, Ludovic; Binder, Philippe

2016-12-01

Adolescents often have emotional and behavioural problems that general practitioners are likely to miss. While nearly 80% of them consult their GP every year, it is usually for physical, not psychological reasons. Trust in their GPs in necessary for screening. To identify the key quality desired by adolescents for them to feel free to confide in GPs. To determine whether this quality differed according to gender, level of at-risk behaviours or interlocutor: friend, parent or GP. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in 182 French educational institutions chosen by lot. Fifteen-year-olds completed a self-administered questionnaire under examination conditions. While the questions on behaviour were drawn from the cross-national survey entitled 'Health behaviour in school-aged children (HBSC),' the questions on conditions conducive to trust were drawn from previous studies. A total of 1817 (911 boys, 906 girls) questionnaires were analysed. Adolescents said they seldom confided. The main quality they expected from a GP to whom they could confide in was 'honesty', which meant ensuring secrecy, refraining from judgment, and putting forward the right questions. This priority was modified by neither gender nor experience with health-risk behaviour. The quality of 'reliability' was more closely associated with their parents or friends, while 'emotionality' was cited less often. To gain the trust of adolescents, GPs have to be sincere and non-manipulative and have the ability to ensure confidentiality and to put forward the right questions without passing judgment. Can this be verified during consultations? Prospective studies could shed light on this point.[Box: see text].

Inquiry-Based Early Undergraduate Research Using High-Altitude Ballooning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sibbernsen, K.; Sibbernsen, M.

2012-12-01

One common objective for undergraduate science classes is to have students learn how to do scientific inquiry. However, often in science laboratory classes, students learn to take data, analyze the data, and come to conclusions, but they are told what to study and do not have the opportunity to ask their own research questions, a crucial part of scientific inquiry. A special topics class in high-altitude ballooning (HAB) was offered at Metropolitan Community College, a large metropolitan two-year college in Omaha, Nebraska to focus on scientific inquiry for the participants through support of NASA Nebraska Space Grant. A weather balloon with payloads attached (balloonSAT) was launched to near space where the balloon burst and fell back to the ground with a parachute. Students worked in small groups to ask their research questions, they designed their payloads, participated in the launch and retrieval of equipment, analyzed data, and presented the results of their research. This type of experience has potential uses in physics, physical science, engineering, electronics, computer programming, meteorology, astronomy, and chemistry classes. The balloonSAT experience can act as a stepping-stone to designing sounding rocket payloads and it can allow students the opportunity to participate in regional competitions and present at HAB conferences. Results from the workshop are shared, as well as student responses to the experience and suggestions for administering a high-altitude ballooning program for undergraduates or extending inquiry-based ballooning experiences into high-school or middle-school.

Hybrid Global Communication Architecture with Balloons and Satellites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pignolet, G.; Celeste, A.; Erb, B.

2002-01-01

Global space communication systems have been developed now for more than three decades, based mainly on geostationary satellites or almost equivalent systems such as the Molnya orbit concepts. The last decade of the twentieth century has seen the emergence of satellite constellations in low or medium Earth orbit, in order to improve accessibility in terms of visibility at higher latitudes and limited size or power requirement for ground equipment. However such systems are complex to operate, there are still many situations where connection may remain difficult to achieve, and commercial benefits are still to be proven. A new concept, using a network combination of geostationary relay satellites and high altitude stratospheric platforms may well overcome the inconveniences of both geostationary systems and satellite constellations to improve greatly global communication in the future. The emergence of enabling technologies developed in Japan and in several other countries will soon make it possible to fly helium balloons in the upper layers of the atmosphere, at altitudes of 20 km or more. At such an altitude, well above the meteorological disturbances and the jet-streams, the stratosphere enjoys a regular wind at moderate speeds ranging between 10 m/s and 30 m/s, depending on latitude and also on season. It is possible for balloons powered by electric engines to fly non- stop upstream of the wind in order to remain stationary above a particular location. Large balloons, with sizes up to 300 m in length, would be able to carry sub-satellite communication payloads, as well as observation apparatus and scientific equipment. The range of visibility for easy both-way communication between the balloon and operators or customers on the ground could be as large as 200 km in radius. Most current studies consider a combination of solar cells and storage batteries to power the balloons, but microwave beam wireless power transportation from the ground could be a very

Gastric emptying and intragastric balloon in obese patients.

PubMed

Bonazzi, P; Petrelli, M D; Lorenzini, I; Peruzzi, E; Nicolai, A; Galeazzi, R

2005-01-01

Intragastric balloons have been proposed to induce weight loss in obese subjects. The consequences of the balloon on gastric physiology remain poorly studied. We studied the influence of an intragastric balloon on gastric emptying in obese patients. 12 patients were included in the study, with BMI (mean +/- SD) of 38.51 +/- 4.32 kg/m2. The balloon was inserted under light anaesthesia and endoscopic control, inflated with 700 ml saline, and removed 6 months later. Body weight and gastric emptying (T1/2 and T lag) using 13C-octanoic acid breath test were monitored before balloon placement, during its permanence and 2 months after removal. Mean weight loss was: 6.2 +/- 2.3 kg after one month; 12.4 +/- 5.8 kg after 3 months; 14.4 +/- 6.6 kg after 6 months and 10.1 +/- 4.3 kg two months after BIB removal. Gastric emptying rates were significantly decreased in the first periods with balloon in place, and returned to pre-implantation values after balloon removal. T1/2 was: 87 +/- 32 min before BIB positioning, 181 +/- 91 min after 1 month, 145 +/- 99 min after 3 months, 104 +/- 50 min after 6 months and 90 +/- 43 min 2 months after removal. T lag was 36 +/- 18 min before BIB positioning, 102 +/- 82 min after 1 month, 77 +/- 53 min after 3 months, 59 +/- 28 min after 6 months and 40 +/- 21 min. 2 months after removal. BIB in obese patients seems to be a good help in following the hypo caloric diet, especially during the first three months when the gastric emptying is slower and the sense of repletion is higher. After this period gastric emptying starts to return to normal and the stomach adapts to BIB loosing efficacy in weight loss.

Crash in Australian outback ends NASA ballooning season

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harris, Margaret

2010-06-01

NASA has temporarily suspended all its scientific balloon launches after the balloon-borne Nuclear Compton Tele scope (NCT) crashed during take-off, scattering a trail of debris across the remote launch site and overturning a nearby parked car.

Advances in the Remote Monitoring of Balloon Flights

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Breeding, S.

At the National Scientific Balloon Facility (NSBF), we must staff the Long Duration Balloon (LDB) control center 24 hours a day during LDB flights. This requires three daily shifts of two operators (balloon control and tdrss scheduling). In addition to this we also have one engineer on-call as LDB Lead to resolve technical issues and one manager on-call for flight management. These on-call periods are typically 48 to 72 hours in length. In the past the on-call staff had to travel to the LDB control center in order to monitor the status of a flight in any detail. This becomes problematic as flight durations push out beyond 20 to 30 day lengths, as these staff members are not available for business travel during these periods. This paper describes recent advances which allow for the remote monitoring of scientific balloon flight ground station computer displays. This allows balloon flight managers and lead engineers to check flight status and performance from any location with a network or telephone connection. This capability frees key personnel from the NSBF base during flights. It also allows other interested parties to check on the flight status at their convenience.

Wind-Driven Montgolfiere Balloons for Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, Jack A.; Fairbrother, Debora; Lemieux, Aimee; Lachenmeier, Tim; Zubrin, Robert

2005-01-01

Solar Montgolfiere balloons, or solar-heated hot air balloons have been evaluated by use on Mars for about 5 years. In the past, JPL has developed thermal models that have been confirmed, as well as developed altitude control systems to allow the balloons to float over the landscape or carry ground sampling instrumentation. Pioneer Astronautics has developed and tested a landing system for Montgolfieres. JPL, together with GSSL. have successfully deployed small Montgolfieres (<15-m diameter) in the earth's stratosphere, where conditions are similar to a Mars deployment. Two larger Montgolfieres failed, however, and a series of larger scale Montgolfieres is now planned using stronger, more uniform polyethylene bilaminate, combined with stress-reducing ripstitch and reduced parachute deceleration velocities. This program, which is presently under way, is a joint effort between JPL, WFF, and GSSL, and is planned for completion in three years.

Views of newly-qualified GPs about their training and preparedness: lessons for extended generalist training.

PubMed

Sabey, Abigail; Hardy, Holly

2015-04-01

General practice is becoming increasingly complex due to an ageing population with multiple morbidities and the shift of services from secondary to primary care, yet GP training remains largely the same. Extended training is now recommended, initially proposed as a fourth GP specialty trainee year, but more recently as a broad-based 4-year specialty training programme. To explore the views of newly-qualified GPs about their training and preparedness for specific aspects of the GP's role. Qualitative study with newly-qualified GPs who qualified with Severn Deanery between 2007 and 2010. Semi-structured interviews with 18 GPs between November 2011 and April 2012. Gaining experience in a variety of primary care environments widens insight into patient populations as well as helping GPs develop adaptability and confidence, although this is not routinely part of GP training. However, alongside variety, having continuity with patients in practice remains important. Opportunities to be involved in the management of a practice or to take on substantial leadership roles also vary widely and this may limit preparedness and development of generalist skills. Extended training could help prepare GPs for the current challenges of general practice. It could ensure all trainees are exposed to a greater variety of primary care settings including those outside GP practice, as well as experience of business, finance, and leadership roles. Collectively, these changes have the potential to produce GPs with both generalist and enhanced skills, who are better prepared to work collaboratively across the organisational boundaries between primary, secondary, and community care. © British Journal of General Practice 2015.

Onyx Embolization for Isolated Type Dural Arteriovenous Fistula Using a Dual-Lumen Balloon Catheter.

PubMed

Kim, Jin Woo; Kim, Byung Moon; Park, Keun Young; Kim, Dong Joon; Kim, Dong Ik

2016-05-01

Utilization of a dual-lumen balloon may improve Onyx penetration into isolated dural arteriovenous fistulas (i-DAVFs). To compare the results of Onyx embolization using a dual-lumen balloon with those using a non-balloon catheter for i-DAVFs. Twenty-nine patients underwent Onyx embolization for i-DAVFs using a non-balloon (n = 14) or a dual-lumen balloon catheter (n = 15). Since its introduction, a dual-lumen balloon catheter has been preferred. We compared the dual-lumen balloon group with the non-balloon catheter group regarding angiographic outcome, treatment-related complications, total procedural time, Onyx injection time, and the number of feeders requiring embolization. The dual-lumen balloon group showed complete occlusion of i-DAVFs in 13 and near-complete in 2 patients, while the non-balloon group showed complete occlusion in 5, near-complete in 5, and incomplete in 4 patients (P < .05). Treatment-related complications occurred in 2 patients: 1 in the non-balloon group and 1 in the dual-lumen balloon group. The mean total procedural time was 62 ± 32 minutes in the dual-lumen balloon and 171 ± 88 minutes in the non-balloon group (P < .05). The mean Onyx injection time was 10 ± 6 minutes in the dual-lumen balloon and 49 ± 32 minutes in the non-balloon group (P < .05). The median number of feeders requiring embolization was 1 (range, 1-3) in the dual-lumen balloon and 2 (range, 1-4) in the non-balloon group (P < .05). Utilization of a dual-lumen balloon catheter for Onyx embolization of i-DAVF seemed to significantly increase the immediate complete occlusion rate and decrease total procedural time, Onyx injection time, and number of feeders requiring embolization.

Wave Measurements Using GPS Velocity Signals

PubMed Central

Doong, Dong-Jiing; Lee, Beng-Chun; Kao, Chia Chuen

2011-01-01

This study presents the idea of using GPS-output velocity signals to obtain wave measurement data. The application of the transformation from a velocity spectrum to a displacement spectrum in conjunction with the directional wave spectral theory are the core concepts in this study. Laboratory experiments were conducted to verify the accuracy of the inversed displacement of the surface of the sea. A GPS device was installed on a moored accelerometer buoy to verify the GPS-derived wave parameters. It was determined that loss or drifting of the GPS signal, as well as energy spikes occurring in the low frequency band led to erroneous measurements. Through the application of moving average skill and a process of frequency cut-off to the GPS output velocity, correlations between GPS-derived, and accelerometer buoy-measured significant wave heights and periods were both improved to 0.95. The GPS-derived one-dimensional and directional wave spectra were in agreement with the measurements. Despite the direction verification showing a 10° bias, this exercise still provided useful information with sufficient accuracy for a number of specific purposes. The results presented in this study indicate that using GPS output velocity is a reasonable alternative for the measurement of ocean waves. PMID:22346618

Aerial Deployment and Inflation System for Mars Helium Balloons

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lachenmeler, Tim; Fairbrother, Debora; Shreves, Chris; Hall, Jeffery, L.; Kerzhanovich, Viktor V.; Pauken, Michael T.; Walsh, Gerald J.; White, Christopher V.

2009-01-01

A method is examined for safely deploying and inflating helium balloons for missions at Mars. The key for making it possible to deploy balloons that are light enough to be buoyant in the thin, Martian atmosphere is to mitigate the transient forces on the balloon that might tear it. A fully inflated Mars balloon has a diameter of 10 m, so it must be folded up for the trip to Mars, unfolded upon arrival, and then inflated with helium gas in the atmosphere. Safe entry into the Martian atmosphere requires the use of an aeroshell vehicle, which protects against severe heating and pressure loads associated with the hypersonic entry flight. Drag decelerates the aeroshell to supersonic speeds, then two parachutes deploy to slow the vehicle down to the needed safe speed of 25 to 35 m/s for balloon deployment. The parachute system descent dynamic pressure must be approximately 5 Pa or lower at an altitude of 4 km or more above the surface.

21 CFR 870.3535 - Intra-aortic balloon and control system

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Intra-aortic balloon and control system 870.3535... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES CARDIOVASCULAR DEVICES Cardiovascular Prosthetic Devices § 870.3535 Intra-aortic balloon and control system (a) Identification. A intra-aortic balloon and control system is a device that...

21 CFR 870.3535 - Intra-aortic balloon and control system

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Intra-aortic balloon and control system 870.3535... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES CARDIOVASCULAR DEVICES Cardiovascular Prosthetic Devices § 870.3535 Intra-aortic balloon and control system (a) Identification. A intra-aortic balloon and control system is a device that...

21 CFR 870.3535 - Intra-aortic balloon and control system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... syndrome, cardiac and non-cardiac surgery, or complications of heart failure. The special controls for this... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Intra-aortic balloon and control system. 870.3535... balloon and control system. (a) Identification. An intra-aortic balloon and control system is a...

Prospects for infrasound bolide detections from balloon-borne platforms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Young, Eliot; Bowman, Daniel; Arrowsmith, Stephen; Boslough, Marc; Klein, Viliam; Ballard, Courtney; Lees, Jonathan

2017-04-01

We report on an experiment to assess whether balloon-borne instruments can improve sensitivities to bolides exploding in the Earth's atmosphere (essentially using the atmosphere as a witness plate to characterize the small end of the NEO (Near Earth Object) population). The CTBTO's infrasound network regularly detects infrasound disturbances caused by bolides, including the 15-FEB-2013 Chelybinsk impact. Balloon-borne infrasound sensors should have two important advantages over ground-based infrasound stations: there should be virtually no wind noise on a free-floating platform, and a sensor in the stratosphere should benefit from its location within the stratospheric duct. Balloon-borne sensors also have the disadvantage that the amplitude of infrasound waves will decrease as they ascend with altitude. To test the performance of balloon-borne sensors, we conducted an experiment on a NASA high altitude (35 km) balloon launched from Ft Sumner, NM on 28-SEP-2016. We were able to put two independent infrasound payloads on this flight. We arranged for three 3000-lb ANFO explosions to be detonated from Socorro, NM at 12:00, 14:00 and 16:29:59 MST. The first two explosions were detected from the NASA balloon, with the first explosion showing three separate waveforms arriving within a 25-s span. The peak-to-peak amplitude of the waveforms was about 0.06 Pa, and the cleanest microphone channel detected this waveform with an SNR greater than 20. A second balloon at 15 km altitude also detected the second explosion. We have signals from a dozen ground stations at various positions from Socorro to Ft Sumner. We will report on wave propagation models and how they compare with observations from the two balloons and the various ground-stations.

Balloon valvuloplasty of congenital mitral stenosis.

PubMed

Arndt, Jason W; Oyama, Mark A

2013-06-01

Radiographic, echocardiographic, fluoroscopic, and angiographic images from 2 dogs with severe congenital mitral valve stenosis that underwent cardiac catheterization and balloon valvuloplasty are presented. Both dogs displayed systolic doming of the mitral valve leaflets, increased diastolic pressure gradient across the left atrium and ventricle, and decreased mitral inflow E to F slope. Balloon valvuloplasty was performed on both dogs using atrial transeptal puncture. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Scintillation-Hardened GPS Receiver

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stephens, Donald R.

2015-01-01

CommLargo, Inc., has developed a scintillation-hardened Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver that improves reliability for low-orbit missions and complies with NASA's Space Telecommunications Radio System (STRS) architecture standards. A software-defined radio (SDR) implementation allows a single hardware element to function as either a conventional radio or as a GPS receiver, providing backup and redundancy for platforms such as the International Space Station (ISS) and high-value remote sensing platforms. The innovation's flexible SDR implementation reduces cost, weight, and power requirements. Scintillation hardening improves mission reliability and variability. In Phase I, CommLargo refactored an open-source GPS software package with Kalman filter-based tracking loops to improve performance during scintillation and also demonstrated improved navigation during a geomagnetic storm. In Phase II, the company generated a new field-programmable gate array (FPGA)-based GPS waveform to demonstrate on NASA's Space Communication and Navigation (SCaN) test bed.

A balloon-borne experiment to investigate the Martian magnetic field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwingenschuh, K.; Feldhofer, H.; Koren, W.; Jernej, I.; Stachel, M.; Riedler, W.; Slamanig, H.; Auster, H.-U.; Rustenbach, J.; Fornacon, H. K.; Schenk, H. J.; Hillenmaier, O.; Haerendel, G.; Yeroshenko, Ye.; Styashkin, V.; Zaroutzky, A.; Best, A.; Scholz, G.; Russell, C. T.; Means, J.; Pierce, D.; Luhmann, J. G.

1996-03-01

The Space Research Institute of the Austrian Academy, of Sciences (Graz, Austria) in cooperation with MPE (Berlin, Germany), GFZ Potsdam (Obs. Niemegk, Germany) IZMIRAN/IOFAN (Moscow, Russian) and IGPP/UCLA (Los Angeles, USA) is designing the magnetic field experiment MAGIBAL (MAGnetic field experiment aboard a martian BALloon) to investigate the magnetic field on the surface of Mars. The dual sensor fluxgate magnetometer is part of the MARS-98/MARS-TOGETHER balloon payload. During a ten days period the balloon will float over a distance of about 2000 km at altitudes between 0 and 4 km. Due to the limited power and telemetry allocation the magnetometer can transmit only one vector per ten seconds and spectral information in the frequency range from 2 - 25 Hz. The dynamic range is +/- 2000 nT. The main scientific objectives of the experiment are: • Determination of the magnetism of the Martian rocks • Investigation of the leakage of the solar wind induced magnetosphere using the correlation between orbiter and balloon observations • Measurement of the magnetic field profile between the orbiter and the surface of Mars during the descent phase of the balloon. Terrestrial test flights with a hot air balloon were performed in order to test the original MAGIBAL equipment under balloon flight conditions.

GPS Metric Tracking Unit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2008-01-01

As Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) applications become more prevalent for land- and air-based vehicles, GPS applications for space vehicles will also increase. The Applied Technology Directorate of Kennedy Space Center (KSC) has developed a lightweight, low-cost GPS Metric Tracking Unit (GMTU), the first of two steps in developing a lightweight, low-cost Space-Based Tracking and Command Subsystem (STACS) designed to meet Range Safety's link margin and latency requirements for vehicle command and telemetry data. The goals of STACS are to improve Range Safety operations and expand tracking capabilities for space vehicles. STACS will track the vehicle, receive commands, and send telemetry data through the space-based asset, which will dramatically reduce dependence on ground-based assets. The other step was the Low-Cost Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) Transceiver (LCT2), developed by the Wallops Flight Facility (WFF), which allows the vehicle to communicate with a geosynchronous relay satellite. Although the GMTU and LCT2 were independently implemented and tested, the design collaboration of KSC and WFF engineers allowed GMTU and LCT2 to be integrated into one enclosure, leading to the final STACS. In operation, GMTU needs only a radio frequency (RF) input from a GPS antenna and outputs position and velocity data to the vehicle through a serial or pulse code modulation (PCM) interface. GMTU includes one commercial GPS receiver board and a custom board, the Command and Telemetry Processor (CTP) developed by KSC. The CTP design is based on a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) with embedded processors to support GPS functions.

NASA’s BARREL Mission Launches 20 Balloons

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

BARREL team members run under the payload as the balloon first takes flight at the SANAE IV research station in Antarctica. Credit: NASA --- In Antarctica in January, 2013 – the summer at the South Pole – scientists launched 20 balloons up into the air to study an enduring mystery of space weather: when the giant radiation belts surrounding Earth lose material, where do the extra particles actually go? The mission is called BARREL (Balloon Array for Radiation belt Relativistic Electron Losses) and it is led by physicist Robyn Millan of Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH. Millan provided photographs from the team’s time in Antarctica. The team launched a balloon every day or two into the circumpolar winds that circulate around the pole. Each balloon floated for anywhere from 3 to 40 days, measuring X-rays produced by fast-moving electrons high up in the atmosphere. BARREL works hand in hand with another NASA mission called the Van Allen Probes, which travels through the Van Allen radiation belts surrounding Earth. The belts wax and wane over time in response to incoming energy and material from the sun, sometimes intensifying the radiation through which satellites must travel. Scientists wish to understand this process better, and even provide forecasts of this space weather, in order to protect our spacecraft. As the Van Allen Probes were observing what was happening in the belts, BARREL tracked electrons that precipitated out of the belts and hurtled down Earth’s magnetic field lines toward the poles. By comparing data, scientists will be able to track how what’s happening in the belts correlates to the loss of particles – information that can help us understand this mysterious, dynamic region that can impact spacecraft. Having launched balloons in early 2013, the team is back at home building the next set of payloads. They will launch 20 more balloons in 2014. NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four

NASA’s BARREL Mission Launches 20 Balloons

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

Pumping helium into the first BARREL balloon to launch from Halley Research Satation. Credit: NASA --- In Antarctica in January, 2013 – the summer at the South Pole – scientists launched 20 balloons up into the air to study an enduring mystery of space weather: when the giant radiation belts surrounding Earth lose material, where do the extra particles actually go? The mission is called BARREL (Balloon Array for Radiation belt Relativistic Electron Losses) and it is led by physicist Robyn Millan of Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH. Millan provided photographs from the team’s time in Antarctica. The team launched a balloon every day or two into the circumpolar winds that circulate around the pole. Each balloon floated for anywhere from 3 to 40 days, measuring X-rays produced by fast-moving electrons high up in the atmosphere. BARREL works hand in hand with another NASA mission called the Van Allen Probes, which travels through the Van Allen radiation belts surrounding Earth. The belts wax and wane over time in response to incoming energy and material from the sun, sometimes intensifying the radiation through which satellites must travel. Scientists wish to understand this process better, and even provide forecasts of this space weather, in order to protect our spacecraft. As the Van Allen Probes were observing what was happening in the belts, BARREL tracked electrons that precipitated out of the belts and hurtled down Earth’s magnetic field lines toward the poles. By comparing data, scientists will be able to track how what’s happening in the belts correlates to the loss of particles – information that can help us understand this mysterious, dynamic region that can impact spacecraft. Having launched balloons in early 2013, the team is back at home building the next set of payloads. They will launch 20 more balloons in 2014. NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science

NASA’s BARREL Mission Launches 20 Balloons

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

A crane lowers two BARREL balloon payloads onto the platform at Halley Research Station in Antarctica. Credit: NASA --- In Antarctica in January, 2013 – the summer at the South Pole – scientists launched 20 balloons up into the air to study an enduring mystery of space weather: when the giant radiation belts surrounding Earth lose material, where do the extra particles actually go? The mission is called BARREL (Balloon Array for Radiation belt Relativistic Electron Losses) and it is led by physicist Robyn Millan of Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH. Millan provided photographs from the team’s time in Antarctica. The team launched a balloon every day or two into the circumpolar winds that circulate around the pole. Each balloon floated for anywhere from 3 to 40 days, measuring X-rays produced by fast-moving electrons high up in the atmosphere. BARREL works hand in hand with another NASA mission called the Van Allen Probes, which travels through the Van Allen radiation belts surrounding Earth. The belts wax and wane over time in response to incoming energy and material from the sun, sometimes intensifying the radiation through which satellites must travel. Scientists wish to understand this process better, and even provide forecasts of this space weather, in order to protect our spacecraft. As the Van Allen Probes were observing what was happening in the belts, BARREL tracked electrons that precipitated out of the belts and hurtled down Earth’s magnetic field lines toward the poles. By comparing data, scientists will be able to track how what’s happening in the belts correlates to the loss of particles – information that can help us understand this mysterious, dynamic region that can impact spacecraft. Having launched balloons in early 2013, the team is back at home building the next set of payloads. They will launch 20 more balloons in 2014. NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors

NASA’s BARREL Mission Launches 20 Balloons

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

Liftoff! A balloon begins to rise over the brand new Halley VI Research Station, which had its grand opening in February 2013. Credit: NASA --- In Antarctica in January, 2013 – the summer at the South Pole – scientists launched 20 balloons up into the air to study an enduring mystery of space weather: when the giant radiation belts surrounding Earth lose material, where do the extra particles actually go? The mission is called BARREL (Balloon Array for Radiation belt Relativistic Electron Losses) and it is led by physicist Robyn Millan of Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH. Millan provided photographs from the team’s time in Antarctica. The team launched a balloon every day or two into the circumpolar winds that circulate around the pole. Each balloon floated for anywhere from 3 to 40 days, measuring X-rays produced by fast-moving electrons high up in the atmosphere. BARREL works hand in hand with another NASA mission called the Van Allen Probes, which travels through the Van Allen radiation belts surrounding Earth. The belts wax and wane over time in response to incoming energy and material from the sun, sometimes intensifying the radiation through which satellites must travel. Scientists wish to understand this process better, and even provide forecasts of this space weather, in order to protect our spacecraft. As the Van Allen Probes were observing what was happening in the belts, BARREL tracked electrons that precipitated out of the belts and hurtled down Earth’s magnetic field lines toward the poles. By comparing data, scientists will be able to track how what’s happening in the belts correlates to the loss of particles – information that can help us understand this mysterious, dynamic region that can impact spacecraft. Having launched balloons in early 2013, the team is back at home building the next set of payloads. They will launch 20 more balloons in 2014. NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through

NASA’s BARREL Mission Launches 20 Balloons

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

Watching a BARREL balloon – and the instruments dangling below – float up over the SANAE IV research base in Antarctica. Credit: NASA --- In Antarctica in January, 2013 – the summer at the South Pole – scientists launched 20 balloons up into the air to study an enduring mystery of space weather: when the giant radiation belts surrounding Earth lose material, where do the extra particles actually go? The mission is called BARREL (Balloon Array for Radiation belt Relativistic Electron Losses) and it is led by physicist Robyn Millan of Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH. Millan provided photographs from the team’s time in Antarctica. The team launched a balloon every day or two into the circumpolar winds that circulate around the pole. Each balloon floated for anywhere from 3 to 40 days, measuring X-rays produced by fast-moving electrons high up in the atmosphere. BARREL works hand in hand with another NASA mission called the Van Allen Probes, which travels through the Van Allen radiation belts surrounding Earth. The belts wax and wane over time in response to incoming energy and material from the sun, sometimes intensifying the radiation through which satellites must travel. Scientists wish to understand this process better, and even provide forecasts of this space weather, in order to protect our spacecraft. As the Van Allen Probes were observing what was happening in the belts, BARREL tracked electrons that precipitated out of the belts and hurtled down Earth’s magnetic field lines toward the poles. By comparing data, scientists will be able to track how what’s happening in the belts correlates to the loss of particles – information that can help us understand this mysterious, dynamic region that can impact spacecraft. Having launched balloons in early 2013, the team is back at home building the next set of payloads. They will launch 20 more balloons in 2014. NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four

Development Overview of the Revised NASA Ultra Long Duration Balloon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cathey, H. M.; Gregory, D; Young, L.; Pierce, D.

2006-01-01

The development of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration s (NASA) Ultra Long Duration Balloon (ULDB) has made significant strides in addressing the deployment issues experienced in the scaling up of the balloon structure. This paper concentrates on the super-pressure balloon developments that have been, and are currently being planned by the NASA Balloon Program Office at Goddard Space Flight Center s Wallops Flight Facility. The goal of the NASA ULDB development project is to attempt to extend the potential flight durations for large scientific balloon payloads. A summary of the February 2005 test flight from Ft. Sumner, New Mexico will be presented. This test flight spurred a number of investigations and advancements for this project. The development path has pursued some new approaches in the design, analysis, and testing of the balloons. New issues have been ideEti6ed throu& both analysis md testing. These have been addressed in the design stage before the next balloon construction was begun. This paper will give an overview of the recent history for this effort and the development approach pursued for ULDB. A description of the balloon design, including the modifications made as a result of the lessons learned, will be presented. Areas to be presented include the design approach, deployment issues that have been encountered and the proposed solutions, ground testing, photogrammetry, and an analysis overview. Test flight planning and considerations will be presented including test flight safety. An extended duration test flight of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration s Ultra Long Duration Balloon is planned for the May/June 2006 time frame. This flight is expected to fly from Sweden to either Canada or Alaska. Preliminary results of this flight will be presented as available. Future plans for both ground testing and additional test flights will also be presented. Goals of the future test flights, which are staged in increments of

Fluoroscopically guided large balloon dilatation for treating congenital esophageal stenosis in children.

PubMed

Hu, Hong-Tao; Shin, Ji Hoon; Kim, Jin-Hyoung; Jang, Jong Keon; Park, Jung-Hoon; Kim, Tae-Hyung; Nam, Deok Ho; Song, Ho-Young

2015-07-01

We aimed to evaluate the safety and clinical effectiveness of fluoroscopically guided large balloon dilatation for treating congenital esophageal stenosis in children. Our study included seven children (mean age 4.0 years) who underwent a total of ten balloon dilatation sessions. The initial balloon diameters were 10-15 mm. The technical success, clinical success (improved food intake and reduced dysphagia within 1 month following the first balloon dilatation), dysphagia recurrence, and complications were retrospectively evaluated. Technical and clinical success rates were 100 %. During the mean 38-month follow-up period after the first balloon dilatation, 3 (43 %) patients underwent only one additional balloon dilatation 4-5 months after the first balloon dilatation for dysphagia recurrence. Two of them showed improvement without further recurrence, while the remaining one underwent partial esophagectomy. Well-contained transmural esophageal rupture (type 2) occurred in two (29 %, 2/7) patients and during two (20 %, 2/10) balloon dilatation sessions. All ruptures were successfully treated conservatively. Our study showed that fluoroscopically guided large balloon dilatation seems to be a simple and effective primary treatment technique for congenital esophageal stenosis in children. Esophageal ruptures were not uncommon although they were not fatal.

Monitoring beach changes using GPS surveying techniques

USGS Publications Warehouse

Morton, Robert; Leach, Mark P.; Paine, Jeffrey G.; Cardoza, Michael A.

1993-01-01

The adaptation of Global Positioning System (GPS) surveying techniques to beach monitoring activities is a promising response to this challenge. An experiment that employed both GPS and conventional beach surveying was conducted, and a new beach monitoring method employing kinematic GPS surveys was devised. This new method involves the collection of precise shore-parallel and shore-normal GPS positions from a moving vehicle so that an accurate two-dimensional beach surface can be generated. Results show that the GPS measurements agree with conventional shore-normal surveys at the 1 cm level, and repeated GPS measurements employing the moving vehicle demonstrate a precision of better than 1 cm. In addition, the nearly continuous sampling and increased resolution provided by the GPS surveying technique reveals alongshore changes in beach morphology that are undetected by conventional shore-normal profiles. The application of GPS surveying techniques combined with the refinement of appropriate methods for data collection and analysis provides a better understanding of beach changes, sediment transport, and storm impacts.

The Performance Analysis of a Real-Time Integrated INS/GPS Vehicle Navigation System with Abnormal GPS Measurement Elimination

PubMed Central

Chiang, Kai-Wei; Duong, Thanh Trung; Liao, Jhen-Kai

2013-01-01

The integration of an Inertial Navigation System (INS) and the Global Positioning System (GPS) is common in mobile mapping and navigation applications to seamlessly determine the position, velocity, and orientation of the mobile platform. In most INS/GPS integrated architectures, the GPS is considered to be an accurate reference with which to correct for the systematic errors of the inertial sensors, which are composed of biases, scale factors and drift. However, the GPS receiver may produce abnormal pseudo-range errors mainly caused by ionospheric delay, tropospheric delay and the multipath effect. These errors degrade the overall position accuracy of an integrated system that uses conventional INS/GPS integration strategies such as loosely coupled (LC) and tightly coupled (TC) schemes. Conventional tightly coupled INS/GPS integration schemes apply the Klobuchar model and the Hopfield model to reduce pseudo-range delays caused by ionospheric delay and tropospheric delay, respectively, but do not address the multipath problem. However, the multipath effect (from reflected GPS signals) affects the position error far more significantly in a consumer-grade GPS receiver than in an expensive, geodetic-grade GPS receiver. To avoid this problem, a new integrated INS/GPS architecture is proposed. The proposed method is described and applied in a real-time integrated system with two integration strategies, namely, loosely coupled and tightly coupled schemes, respectively. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, field tests with various scenarios are conducted and the results are compared with a reliable reference system. PMID:23955434

GPS/GNSS Antenna Characterization : GPS-ABC Workshop V RTCA Washington, DC October 14, 2016.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-10-14

One component of the Department of Transportations GPS Adjacent Band : Compatibility Study is the characterization of GPS/GNSS receiver antennas : Such characterization is needed to: : Compare radiated and conducted (wired) test result...

Shuttle Global Positioning System (GPS) system design study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nilsen, P. W.

1979-01-01

The various integration problems in the Shuttle GPS system were investigated. The analysis of the Shuttle GPS link was studied. A preamplifier was designed since the Shuttle GPS antennas must be located remotely from the receiver. Several GPS receiver architecture trade-offs were discussed. The Shuttle RF harmonics and intermode that fall within the GPS receiver bandwidth were analyzed. The GPS PN code acquisition was examined. Since the receiver clock strongly affects both GPS carrier and code acquisition performance, a clock model was developed.

JACEE long duration balloon flights. [Japanese-American Cooperative Emulsion Experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burnett, T.; Iwai, J.; Dake, S.; Derrickson, J.; Fountain, W.; Fuki, M.; Gregory, J.; Hayashi, T.; Holynski, R.; Jones, W. V.

1989-01-01

JACEE balloon-borne emulsion chamber detectors are used to observe the spectra and interactions of cosmic ray protons and nuclei in the energy range 1 to 100A TeV. Experiments with long duration mid-latitude balloon flights and characteristics of the detector system that make it ideal for planned Antarctic balloon flights are discussed.

GPS Timing Performance

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-01-01

termed the Galileo -GPS Time Offset (GGTO), and it will be Type 35 in the GPS CNAV message. Knowledge of the GGTO makes it possible for a properly...U.S. Naval Observatory (USNO) [1]. Interoperability with Galileo , and perhaps someday with other Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), is to...Interoperability with Galileo , and perhaps someday with other Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), is to be established through transmission of the

Validation of ionospheric electron density profiles inferred from GPS occultation observations of the GPS/MET experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kawakami, Todd Mori

In April of 1995, the launch of the GPS Meteorology Experiment (GPS/MET) onboard the Orbview-1 satellite, formerly known as Microlab-1, provided the first technology demonstration of active limb sounding of the Earth's atmosphere with a low Earth orbiting spacecraft utilizing the signals transmitted by the satellites of the Global Positioning System (GPS). Though the experiment's primary mission was to probe the troposphere and stratosphere, GPS/MET was also capable of making radio occultation observations of the ionosphere. The application of the GPS occultation technique to the upper atmosphere created a unique opportunity to conduct ionospheric research with an unprecedented global distribution of observations. For operational support requirements, the Abel transform could be employed to invert the horizontal TEC profiles computed from the L1 and L2 phase measurements observed by GPS/MET into electron density profiles versus altitude in near real time. The usefulness of the method depends on how effectively the TEC limb profiles can be transformed into vertical electron density profiles. An assessment of GPS/MET's ability to determine electron density profiles needs to be examined to validate the significance of the GPS occultation method as a new and complementary ionospheric research tool to enhance the observational databases and improve space weather modeling and forecasting. To that end, simulations of the occultation observations and their inversions have been conducted to test the Abel transform algorithm and to provide qualitative information about the type and range of errors that might be experienced during the processing of real data. Comparisons of the electron density profiles inferred from real GPS/MET observations are then compared with coincident in situ measurements from the satellites of Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) and ground-based remote sensing from digisonde and incoherent scatter radar facilities. The principal focus of

Advances in endoscopic balloon therapy for weight loss and its limitations

PubMed Central

Vyas, Dinesh; Deshpande, Kaivalya; Pandya, Yagnik

2017-01-01

The field of medical and surgical weight loss is undergoing an explosion of new techniques and devices. A lot of these are geared towards endoscopic approaches rather than the conventional and more invasive laparoscopic or open approach. One such recent advance is the introduction of intrgastric balloons. In this article, we discuss the recently Food and Drug Administration approved following balloons for weight loss: the Orbera™ Intragastric Balloon System (Apollo Endosurgery Inc, Austin, TX, United States), the ReShape® Integrated Dual Balloon System (ReShape Medical, Inc., San Clemente, CA, United States), and the Obalon (Obalon® Therapeutics, Inc.). The individual features of each of these balloons, the method of introduction and removal, and the expected weight loss and possible complications are discussed. This review of the various balloons highlights the innovation in the field of weight loss. PMID:29209122

Proposed techniques for launching instrumented balloons into tornadoes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grant, F. C.

1971-01-01

A method is proposed to introduce instrumented balloons into tornadoes by means of the radial pressure gradient, which supplies a buoyancy force driving to the center. Presented are analytical expressions, verified by computer calculations, which show the possibility of introducing instrumented balloons into tornadoes at or below the cloud base. The times required to reach the center are small enough that a large fraction of tornadoes are suitable for the technique. An experimental procedure is outlined in which a research airplane puts an instrumented, self-inflating balloon on the track ahead of the tornado. The uninflated balloon waits until the tornado closes to, typically, 750 meters; then it quickly inflates and spirals up and into the core, taking roughly 3 minutes. Since the drive to the center is automatically produced by the radial pressure gradient, a proper launch radius is the only guidance requirement.

Ozone profiles from tethered balloon measurements in an urban plume experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Youngbluth, O., Jr.; Storey, R. W.; Clendenin, C. G.; Jones, S.; Leighty, B.

1981-01-01

NASA Langley Research Center used two tethered balloon systems to measure ozone in the general area of Norfolk, Va. The large balloon system which has an altitude range of 1,500 meters was located at Wallops Island, Va., and the smaller balloon which has an altitude range of 900 meters was located at Chesapeake, Va. Each balloon system measured ozone, temperature, humidity, wind speed, and wind direction from ground to its maximum altitude. From these measurements and from the location of the balloon sites, areas of ozone generation and ozone transport may be inferred. The measurements which were taken during August 1979 are discussed as well as the measurement techniques.

Project Aether Aurora: STEM outreach near the arctic circle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Longmier, B. W.; Bering, E. A.

2012-12-01

Project Aether is a program designed to immerse high-school through graduate students to field research in some of the fields of STEM. The program leaders launch high altitude weather balloons in collaboration with schools and students to teach physics concepts, experimental research skills, and to make space exploration accessible to students. A weather balloon lifts a specially designed payload package that is composed of HD cameras, GPS tracking devices, and other science equipment. The payload is constructed and attached to the balloon by the students with low-cost materials. The balloon and payload are launched with FAA clearance from a site chosen based on wind patterns and predicted landing locations. The balloon ascends over 2 hours to a maximum altitude of 100,000 feet where it bursts and allows the payload to slowly descend using a built-in parachute. The balloon's location is monitored during its flight by GPS-satellite relay. Most of the science and video data are recorded on SD cards using an Arduino digitizer. The payload is located using the GPS device. The science data are recovered from the payload and shared with the students. In April 2012, Project Aether leaders conducted a field campaign near Fairbanks Alaska, sending several student-built experiments to an altitude of 30km, underneath several strong auroral displays. Auroral physics experiments that can be done on ultra small balloons (5 cubic meters) include electric field and magnetic fluctuation observations, full spectrum and narrow band optical imaging, GPS monitoring of the total electron content of the ionosphere, x-ray detection and infrared and UV spectroscopy. The actual undergraduate student experiments will be reviewed and some data presented.; Balloon deployment underneath aurora, Fairbanks Alaska, 2012.

Balloon-Borne Infrasound Detection of Energetic Bolide Events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Young, Eliot F.; Ballard, Courtney; Klein, Viliam; Bowman, Daniel; Boslough, Mark

2016-10-01

Infrasound is usually defined as sound waves below 20 Hz, the nominal limit of human hearing. Infrasound waves propagate over vast distances through the Earth's atmosphere: the CTBTO (Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization) has 48 installed infrasound-sensing stations around the world to detect nuclear detonations and other disturbances. In February 2013, several CTBTO infrasound stations detected infrasound signals from a large bolide that exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia. Some stations recorded signals that had circumnavigated the Earth, over a day after the original event. The goal of this project is to improve upon the sensitivity of the CTBTO network by putting microphones on small, long-duration super-pressure balloons, with the overarching goal of studying the small end of the NEO population by using the Earth's atmosphere as a witness plate.A balloon-borne infrasound sensor is expected to have two advantages over ground-based stations: a lack of wind noise and a concentration of infrasound energy in the "stratospheric duct" between roughly 5 - 50 km altitude. To test these advantages, we have built a small balloon payload with five calibrated microphones. We plan to fly this payload on a NASA high-altitude balloon from Ft Sumner, NM in August 2016. We have arranged for three large explosions to take place in Socorro, NM while the balloon is aloft to assess the sensitivity of balloon-borne vs. ground-based infrasound sensors. We will report on the results from this test flight and the prospects for detecting/characterizing small bolides in the stratosphere.

Applications of GPS technologies to field sports.

PubMed

Aughey, Robert J

2011-09-01

Global positioning system (GPS) technology was made possible after the invention of the atomic clock. The first suggestion that GPS could be used to assess the physical activity of humans followed some 40 y later. There was a rapid uptake of GPS technology, with the literature concentrating on validation studies and the measurement of steady-state movement. The first attempts were made to validate GPS for field sport applications in 2006. While GPS has been validated for applications for team sports, some doubts continue to exist on the appropriateness of GPS for measuring short high-velocity movements. Thus, GPS has been applied extensively in Australian football, cricket, hockey, rugby union and league, and soccer. There is extensive information on the activity profile of athletes from field sports in the literature stemming from GPS, and this includes total distance covered by players and distance in velocity bands. Global positioning systems have also been applied to detect fatigue in matches, identify periods of most intense play, different activity profiles by position, competition level, and sport. More recent research has integrated GPS data with the physical capacity or fitness test score of athletes, game-specific tasks, or tactical or strategic information. The future of GPS analysis will involve further miniaturization of devices, longer battery life, and integration of other inertial sensor data to more effectively quantify the effort of athletes.

Design Evolution and Methodology for Pumpkin Super-Pressure Balloons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farley, Rodger

The NASA Ultra Long Duration Balloon (ULDB) program has had many technical development issues discovered and solved along its road to success as a new vehicle. It has the promise of being a sub-satellite, a means to launch up to 2700 kg to 33.5 km altitude for 100 days from a comfortable mid-latitude launch point. Current high-lift long duration ballooning is accomplished out of Antarctica with zero-pressure balloons, which cannot cope with the rigors of diurnal cycles. The ULDB design is still evolving, the product of intense analytical effort, scaled testing, improved manufacturing, and engineering intuition. The past technical problems, in particular the s-cleft deformation, their solutions, future challenges, and the methodology of pumpkin balloon design will generally be described.

Spaceborne GPS: Current Status and Future Visions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bauer, Frank H.; Hartman, Kate; Lightsey, E. Glenn

1998-01-01

The Global Positioning System (GPS), developed by the Department of Defense is quickly revolutionizing the architecture of future spacecraft and spacecraft systems. Significant savings in spacecraft life cycle cost, in power, and in mass can be realized by exploiting GPS technology in spaceborne vehicles. These savings are realized because GPS is a systems sensor--it combines the ability to sense space vehicle trajectory, attitude, time, and relative ranging between vehicles into one package. As a result, a reduced spacecraft sensor complement can be employed and significant reductions in space vehicle operations cost can be realized through enhanced on-board autonomy. This paper provides an overview of the current status of spaceborne GPS, a description of spaceborne GPS receivers available now and in the near future, a description of the 1997-2000 GPS flight experiments, and the spaceborne GPS team's vision for the future.

Montgolfiere balloon missions from Mars and Titan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, Jack A.

2005-01-01

Montgolfieres, which are balloons that are filled with heated ambient atmospheric gas, appear promising for the exploration of Mars as well as of Saturn's moon, Titan. On Earth, Montgolfieres are also known as 'hot air balloons'. Commercial versions are typically heated by burning propane, although a number of radiant and solar-heated Montgolfieres have been flown on earth by CNES.

An analysis of the deployment of a pumpkin balloon on mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rand, J.; Phillips, M.

The design of large superpressure balloons has received significant attention in recent years due to the successful demonstration of various enabling technologies and materials. Of particular note is the "pumpkin" shaped balloon concept, which allows the stress in the envelope to be limited by the surface geometry. Unlike a sphere, which produces stress resultants determined by the volume of the system, the pumpkin utilizes a system of meridional tendons to react the loading in one direction, and form a number of lobes, which limit the stress in the circumferential direction. The application of this technology to very large systems is currently being demonstrated by NASA's Ultra Long Duration Balloon (ULDB) Program. However, this type of balloon has certain features that may be exploited to produce a system far more robust than a comparable sphere during deployment, inflation, and operation for long periods of time. When this concept is applied to a system designed to carry two kilograms in the atmosphere of Mars, the resulting balloon is small enough to alter the construction techniques and produce an envelope which is free of tucks and folds which may cause uncontrolled stress concentrations. A technique has been demonstrated where high strength tendons may be pretensioned prior to installation along the centerline of each gore. Since this position is the shortest distance between the apex and nadir of the balloon, the tendons will automatically resist the forces caused by deployment and inflation and thereby protect the thin film gas barrier from damage. A suitable balloon has been designed for this type of mission using five-micron Mylar Type C film for the gas barrier and P O braided cables for the meridionalB load carrying members. The deployment of this balloon is assumed to occur while falling on a decelerator suitably designed for the Mars atmosphere. The inflation is accomplished by a ten-kilogram system suspended at the nadir of the balloon. As the

Location and data collection for long stratospheric balloon flights

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malaterre, P.

Stratospheric balloons capable of taking a 30 kg scientific payload to an altitude of 22 to 30 km for 1 month or more were developed. In-flight experiments were used to qualify the designs of a pumpkin shaped superpressure balloon and an infrared hot air balloon. Tracking of the flights (location and transmission of the parameters measured on board) was achieved using a telemetry gondola including an ARGOS beacon adapted for operation in the low temperatures encountered.

On the response of superpressure balloons to displacements from equilibrium density level

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Levanon, N.; Kushnir, Y.

1976-01-01

The response of a superpressure balloon to an initial displacement from its constant-density floating level is examined. An approximate solution is obtained to the governing vertical equation of motion for constant-density superpressure balloons. This solution is used to filter out neutrally buoyant oscillations in balloon records despite the nonlinear behavior of the balloon. The graph depicting the pressure data after deconvolution between the raw pressure data and the normalized balloon wavelet shows clearly the strong filtering-out of the neutral buoyancy oscillations.

78 FR 9785 - Airworthiness Directives; Lindstrand Hot Air Balloons Ltd Appliances

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-12

... Airworthiness Directives; Lindstrand Hot Air Balloons Ltd Appliances AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration... airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Lindstrand Hot Air Balloons Ltd female ACME threaded hose connectors...., Washington, DC 20590. For service information identified in this AD, contact Lindstrand Hot Air Balloons Ltd...

77 FR 64763 - Airworthiness Directives; Lindstrand Hot Air Balloons Ltd Appliances

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-23

... Airworthiness Directives; Lindstrand Hot Air Balloons Ltd Appliances AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration... propose to adopt a new airworthiness directive (AD) for certain Lindstrand Hot Air Balloons Ltd female... identified in this proposed AD, contact Lindstrand Hot Air Balloons Ltd., Maesbury Road, Oswestry, Shropshire...

78 FR 18533 - Airworthiness Directives; Lindstrand Hot Air Balloons Ltd Appliances

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-27

... Airworthiness Directives; Lindstrand Hot Air Balloons Ltd Appliances AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration... Hot Air Balloons Ltd female ACME threaded hose connectors, part numbers HS6139 and HS6144, installed... follows: * * * * * (c) Applicability This AD applies to Lindstrand Hot Air Balloons Ltd female ACME...

Intrarectal pressures and balloon expulsion related to evacuation proctography.

PubMed Central

Halligan, S; Thomas, J; Bartram, C

1995-01-01

Seventy four patients with constipation were examined by standard evacuation proctography and then attempted to expel a small, non-deformable rectal balloon, connected to a pressure transducer to measure intrarectal pressure. Simultaneous imaging related the intrarectal position of the balloon to rectal deformity. Inability to expel the balloon was associated proctographically with prolonged evacuation, incomplete evacuation, reduced anal canal diameter, and acute anorectal angulation during evacuation. The presence and size of rectocoele or intussusception was unrelated to voiding of paste or balloon. An independent linear combination of pelvic floor descent and evacuation time on proctography correctly predicted maximum intrarectal pressure in 74% of cases. No patient with both prolonged evacuation and reduced pelvic floor descent on proctography could void the balloon, as maximum intrarectal pressure was reduced in this group. A prolonged evacuation time on proctography, in combination with reduced pelvic floor descent, suggests defecatory disorder may be caused by inability to raise intrarectal pressure. A diagnosis of anismus should not be made on proctography solely on the basis of incomplete/prolonged evacuation, as this may simply reflect inadequate straining. PMID:7672656

Embolization of direct carotid cavernous fistulas with the novel double-balloon technique

PubMed Central

Niu, Yin; Li, Lin; Tang, Jun; Zhu, Gang

2015-01-01

Multiple endovascular management of direct carotid cavernous fistula (CCF) has been widely accepted as a treatment option. Embolization of the fistula with detachable balloons or thrombogenic coil-based occlusion has been the main choice to treat direct CCF, with good safety and efficacy. This study investigated the safety and efficacy of embolization of direct CCF with the novel double-balloon technique. A retrospective review of a prospective database on cerebral vascular disease was performed. We identified a total of five patients presenting with high-flow direct CCF. All patients were managed with transarterial embolization with the novel double-balloon technique. Three of the five patients were treated with two detachable balloons, and a completely occluded fistula with preservation of the internal carotid artery was achieved. Of the remaining two patients treated with more detachable balloons, one patient achieved a perfect outcome and the other one suffered from recurrent fistula due to balloon migration 3 weeks after embolization. During a follow-up period of 12–18 months, no symptoms reoccurred in any patient. Thus, the double-balloon treatment may be a promising method for CCF complete occlusion. This novel technique may bring more benefits in the following two cases: 1). A single inflated detachable balloon fails to completely occlude the CCF, which causing the next balloon can not pass into the fistula. 2). A giant CCF needs more balloons for fistula embolization. PMID:26586136

Balloon-Assisted Chemoembolization Using a Micro-Balloon Catheter Alongside a Microcatheter for a Hepatocellular Carcinoma with a Prominent Arterioportal Shunt: A Case Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hoshiai, Sodai, E-mail: hoshiai@sb4.so-net.ne.jp; Mori, Kensaku; Ishiguro, Toshitaka

Although transcatheter arterial chemoembolization is one of the established treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), it is difficult to treat HCCs with prominent arterioportal (AP) shunts because anticancer drugs and embolic materials migrate into the non-tumorous liver through the AP shunts and may cause liver infarction. We developed a novel method of balloon-assisted chemoembolization using a micro-balloon catheter alongside a microcatheter simultaneously inserted through a single 4.5-Fr guiding sheath, comprising proximal chemoembolization with distal arterial balloon occlusion. We applied this method to treat an HCC with a prominent distal AP shunt induced by previous proton beam therapy and achieved successful chemoembolizationmore » without non-tumorous liver infarction under temporal balloon occlusion of a distal AP shunt.« less

21 CFR 870.1350 - Catheter balloon repair kit.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Catheter balloon repair kit. 870.1350 Section 870.1350 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES CARDIOVASCULAR DEVICES Cardiovascular Diagnostic Devices § 870.1350 Catheter balloon...

21 CFR 870.1350 - Catheter balloon repair kit.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Catheter balloon repair kit. 870.1350 Section 870.1350 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES CARDIOVASCULAR DEVICES Cardiovascular Diagnostic Devices § 870.1350 Catheter balloon...

An Overview of the NASA Sounding Rockets and Balloon Programs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Flowers, Bobby J.; Needleman, Harvey C.

1999-01-01

The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Sounding Rockets and Balloon Programs conduct a combined total of approximately fifty to sixty missions per year in support of the NASA scientific community. These missions are provided in support of investigations sponsored by NASA'S Offices of Space Science, Life and Microgravity Sciences & Applications, and Earth Science. The Goddard Space Flight Center has management and implementation responsibility for these programs. The NASA Sounding Rockets Program has continued to su,pport the science community by integrating their experiments into the sounding rocket payload and providing the rocket vehicle and launch operations necessary to provide the altitude/time required obtain the science objectives. The sounding rockets continue to provide a cost-effective way to make in situ observations from 50 to 1500 km in the near-earth environment and to uniquely cover the altitude regime between 50 km and 130 km above the Earth's surface, which is physically inaccessible to either balloons or satellites. A new architecture for providing this support has been introduced this year with the establishment of the NASA Sounding Rockets Contract. The Program has continued to introduce improvements into their operations and ground and flight systems. An overview of the NASA Sounding Rockets Program with special emphasis on the new support contract will be presented. The NASA Balloon Program continues to make advancements and developments in its capabilities for support of the scientific ballooning community. Long duration balloon (LDB) is a prominent aspect of the program with two campaigns scheduled for this calendar year. Two flights are scheduled in the Northern Hemisphere from Fairbanks, Alaska, in June and two flights are scheduled from McMurdo, Antarctica, in the Southern Hemisphere in December. The comprehensive balloon research and development (R&D) effort has continued with advances being made across the

Evaluating elk habitat interactions with GPS collars

Treesearch

Mark A. Rumble; Lakhdar Benkobi; Fredrick Lindzey; R. Scott Gamo

2001-01-01

Global positioning systems (GPS) are likely to revolutionize animal telemetry studies. GPS collars allow biologists to collect systematically scheduled data when VHF telemetry data is difficult or impossible to collect. Past studies have shown that the success of GPS telemetry is greater when animals are standing, or in open habitats. To make effective use of GPS...

Overview of the TILDAE High-Altitude Balloon Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Godbole, N. H.; Maruca, B.; Marino, R.; Sundkvist, D. J.; Constantin, S.; Zimmerman, H.; Carbone, V.

2016-12-01

Though the presence of intermittent turbulence in the stratosphere has been well established, much remains unknown about it. In situ observations of this phenomenon, which have provided the greatest detail of it, have typically been achieved via sounding balloons (i.e., small balloons which burst at peak altitude) carrying constant-temperature "hot wire" anemometers (CTAs). The Turbulence and Intermittency Long-Duration Atmospheric Experiment (TILDAE) was developed to test a new paradigm for stratospheric observations. Rather than flying on a sounding balloon, TILDAE was incorporated as an "add-on" experiment to the payload of a NASA long-duration balloon mission that launched in January, 2016 from McMurdo Station, Antarctica. Furthermore, TILDAE's key instrument was a sonic anemometer, which (relative to a CTA) provides better-calibrated measurements of wind velocity and more-robust separation of velocity components. This presentation focuses on the technical details of TILDAE's instrumentation and the performance thereof during its flight. Potential design improvements for future flights are also discussed.

Balloon-based interferometric techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rees, David

1985-01-01

A balloon-borne triple-etalon Fabry-Perot Interferometer, observing the Doppler shifts of absorption lines caused by molecular oxygen and water vapor in the far red/near infrared spectrum of backscattered sunlight, has been used to evaluate a passive spaceborne remote sensing technique for measuring winds in the troposphere and stratosphere. There have been two successful high altitude balloon flights of the prototype UCL instrument from the National Scientific Balloon Facility at Palestine, TE (May 80, Oct. 83). The results from these flights have demonstrated that an interferometer with adequate resolution, stability and sensitivity can be built. The wind data are of comparable quality to those obtained from operational techniques (balloon and rocket sonde, cloud-top drift analysis, and from the gradient wind analysis of satellite radiance measurements). However, the interferometric data can provide a regular global grid, over a height range from 5 to 50 km in regions of clear air. Between the middle troposphere (5 km) and the upper stratosphere (40 to 50 km), an optimized instrument can make wind measurements over the daylit hemisphere with an accuracy of about 3 to 5 m/sec (2 sigma). It is possible to obtain full height profiles between altitudes of 5 and 50 km, with 4 km height resolution, and a spatial resolution of about 200 km, along the orbit track. Below an altitude of about 10 km, Fraunhofer lines of solar origin are possible targets of the Doppler wind analysis. Above an altitude of 50 km, the weakness of the backscattered solar spectrum (decreasing air density) is coupled with the low absorption crosssection of all atmospheric species in the spectral region up to 800 nm (where imaging photon detectors can be used), causing the along-the-track resolution (or error) to increase beyond values useful for operational purposes. Within the region of optimum performance (5 to 50 km), however, the technique is a valuable potential complement to existing wind

Kinematic-PPP using Single/Dual Frequency Observations from (GPS, GLONASS and GPS/GLONASS) Constellations for Hydrography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farah, Ashraf

2018-03-01

Global Positioning System (GPS) technology is ideally suited for inshore and offshore positioning because of its high accuracy and the short observation time required for a position fix. Precise point positioning (PPP) is a technique used for position computation with a high accuracy using a single GNSS receiver. It relies on highly accurate satellite position and clock data that can be acquired from different sources such as the International GNSS Service (IGS). PPP precision varies based on positioning technique (static or kinematic), observations type (single or dual frequency) and the duration of observations among other factors. PPP offers comparable accuracy to differential GPS with safe in cost and time. For many years, PPP users depended on GPS (American system) which considered the solely reliable system. GLONASS's contribution in PPP techniques was limited due to fail in maintaining full constellation. Yet, GLONASS limited observations could be integrated into GPS-based PPP to improve availability and precision. As GLONASS reached its full constellation early 2013, there is a wide interest in PPP systems based on GLONASS only and independent of GPS. This paper investigates the performance of kinematic PPP solution for the hydrographic applications in the Nile river (Aswan, Egypt) based on GPS, GLONASS and GPS/GLONASS constellations. The study investigates also the effect of using two different observation types; single-frequency and dual frequency observations from the tested constellations.

Spaceborne GPS Current Status and Future Visions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bauer, Frank H.; Hartman, Kate; Lightsey, E. Glenn

1998-01-01

The Global Positioning System (GPS), developed by the Department of Defense, is quickly revolutionizing the architecture of future spacecraft and spacecraft systems. Significant savings in spacecraft life cycle cost, in power, and in mass can be realized by exploiting Global Positioning System (GPS) technology in spaceborne vehicles. These savings are realized because GPS is a systems sensor-it combines the ability to sense space vehicle trajectory, attitude, time, and relative ranging between vehicles into one package. As a result, a reduced spacecraft sensor complement can be employed on spacecraft and significant reductions in space vehicle operations cost can be realized through enhanced on- board autonomy. This paper provides an overview of the current status of spaceborne GPS, a description of spaceborne GPS receivers available now and in the near future, a description of the 1997-1999 GPS flight experiments and the spaceborne GPS team's vision for the future.

GPS data exploration for seismologists and geodesists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Webb, F.; Bock, Y.; Kedar, S.; Dong, D.; Jamason, P.; Chang, R.; Prawirodirdjo, L.; MacLeod, I.; Wadsworth, G.

2007-12-01

Over the past decade, GPS and seismic networks spanning the western US plate boundaries have produced vast amounts of data that need to be made accessible to both the geodesy and seismology communities. Unlike seismic data, raw geodetic data requires significant processing before geophysical interpretations can be made. This requires the generation of data-products (time series, velocities and strain maps) and dissemination strategies to bridge these differences and assure efficient use of data across traditionally separate communities. "GPS DATA PRODUCTS FOR SOLID EARTH SCIENCE" (GDPSES) is a multi-year NASA funded project, designed to produce and deliver high quality GPS time series, velocities, and strain fields, derived from multiple GPS networks along the western US plate boundary, and to make these products easily accessible to geophysicists. Our GPS product dissemination is through modern web-based IT methodology. Product browsing is facilitated through a web tool known as GPS Explorer and continuous streams of GPS time series are provided using web services to the seismic archive, where it can be accessed by seismologists using traditional seismic data viewing and manipulation tools. GPS-Explorer enables users to efficiently browse several layers of data products from raw data through time series, velocities and strain by providing the user with a web interface, which seamlessly interacts with a continuously updated database of these data products through the use of web-services. The current archive contains GDPSES data products beginning in 1995, and includes observations from GPS stations in EarthScope's Plate Boundary Observatory (PBO), as well as from real-time real-time CGPS stations. The generic, standards-based approach used in this project enables GDPSES to seamlessly expand indefinitely to include other space-time-dependent data products from additional GPS networks. The prototype GPS-Explorer provides users with a personalized working environment

Near Space Lab-Rat Experimentation using Stratospheric Balloon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buduru, Suneel Kumar; Reddy Vizapur, Anmi; Rao Tanneeru, Venkateswara; Trivedi, Dharmesh; Devarajan, Anand; Pandit Manikrao Kulkarni, MR..; Ojha, Devendra; Korra, Sakram; Neerudu, Nagendra; Seng, Lim; Godi, Stalin Peter

2016-07-01

First ever balloon borne lab-rat experiment up to near space stratospheric altitude levels carried out at TIFR Balloon Facility, Hydeabad using zero pressure balloons for the purpose of validating the life support system. A series of two balloon experiments conducted under joint collaboration with IN.Genius, Singapore in the year 2015. In these experiments, three lab-rats sent to stratosphere in a pressurized capsule designed to reach an altitude of 30 km by keeping constant pressure, temperature and maintained at a precise rate of oxygen supply inside the capsule. The first experiment conducted on 1 ^{st} February, 2015 with a total suspended weight of 225 kg. During the balloon ascent stage at 18 km altitude, sensors inside the capsule reported drastic drop in internal pressure while oxygen and temperatures maintained at correct levels resulted in premature fligt termination at 20.1 km. All the three lab-rats recovered without life due to the collapse of their lungs caused by the depressurization inside the capsule. The second experiment conducted on 14th March, 2015 using a newly developed capsule with rectification of depressurization fault by using improved sealing gaskets and hermitically sealed connectors for sending lab-rats again to stratosphere comprising a total suspended load of 122.3 kg. The balloon flight was terminated after reaching 29.5 km in 110 minutes and succesfully recovered all the three lab-rats alive. This paper focuses on lessons learnt of the development of the life support system as an integral pressurized vessel, flight control instrumentation, flight simulation tests using thermo-vaccum chamber with pre-flight operations.

Ballooning Interest in Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Hy

1992-01-01

Presents an activity in which students construct model hot air balloons to introduce the concepts of convection current, the principles of Charles' gas law, and three-dimensional geometric shapes. Provides construction and launching instructions. (MDH)

Modelling hot air balloons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brimicombe, N. W.

1991-07-01

Hot air balloons can be modelled in a number of different ways. The most satisfactory, but least useful model is at a microscopic level. Macroscopic models are easier to use but can be very misleading.

The Descending Helium Balloon

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Helseth, Lars Egil

2014-01-01

I describe a simple and fascinating experiment wherein helium leaks out of a rubber balloon, thereby causing it to descend. An estimate of the volumetric leakage rate is made by measuring its rate of descent.

Ignition of Hydrogen Balloons by Model-Rocket-Engine Igniters.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hartman, Nicholas T.

2003-01-01

Describes an alternative method for exploding hydrogen balloons as a classroom demonstration. Uses the method of igniting the balloons via an electronic match. Includes necessary materials to conduct the demonstration and discusses potential hazards. (SOE)

Balloon platform for extended-life astronomy research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ostwald, L. T.

1974-01-01

A configuration has been developed for a long-life balloon platform to carry pointing telescopes weighing as much as 80 pounds (36 kg) to point at selected celestial targets. A platform of this configuration weighs about 375 pounds (170 kg) gross and can be suspended from a high altitude super pressure balloon for a lifetime of several months. The balloon platform contains a solar array and storage batteries for electrical power, up and down link communications equipment, and navigational and attitude control systems for orienting the scientific instrument. A biaxial controller maintains the telescope attitude in response to look-angle data stored in an on-board computer memory which is updated periodically by ground command. Gimbal angles are computed by using location data derived by an on-board navigational receiver.

Hot-air balloon tours: crash epidemiology in the United States, 2000-2011.

PubMed

Ballard, Sarah-Blythe; Beaty, Leland P; Baker, Susan P

2013-11-01

Hot-air balloon tours are FAR Part 91-governed balloon rides conducted for compensation or hire. Part 91, General Aviation, in general involves the least strict federal regulations and accounts for the majority of aviation crashes and fatalities. National Transportation Safety Board reports of hot-air balloon tour crashes in the United States from 2000 through 2011 were read and analyzed. During the 12-yr period, 78 hot-air balloon tours crashed, involving 518 occupants. There were 91 serious injuries and 5 fatalities; 83% of crashes resulted in one or more serious or fatal outcomes. Of the serious injuries characterized, 56% were lower extremity fractures. Most crashes (81%) occurred during landing; 65% involved hard landings. Fixed object collisions contributed to 50% of serious injuries and all 5 fatalities. During landing sequences, gondola dragging, tipping, bouncing, and occupant ejection were associated with poor outcomes. Of the crashes resulting in serious or fatal outcomes, 20% of balloons were significantly damaged or destroyed. The incidence of morbidity and mortality is high among hot-air balloon tour crashes, and the proportion of balloon crashes attributed to paid rides appears to have increased over time. In addition to examining the role of restraint systems, personal protective equipment, and power line emergency procedures in ballooning, injury prevention efforts should target factors such hard landings, object strikes, gondola instability, and occupant ejections, which are associated with balloon injuries and deaths. Crash outcomes may also improve with vehicle engineering that enables balloons themselves to absorb impact forces.

Hot-Air Balloon Tours: Crash Epidemiology in the United States, 2000-2011

PubMed Central

Ballard, Sarah-Blythe; Beaty, Leland P.; Baker, Susan P.

2016-01-01

Introduction Hot-air balloon tours are FAR Part 91-governed balloon rides conducted for compensation or hire. Part 91, General Aviation, in general involves the least strict federal regulations and accounts for the majority of aviation crashes and fatalities. Methods National Transportation Safety Board reports of hot-air balloon tour crashes in the United States from 2000 through 2011 were read and analyzed. Results During the 12-yr period, 78 hot-air balloon tours crashed, involving 518 occupants. There were 91 serious injuries and 5 fatalities; 83% of crashes resulted in one or more serious or fatal outcomes. Of the serious injuries characterized, 56% were lower extremity fractures. Most crashes (81%) occurred during landing; 65% involved hard landings. Fixed object collisions contributed to 50% of serious injuries and all 5 fatalities. During landing sequences, gondola dragging, tipping, bouncing, and occupant ejection were associated with poor outcomes. Of the crashes resulting in serious or fatal outcomes, 20% of balloons were significantly damaged or destroyed. Discussion The incidence of morbidity and mortality is high among hot-air balloon tour crashes, and the proportion of balloon crashes attributed to paid rides appears to have increased over time. In addition to examining the role of restraint systems, personal protective equipment, and power line emergency procedures in ballooning, injury prevention efforts should target factors such hard landings, object strikes, gondola instability, and occupant ejections, which are associated with balloon injuries and deaths. Crash outcomes may also improve with vehicle engineering that enables balloons themselves to absorb impact forces. PMID:24279231

Indwelling esophageal balloon catheter for benign esophageal stenosis in infants and children.

PubMed

van der Zee, David; Hulsker, Caroline

2014-04-01

Balloon dilatation of benign esophageal strictures is an established mode of therapy in adults and children. There remains a group of patients with refractory stenosis despite dilatation at regular intervals. An indwelling balloon catheter may offer an alternative. This is a retrospective study of 19 children who underwent esophagoscopy between 2004 and 2012 with placement of an indwelling balloon catheter for refractory esophageal stenosis. Total number of endoscopies, number of endoscopies with indwelling balloon catheter, as well as complications, reoperations, and mortality due to use of the balloon catheter were studied. Patient age ranged from 4 weeks to 15 years. The indwelling balloon catheter was used to treat refractory stenosis after corrective surgery of long gap esophageal atresia (n = 5), esophageal atresia with distal fistula (n = 2), refractory esophageal stenosis due to caustic esophageal burns (n = 7), reflux (n = 2), and stenosis of unknown cause (n = 3). With the indwelling balloon catheter in place, the mean number of endoscopies equalled four. Complications were restenosis after a symptom-free period for which a new indwelling balloon catheter was necessary (n = 3). Two others needed two to five additional dilations: balloon leakage requiring replacement (n = 7 in 5 patients), sputum retention (n = 1), and dislodgement (n = 5 in 4 patients). More importantly, there was no mortality or the need for any patient to undergo a surgical resection. The indwelling balloon catheter is safe to use and can be used by parents at home. More importantly it obviates the need for rethoracotomy/-scopy or esophageal replacement.

Implementing GPS into Pave-IR.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-03-01

To further enhance the capabilities of the Pave-IR thermal segregation detection system developed at the Texas Transportation Institute, researchers incorporated global positioning system (GPS) data collection into the thermal profiles. This GPS capa...

Cutting balloon and high-pressure balloon dilation for palliative treatment of congenital double-chambered right ventricle and primary infundibular stenosis in a Golden retriever dog.

PubMed

Schober, Karsten E; Rhinehart, Jaylyn; Kohnken, Rebecca; Bonagura, John D

2017-12-01

Combined cutting balloon and high-pressure balloon dilation was performed in a dog with a double-chambered right ventricle and severe infundibular stenosis of the right ventricular outflow tract. The peak systolic pressure gradient across the stenosis decreased by 65% after dilation (from 187 mmHg before to 66 mmHg after) affirming the intervention as successful. However, early re-stenosis occurred within 3 months leading to exercise intolerance, exercise-induced syncope, and right-sided congestive heart failure. Cutting balloon followed by high-pressure balloon dilation provided temporary but not long-term relief of right ventricular obstruction in this dog. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Iridium: Global OTH data communications for high altitude scientific ballooning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Denney, A.

While the scientific community is no stranger to embracing commercially available technologies, the growth and availability of truly affordable cutting edge technologies is opening the door to an entirely new means of global communications. For many years high altitude ballooning has provided science an alternative to costly satellite based experimental platforms. As with any project, evolution becomes an integral part of development. Specifically in the NSBF ballooning program, where flight durations have evolved from the earlier days of hours to several weeks and plans are underway to provide missions up to 100 days. Addressing increased flight durations, the harsh operational environment, along with cumbersome and outdated systems used on existing systems, such as the balloon vehicles Support Instrumentation Package (SIP) and ground-based systems, a new Over-The-Horizon (OTH) communications medium is sought. Current OTH equipment planning to be phased-out include: HF commanding systems, ARGOS PTT telemetry downlinks and INMARSAT data terminals. Other aspects up for review in addition to the SIP to utilize this communications medium include pathfinder balloon platforms - thereby, adding commanding abilities and increased data rates, plus providing a package for ultra-small experiments to ride aloft. Existing communication systems employed by the National Scientific Balloon Facility ballooning program have been limited not only by increased cost, slow data rates and "special government use only" services such as TDRSS (Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System), but have had to make special provisions to geographical flight location. Development of the Support Instrumentation Packages whether LDB (Long Duration Balloon), ULDB (Ultra Long Duration Balloon) or conventional ballooning have been plagued by non-standard systems configurations requiring additional support equipment for different regions and missions along with a myriad of backup for redundancy. Several

Ionospheric Modelling using GPS to Calibrate the MWA. I: Comparison of First Order Ionospheric Effects between GPS Models and MWA Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arora, B. S.; Morgan, J.; Ord, S. M.; Tingay, S. J.; Hurley-Walker, N.; Bell, M.; Bernardi, G.; Bhat, N. D. R.; Briggs, F.; Callingham, J. R.; Deshpande, A. A.; Dwarakanath, K. S.; Ewall-Wice, A.; Feng, L.; For, B.-Q.; Hancock, P.; Hazelton, B. J.; Hindson, L.; Jacobs, D.; Johnston-Hollitt, M.; Kapińska, A. D.; Kudryavtseva, N.; Lenc, E.; McKinley, B.; Mitchell, D.; Oberoi, D.; Offringa, A. R.; Pindor, B.; Procopio, P.; Riding, J.; Staveley-Smith, L.; Wayth, R. B.; Wu, C.; Zheng, Q.; Bowman, J. D.; Cappallo, R. J.; Corey, B. E.; Emrich, D.; Goeke, R.; Greenhill, L. J.; Kaplan, D. L.; Kasper, J. C.; Kratzenberg, E.; Lonsdale, C. J.; Lynch, M. J.; McWhirter, S. R.; Morales, M. F.; Morgan, E.; Prabu, T.; Rogers, A. E. E.; Roshi, A.; Shankar, N. Udaya; Srivani, K. S.; Subrahmanyan, R.; Waterson, M.; Webster, R. L.; Whitney, A. R.; Williams, A.; Williams, C. L.

2015-08-01

We compare first-order (refractive) ionospheric effects seen by the MWA with the ionosphere as inferred from GPS data. The first-order ionosphere manifests itself as a bulk position shift of the observed sources across an MWA field of view. These effects can be computed from global ionosphere maps provided by GPS analysis centres, namely the CODE. However, for precision radio astronomy applications, data from local GPS networks needs to be incorporated into ionospheric modelling. For GPS observations, the ionospheric parameters are biased by GPS receiver instrument delays, among other effects, also known as receiver DCBs. The receiver DCBs need to be estimated for any non-CODE GPS station used for ionosphere modelling. In this work, single GPS station-based ionospheric modelling is performed at a time resolution of 10 min. Also the receiver DCBs are estimated for selected Geoscience Australia GPS receivers, located at Murchison Radio Observatory, Yarragadee, Mount Magnet and Wiluna. The ionospheric gradients estimated from GPS are compared with that inferred from MWA. The ionospheric gradients at all the GPS stations show a correlation with the gradients observed with the MWA. The ionosphere estimates obtained using GPS measurements show promise in terms of providing calibration information for the MWA.

Incremental balloon deflation following complete resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta results in steep inflection of flow and rapid reperfusion in a large animal model of hemorrhagic shock.

PubMed

Davidson, Anders J; Russo, Rachel M; Ferencz, Sarah-Ashley E; Cannon, Jeremy W; Rasmussen, Todd E; Neff, Lucas P; Johnson, M Austin; Williams, Timothy K

2017-07-01

To avoid potential cardiovascular collapse after resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA), current guidelines recommend methodically deflating the balloon for 5 minutes to gradually reperfuse distal tissue beds. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that this approach may still result in unpredictable aortic flow rates and hemodynamic instability. We sought to characterize aortic flow dynamics following REBOA as the balloon is deflated in accordance with current practice guidelines. Eight Yorkshire-cross swine were splenectomized, instrumented, and subjected to rapid 25% total blood volume hemorrhage. After 30 minutes of shock, animals received 60 minutes of Zone 1 REBOA with a low-profile REBOA catheter. During subsequent resuscitation with shed blood, the aortic occlusion balloon was gradually deflated in stepwise fashion at the rate of 0.5 mL every 30 seconds until completely deflated. Aortic flow rate and proximal mean arterial pressure (MAP) were measured continuously over the period of balloon deflation. Graded balloon deflation resulted in variable initial return of aortic flow (median, 78 seconds; interquartile range [IQR], 68-105 seconds). A rapid increase in aortic flow during a single-balloon deflation step was observed in all animals (median, 819 mL/min; IQR, 664-1241 mL/min) and corresponded with an immediate decrease in proximal MAP (median, 30 mm Hg; IQR, 14.5-37 mm Hg). Total balloon volume and time to return of flow demonstrated no correlation (r = 0.016). This study is the first to characterize aortic flow during balloon deflation following REBOA. A steep inflection point occurs during balloon deflation that results in an abrupt increase in aortic flow and a concomitant decrease in MAP. Furthermore, the onset of distal aortic flow was inconsistent across study animals and did not correlate with initial balloon volume or relative deflation volume. Future studies to define the factors that affect aortic flow during balloon

Multicenter comparison of double-balloon enteroscopy and spiral enteroscopy.

PubMed

Rahmi, Gabriel; Samaha, Elia; Vahedi, Kouroche; Ponchon, Thierry; Fumex, Fabien; Filoche, Bernard; Gay, Gerard; Delvaux, Michel; Lorenceau-Savale, Camille; Malamut, Georgia; Canard, Jean-Marc; Chatellier, Gilles; Cellier, Christophe

2013-06-01

Spiral enteroscopy is a novel technique for small bowel exploration. The aim of this study is to compare double-balloon and spiral enteroscopy in patients with suspected small bowel lesions. Patients with suspected small bowel lesion diagnosed by capsule endoscopy were prospectively included between September 2009 and December 2010 in five tertiary-care academic medical centers. After capsule endoscopy, 191 double-balloon enteroscopy and 50 spiral enteroscopies were performed. Indications were obscure gastrointestinal bleeding in 194 (80%) of cases. Lesions detected by capsule endoscopy were mainly angioectasia. Double-balloon and spiral enteroscopy resulted in finding one or more lesions in 70% and 75% of cases, respectively. The mean diagnosis procedure time and the average small bowel explored length during double-balloon and spiral enteroscopy were, respectively, 60 min (45-80) and 55 min (45-80) (P=0.74), and 200 cm (150-300) and 220 cm (200-300) (P=0.13). Treatment during double-balloon and spiral enteroscopy was possible in 66% and 70% of cases, respectively. There was no significant major procedure-related complication. Spiral enteroscopy appears as safe as double-balloon enteroscopy for small bowel exploration with a similar diagnostic and therapeutic yield. Comparison between the two procedures in terms of duration and length of small bowel explored is slightly in favor of spiral enteroscopy but not significantly. © 2013 Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Foundation and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Ballooning in the constant sun of the South Pole summer

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-04-24

A view looking over the payload – the instruments that fly under a balloon – while the BARREL balloon inflates. The orange parachute lies on the ground in front of the payload, while most of the balloon length can be seen stretched along the ground toward the part being inflated. Credit: NASA/Goddard/BARREL Read more: www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/nasas-barrel-returns-success... -- Three months, 20 balloons, and one very successful campaign. The team for NASA's BARREL – short for Balloon Array for Radiation belt Relativistic Electron Losses -- mission returned from Antarctica in March 2014. BARREL's job is to help unravel the mysterious Van Allen belts, two gigantic donuts of radiation that surround Earth, which can shrink and swell in response to incoming energy and particles from the sun and sometimes expose satellites to harsh radiation. While in Antarctica, the team launched 20 balloons carrying instruments that sense charged particles that are scattered into the atmosphere from the belts, spiraling down the magnetic fields near the South Pole. Each balloon traveled around the pole for up to three weeks. The team will coordinate the BARREL data with observations from NASA's two Van Allen Probes to better understand how occurrences in the belts relate to bursts of particles funneling down toward Earth. BARREL team members will be on hand at the USA Science and Engineering Festival in DC on April 26 and 27, 2014 for the exhibit Space Balloons: Exploring the Extremes of Space Weather. NASA image use policy.NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission.Follow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookFind us on Instagram

Ballooning in the constant sun of the South Pole summer

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

BARREL researchers get ready to release the top part of the balloon, called the bubble, as it fills with enough helium to support itself. Only the top part of the balloon is inflated before launch since the helium expands as the balloon ascends. Credit: NASA/Goddard/BARREL/Nicky Knox Read more: www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/nasas-barrel-returns-success... -- Three months, 20 balloons, and one very successful campaign. The team for NASA's BARREL – short for Balloon Array for Radiation belt Relativistic Electron Losses -- mission returned from Antarctica in March 2014. BARREL's job is to help unravel the mysterious Van Allen belts, two gigantic donuts of radiation that surround Earth, which can shrink and swell in response to incoming energy and particles from the sun and sometimes expose satellites to harsh radiation. While in Antarctica, the team launched 20 balloons carrying instruments that sense charged particles that are scattered into the atmosphere from the belts, spiraling down the magnetic fields near the South Pole. Each balloon traveled around the pole for up to three weeks. The team will coordinate the BARREL data with observations from NASA's two Van Allen Probes to better understand how occurrences in the belts relate to bursts of particles funneling down toward Earth. BARREL team members will be on hand at the USA Science and Engineering Festival in DC on April 26 and 27, 2014 for the exhibit Space Balloons: Exploring the Extremes of Space Weather. NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

GPS Water Vapor Tomography Based on Accurate Estimations of the GPS Tropospheric Parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Champollion, C.; Masson, F.; Bock, O.; Bouin, M.; Walpersdorf, A.; Doerflinger, E.; van Baelen, J.; Brenot, H.

2003-12-01

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is now a common technique for the retrieval of zenithal integrated water vapor (IWV). Further applications in meteorology need also slant integrated water vapor (SIWV) which allow to precisely define the high variability of tropospheric water vapor at different temporal and spatial scales. Only precise estimations of IWV and horizontal gradients allow the estimation of accurate SIWV. We present studies developed to improve the estimation of tropospheric water vapor from GPS data. Results are obtained from several field experiments (MAP, ESCOMPTE, OHM-CV, IHOP, .). First IWV are estimated using different GPS processing strategies and results are compared to radiosondes. The role of the reference frame and the a priori constraints on the coordinates of the fiducial and local stations is generally underestimated. It seems to be of first order in the estimation of the IWV. Second we validate the estimated horizontal gradients comparing zenith delay gradients and single site gradients. IWV, gradients and post-fit residuals are used to construct slant integrated water delays. Validation of the SIWV is under progress comparing GPS SIWV, Lidar measurements and high resolution meteorological models (Meso-NH). A careful analysis of the post-fit residuals is needed to separate tropospheric signal from multipaths. The slant tropospheric delays are used to study the 3D heterogeneity of the troposphere. We develop a tomographic software to model the three-dimensional distribution of the tropospheric water vapor from GPS data. The software is applied to the ESCOMPTE field experiment, a dense network of 17 dual frequency GPS receivers operated in southern France. Three inversions have been successfully compared to three successive radiosonde launches. Good resolution is obtained up to heights of 3000 m.

Navigation: National Plans; NAVSTAR-GPS; Laser Gyros

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-08-31

REFERENC-~CP STER . TECHNICAL REPORT ! "NO. 12686,-’-. - NAVIGATION: NATIONAL PLANS ; NAVSTAR-GPS; LASER GYROS CONTRACT NO. DAAK30-80-C-0073 31 AUGUST...Technical ReportAW Ng. riiNational Plans ; Navstar-GPS; S... : NavstarGPS; a3 Sept 1980 - 31 Aug 1982 ....Lasr Gyros. 6. PERFORMING ORG. REPORT NUMBER PRA...identify by block number) Navigation Navigation Satellites Laser Gyros Position-Location . NAVSTAR-GPS Fiberoptic Gyros Planning Global Positioning System

Accuracy of Snow Water Equivalent Estimated From GPS Vertical Displacements: A Synthetic Loading Case Study for Western U.S. Mountains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Enzminger, Thomas L.; Small, Eric E.; Borsa, Adrian A.

2018-01-01

GPS monitoring of solid Earth deformation due to surface loading is an independent approach for estimating seasonal changes in terrestrial water storage (TWS). In western United States (WUSA) mountain ranges, snow water equivalent (SWE) is the dominant component of TWS and an essential water resource. While several studies have estimated SWE from GPS-measured vertical displacements, the error associated with this method remains poorly constrained. We examine the accuracy of SWE estimated from synthetic displacements at 1,395 continuous GPS station locations in the WUSA. Displacement at each station is calculated from the predicted elastic response to variations in SWE from SNODAS and soil moisture from the NLDAS-2 Noah model. We invert synthetic displacements for TWS, showing that both seasonal accumulation and melt as well as year-to-year fluctuations in peak SWE can be estimated from data recorded by the existing GPS network. Because we impose a smoothness constraint in the inversion, recovered TWS exhibits mass leakage from mountain ranges to surrounding areas. This leakage bias is removed via linear rescaling in which the magnitude of the gain factor depends on station distribution and TWS anomaly patterns. The synthetic GPS-derived estimates reproduce approximately half of the spatial variability (unbiased root mean square error ˜50%) of TWS loading within mountain ranges, a considerable improvement over GRACE. The inclusion of additional simulated GPS stations improves representation of spatial variations. GPS data can be used to estimate mountain-range-scale SWE, but effects of soil moisture and other TWS components must first be subtracted from the GPS-derived load estimates.

EHF channel sounding for telecommunications applications via HAPs and balloons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cianca, E.; Lucente, M.; Rossi, T.; Stallo, C.; Ruggieri, M.; Morelli, E.

During the last few years, the growth of innovative multimedia services demanding for more and more bandwidth have led towards the need to explore higher and higher frequency bands for communication services, such as Q-V band (35-50 GHz and 50-75 GHz, respectively) and also W band (75-110 GHz), especially for satellite applications. The Italian scientific community has so far gained a leading position in the use of higher frequency bands for satellite communications and has also funded studies for the design of communication payload in W band. To keep this leading position one fundamental step to properly design an operative communication payload is the propagation channel characterisation. Whilst there are data for characterising the propagation channel in Q-V bands, there are no experimental data for proper characterisation in W band. A feasibility study has been recently funded by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) to use a manned aircraft flying at 20 km, for preliminary channel characterisation. In this paper we investigate the possibility to use balloons for experiments aiming to collect data for channel characterisation. Main advantages and drawbacks of using this platform for the proposed experiment with respect to alternatives such as manned aircrafts and Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites for such a experiment are outlined. We start presenting the main results of the Aero-WAVE mission, funded by ASI and aiming to design a payload for setting up an experiment for preliminary channel characterisation of W band. This will guide us in defining the main advantages and drawbacks of the alternatives solution represented by the balloons. We can conclude that it would be possible and convenient to use balloons for the proposed experiment. Some issues arise but solutions can be easily implemented. The data that could be collected from the proposed experiment represent a very interesting results at international level for further developments in W band communications. The

Precise Clock Solutions Using Carrier Phase from GPS Receivers in the International GPS Service

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zumberge, J. F.; Jefferson, D. C.; Stowers, D. A.; Tjoelker, R. L.; Young, L. E.

1999-01-01

As one of its activities as an Analysis Center in the International GPS Service (IGS), the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) uses data from a globally distributed network of geodetic-quality GPS receivers to estimate precise clock solutions, relative to a chosen reference, for both the GPS satellites and GPS receiver internal clocks, every day. The GPS constellation and ground network provide geometrical strength resulting in formal errors of about 100 p sec for these estimates. Some of the receivers in the global IGS network contain high quality frequency references, such as hydrogen masers. The clock solutions for such receivers are smooth at the 20-p sec level on time scales of a few minutes. There are occasional (daily to weekly) shifts at the microsec level, symptomatic of receiver resets, and 200-p sec-level discontinuities at midnight due to 1-day processing boundaries. Relative clock solutions among 22 IGS sites proposed as "fiducial" in the IGS/BIPM pilot project have been examined over a recent 4-week period. This allows a quantitative measure of receiver reset frequency as a function of site. For days and-sites without resets, the Allan deviation of the relative clock solutions is also computed for subdaily values of tau..

GPs' views on the practice of physician-assisted suicide and their role in proposed UK legalisation: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Hussain, Tariq; White, Patrick

2009-11-01

A bill to legalise assisted dying in the UK has been proposed in Parliament's House of Lords three times since 2003. The House of Lords Select Committee concluded in 2005 that 'the few attempts to understand the basis of doctors' views have shown equivocal data varying over time'. Fresh research was recommended to gain a fuller understanding of health sector views. To examine GPs' views of the practice of physician-assisted suicide as defined by the 2005/2006 House of Lords (Joffe) Bill and views of their role in the proposed legislation; and to explore the influences determining GPs' views on physician-assisted suicide. Qualitative interview study. Primary care in South London, England. Semi-structured interviews with GPs were conducted by a lead interviewer and analysed in a search for themes, using the framework approach. Thirteen GPs were interviewed. GPs who had not personally witnessed terminal suffering that could justify assisted dying were against the legislation. Some GPs felt their personal religious views, which regarded assisted dying as morally wrong, could not be the basis of a generalisable medical ethic for others. GPs who had witnessed a person's suffering that, in their opinion, justified physician-assisted suicide were in favour of legislative change. Some GPs felt a specialist referral pathway to provide assisted dying would help to ensure proper standards were met. GPs' views on physician-assisted suicide ranged from support to opposition, depending principally on their interpretation of their experience of patients' suffering at the end of life. The goal to lessen suffering of the terminally ill, and apprehensions about patients being harmed, were common to both groups. Respect for autonomy and the right of self-determination versus the need to protect vulnerable people from the potential for harm from social coercion were the dominant themes.

Usefulness of cutting balloon angioplasty for the treatment of congenital heart defects.

PubMed

Kusa, Jacek; Mazurak, Magdalena; Skierska, Agnieszka; Szydlowski, Leslaw; Czesniewicz, Pawel; Manka, Lukasz

2018-01-01

Patients with complex congenital heart defects may have different hemodynamic prob-lems which require a variety of interventional procedures including angioplasty which involves using high-pressure balloons. After failure of conventional balloon angioplasty, cutting balloon angioplasty is the next treatment option available. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of cutting balloon angioplasty in children with different types of congenital heart defects. Cutting balloon angioplasty was performed in 28 children with different congenital heart defects. The indication for cutting balloon angioplasty was: pulmonary artery stenosis in 17 patients, creating or dilatation of interatrial communication in 10 patients, and stenosis of left subclavian artery in 1 patient. In the pulmonary arteries group there was a significant decrease in systolic blood pressure (SBP) in the proximal part of the artery from the average 74.33 ± 20.4 mm Hg to 55 ± 16.7 mm Hg (p < 0.001). Distal to the stenosis there was an increase in SBP from 19.8 ± 3.82 mm Hg to 30.3 ± ± 13.3 mm Hg (p = 0.04). This result remained constant in the follow-up. In atrial septal defect/fenestra-tion group, cutting balloon angioplasty was performed after an unsuccessful classic Rashkind procedure. After cutting balloon angioplasty there was a significant widening of the interatrial communication. Cutting balloon angioplasty is a feasible and effective treatment option in different con-genital heart defects.

Blood pressure normalization post-jugular venous balloon angioplasty.

PubMed

Sternberg, Zohara; Grewal, Prabhjot; Cen, Steven; DeBarge-Igoe, Frances; Yu, Jinhee; Arata, Michael

2015-05-01

This study is the first in a series investigating the relationship between autonomic nervous system dysfunction and chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency in multiple sclerosis patients. We screened patients for the combined presence of the narrowing of the internal jugular veins and symptoms of autonomic nervous system dysfunction (fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, sleeping disorders, headache, thermal intolerance, bowel/bladder dysfunction) and determined systolic and diastolic blood pressure responses to balloon angioplasty. The criteria for eligibility for balloon angioplasty intervention included ≥ 50% narrowing in one or both internal jugular veins, as determined by the magnetic resonance venography, and ≥ 3 clinical symptoms of autonomic nervous system dysfunction. Blood pressure was measured at baseline and post-balloon angioplasty. Among patients who were screened, 91% were identified as having internal jugular veins narrowing (with obstructing lesions) combined with the presence of three or more symptoms of autonomic nervous system dysfunction. Balloon angioplasty reduced the average systolic and diastolic blood pressure. However, blood pressure categorization showed a biphasic response to balloon angioplasty. The procedure increased blood pressure in multiple sclerosis patients who presented with baseline blood pressure within lower limits of normal ranges (systolic ≤ 105 mmHg, diastolic ≤ 70 mmHg) but decreased blood pressure in patients with baseline blood pressure above normal ranges (systolic ≥ 130 mmHg, diastolic ≥ 80 mmHg). In addition, gender differences in baseline blood pressure subcategories were observed. The coexistence of internal jugular veins narrowing and symptoms of autonomic nervous system dysfunction suggests that the two phenomena may be related. Balloon angioplasty corrects blood pressure deviation in multiple sclerosis patients undergoing internal jugular vein dilation. Further studies should investigate the

A buoyant tornado-probe concept incorporating an inverted lifting device. [and balloon combination

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grant, F. C.

1973-01-01

Addition of an inverted lifting device to a simple balloon probe is shown to make possible low-altitude entry to tornado cores with easier launch conditions than for the simple balloon probe. Balloon-lifter combinations are particularly suitable for penetration of tornadoes with average to strong circulation, but tornadoes of less than average circulation which are inaccessible to simple balloon probes become accessible. The increased launch radius which is needed for access to tornadoes over a wide range of circulation results in entry times of about 3 minutes. For a simple balloon probe the uninflated balloon must be first dropped on, or near, the track of the tornado from a safe distance. The increase in typical launch radius from about 0.75 kilometer to slightly over 1.0 kilometer with a balloon-lifter combination suggests that a direct air launch may be feasible.

Space and Earth Observations from Stratospheric Balloons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peterzen, Steven; Ubertini, Pietro; Masi, Silvia; Ibba, Roberto; Ivano, Musso; Cardillo, Andrea; Romeo, Giovanni; Dragøy, Petter; Spoto, Domenico

Stratospheric balloons are rapidly becoming the vehicle of choice for near space investigations and earth observations by a variety of science disciplines. With the ever increasing research into climatic change, instruments suspended from stratospheric balloons offer the science team a unique, stable and reusable platform that can circle the Earth in the polar region or equatorial zone for thirty days or more. The Italian Space Agency (ASI) in collaboration with Andoya Rocket Range (Andenes, Norway) has opened access in the far northern latitudes above 78o N from Longyearbyen, Svalbard. In 2006 the first Italian UltraLite Long Duration Balloon was launched from Baia Terra Nova, Mario Zuchelli station in Antarctica and now ASI is setting up for the their first equatorial stratospheric launch from their satellite receiving station and rocket launch site in Malindi, Kenya. For the equatorial missions we have analysed the statistical properties of trajectories considering the biennal oscillation and the seasonal effects of the stratospheric winds. Maintaining these launch sites offer the science community 3 point world coverage for heavy lift balloons as well as the rapidly deployed Ultralight payloads and TM system ASI developed to use for test platforms, micro experiments, as well as a comprehensive student pilot program

Precision GPS ephemerides and baselines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

The required knowledge of the Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite position accuracy can vary depending on a particular application. Application to relative positioning of receiver locations on the ground to infer Earth's tectonic plate motion requires the most accurate knowledge of the GPS satellite orbits. Research directed towards improving and evaluating the accuracy of GPS satellite orbits was conducted at the University of Texas Center for Space Research (CSR). Understanding and modeling the forces acting on the satellites was a major focus of the research. Other aspects of orbit determination, such as the reference frame, time system, measurement modeling, and parameterization, were also investigated. Gravitational forces were modeled by truncated versions of extant gravity fields such as, Goddard Earth Model (GEM-L2), GEM-T1, TEG-2, and third body perturbations due to the Sun and Moon. Nongravitational forces considered were the solar radiation pressure, and perturbations due to thermal venting and thermal imbalance. At the GPS satellite orbit accuracy level required for crustal dynamic applications, models for the nongravitational perturbation play a critical role, since the gravitational forces are well understood and are modeled adequately for GPS satellite orbits.

Determination of GPS orbits to submeter accuracy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bertiger, W. I.; Lichten, S. M.; Katsigris, E. C.

1988-01-01

Orbits for satellites of the Global Positioning System (GPS) were determined with submeter accuracy. Tests used to assess orbital accuracy include orbit comparisons from independent data sets, orbit prediction, ground baseline determination, and formal errors. One satellite tracked 8 hours each day shows rms error below 1 m even when predicted more than 3 days outside of a 1-week data arc. Differential tracking of the GPS satellites in high Earth orbit provides a powerful relative positioning capability, even when a relatively small continental U.S. fiducial tracking network is used with less than one-third of the full GPS constellation. To demonstrate this capability, baselines of up to 2000 km in North America were also determined with the GPS orbits. The 2000 km baselines show rms daily repeatability of 0.3 to 2 parts in 10 to the 8th power and agree with very long base interferometry (VLBI) solutions at the level of 1.5 parts in 10 to the 8th power. This GPS demonstration provides an opportunity to test different techniques for high-accuracy orbit determination for high Earth orbiters. The best GPS orbit strategies included data arcs of at least 1 week, process noise models for tropospheric fluctuations, estimation of GPS solar pressure coefficients, and combine processing of GPS carrier phase and pseudorange data. For data arc of 2 weeks, constrained process noise models for GPS dynamic parameters significantly improved the situation.

Space Shuttle Navigation in the GPS Era

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goodman, John L.

2001-01-01

The Space Shuttle navigation architecture was originally designed in the 1970s. A variety of on-board and ground based navigation sensors and computers are used during the ascent, orbit coast, rendezvous, (including proximity operations and docking) and entry flight phases. With the advent of GPS navigation and tightly coupled GPS/INS Units employing strapdown sensors, opportunities to improve and streamline the Shuttle navigation process are being pursued. These improvements can potentially result in increased safety, reliability, and cost savings in maintenance through the replacement of older technologies and elimination of ground support systems (such as Tactical Air Control and Navigation (TACAN), Microwave Landing System (MLS) and ground radar). Selection and missionization of "off the shelf" GPS and GPS/INS units pose a unique challenge since the units in question were not originally designed for the Space Shuttle application. Various options for integrating GPS and GPS/INS units with the existing orbiter avionics system were considered in light of budget constraints, software quality concerns, and schedule limitations. An overview of Shuttle navigation methodology from 1981 to the present is given, along with how GPS and GPS/INS technology will change, or not change, the way Space Shuttle navigation is performed in the 21 5 century.

Intra-aortic balloon shape change: effects on volume displacement during inflation and deflation.

PubMed

Khir, Ashraf William; Bruti, Gianpaolo

2013-07-01

It has been observed that operating the intra-aortic balloon at an angle to the horizontal resulted in a reduction of the volume displaced toward the coronary arteries and compromised afterload reduction. Therefore, the aim of this work is to examine whether changing the current balloon shape, which has not been altered for 40 years, could compensate for the negative hemodynamic effects due to angulation. We tested two tapered balloons, increasing diameter (TID) and decreasing diameter (TDD), and compared the results with those obtained from a standard cylindrical balloon. The balloons were tested in vitro at 60 beats/min and a static pressure of 90 mm Hg. The balloons were operated at four angles (0°, 20°, 30°, 45°), and the pressure at three locations along the balloon (base, middle, and tip) was also measured. Flow rate upstream of the tip of the balloon was also measured to indicate the flow displaced toward the coronary circulation. The relative volume displaced toward (VUTVi) and suctioned away from (VUTVd) the simulated ascending aorta, during inflation and deflation, respectively, is reduced when a standard cylindrical balloon is operated at an angle to the horizontal. The TDD provided the greatest VUTVi and also produced the largest pulse pressure during deflation. Although the TID provided less VUTVi and VUTVd at smaller angles, it was not markedly affected by the change of angle. According to these results, different balloon shapes analyzed, with comparable volume to that of a cylindrical balloon, produced greater inflation and deflation benefits, at the horizontal and at a range of angles to the horizontal. Further investigations are required to optimize the shape of the tapered balloons to fit into the available physiological space. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and International Center for Artificial Organs and Transplantation.

High Altitude Ozone Research Balloon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cauthen, Timothy A.; Daniel, Leslie A.; Herrick, Sally C.; Rock, Stacey G.; Varias, Michael A.

1990-01-01

In order to create a mission model of the high altitude ozone research balloon (HAORB) several options for flight preparation, altitude control, flight termination, and payload recovery were considered. After the optimal launch date and location for two separate HAORB flights were calculated, a method for reducing the heat transfer from solar and infrared radiation was designed and analytically tested. This provided the most important advantage of the HAORB over conventional balloons, i.e., its improved flight duration. Comparisons of different parachute configurations were made, and a design best suited for the HAORB's needs was determined to provide for payload recovery after flight termination. In an effort to avoid possible payload damage, a landing system was also developed.

Precise GPS orbits for geodesy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Colombo, Oscar L.

1994-01-01

The Global Positioning System (GPS) has become, in recent years, the main space-based system for surveying and navigation in many military, commercial, cadastral, mapping, and scientific applications. Better receivers, interferometric techniques (DGPS), and advances in post-processing methods have made possible to position fixed or moving receivers with sub-decimeter accuracies in a global reference frame. Improved methods for obtaining the orbits of the GPS satellites have played a major role in these achievements; this paper gives a personal view of the main developments in GPS orbit determination.

Some special sub-systems for stratospheric balloon flights in India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Damle, S. V.; Gokhale, G. S.; Kundapurkar, R. U.

During last few years several new sub-systems for balloon were developed and are being regularly used in the balloon flights. Some of these sub-systems are i) positive monitor for magnetic ballast release using an opto-electronic device ii) one-way pressure switch to terminate flight for runaway balloon iii) in-flight payload reel down system for atmospheric science experiment. The design, usage and performance of these and other sub-systems will be presented.

Hot air balloons fill gap in atmospheric and sensing platforms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watson, Steven M.; Price, Russ

Eric Edgerton was having a problem he could not solve: how to noninvasively collect in situ incinerator plume data. So he called in the Air Force and learned about its Atmospheric and Sensor Test Platform program; its platform is a manned hot air balloon. Many investigators are discovering the advantages of hot air balloons as stable, inexpensive platforms for performing in situ atmospheric measurements. Some are also using remote sensing capabilities on the balloon platforms.

Launching a Tethered Balloon in the Artic

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

2017-08-14

Sandia atmospheric scientist Dari Dexheimer regularly flies tethered balloons out of Sandia’s dedicated Arctic airspace on Oliktok Point, the northernmost point of Alaska’s Prudhoe Bay. These 13-foot-tall balloons carry distributed temperature sensors to collect Arctic atmospheric temperature profiles, or the temperature of the air at different heights above the ground, among other atmospheric sensors. The data Sandia collects is critical for understanding Arctic clouds to inform global climate models.

The GPS odograph user's guide

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

The GPS-based Odograph Prototype (GOP or GPS Odograph) was developed in an effort sponsored by The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The purpose of this effort was to develop a means of using inexpensive commercial off-the-self laptop (or notebo...

European Venus Explorer: An in-situ mission to Venus using a balloon platform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chassefière, E.; Korablev, O.; Imamura, T.; Baines, K. H.; Wilson, C. F.; Titov, D. V.; Aplin, K. L.; Balint, T.; Blamont, J. E.; Cochrane, C. G.; Ferencz, Cs.; Ferri, F.; Gerasimov, M.; Leitner, J. J.; Lopez-Moreno, J.; Marty, B.; Martynov, M.; Pogrebenko, S. V.; Rodin, A.; Whiteway, J. A.; Zasova, L. V.; the EVE Team

2009-07-01

Planetary balloons have a long history already. A small super-pressure balloon was flown in the atmosphere of Venus in the eighties by the Russian-French VEGA mission. For this mission, CNES developed and fully tested a 9 m diameter super-pressure balloon, but finally replaced it by a smaller one due to mass constraints (when it was decided to send Vega to Halley's Comet). Furthermore, several kinds of balloons have been proposed for planetary exploration [Blamont, J., in: Maran, S.P. (Ed.), The Astronomy and Astrophysics Encyclopedia. Cambridge University Press, p. 494, 1991]. A Mars balloon has been studied for the Mars-94 Russian-French mission, which was finally cancelled. Mars and Venus balloons have also been studied and ground tested at JPL, and a low atmosphere Venus balloon is presently under development at JAXA (the Japanese Space Agency). Balloons have been identified as a key element in an ongoing Flagship class mission study at NASA, with an assumed launch date between 2020 and 2025. Recently, it was proposed by a group of scientists, under European leadership, to use a balloon to characterize - by in-situ measurements - the evolution, composition and dynamics of the Venus atmosphere. This balloon is part of a mission called EVE (European Venus Explorer), which has been proposed in response to the ESA AO for the first slice of the Cosmic Vision program by a wide international consortium including Europe, Russia, Japan and USA. The EVE architecture consists of one balloon platform floating at an altitude of 50-60 km, one short lived probe provided by Russia, and an orbiter with a polar orbit to relay data from the balloon and probe, and to perform remote sensing science observations. The balloon type preferred for scientific goals is one, which would oscillate in altitude through the cloud deck. To achieve this flight profile, the balloon envelope would contain a phase change fluid. While this proposal was not selected for the first slice of Cosmic

Do GPs record the occupation of their patients?

PubMed

Richards-Taylor, A; Keay, J; Thorley, K

2013-03-01

General practitioners (GPs) have a central role in providing advice about fitness for work, yet there are concerns about their understanding of the relationship between work and health. To assess whether GPs in one Cornish practice record the occupation of patients of working age and to quantify how important GPs in Cornwall consider recording of occupation in working-age patients. An audit of the notes of 300 working-age patients in one practice, a search of the computer records at a different practice and a questionnaire survey of 202 GPs in practices in Cornwall. Occupation was recorded in 50 (17%) of the 300 patient notes audited. The questionnaire response rate was 31%. Few (8%) respondents reported training in occupational medicine. Most (65%) of GPs recorded their patients' occupation some of the time. A third (32%) of GPs did not consider it important to record patients' occupations. GPs in two Cornish practices recorded the occupation of working-age patients infrequently, but over two-thirds of GPs in Cornwall believe it is important to do so. If these results reflect the practice of UK GPs, the new 'e-fit note' may be of limited value in monitoring and analysing sickness absence.

Detection of Artificially Generated Seismic Signals Using Balloon-Borne Infrasound Sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krishnamoorthy, Siddharth; Komjathy, Attila; Pauken, Michael T.; Cutts, James A.; Garcia, Raphael F.; Mimoun, David; Cadu, Alexandre; Sournac, Anthony; Jackson, Jennifer M.; Lai, Voon Hui; Bowman, Daniel C.

2018-04-01

We conducted an experiment in Pahrump, Nevada, in June 2017, where artificial seismic signals were created using a seismic hammer, and the possibility of detecting them from their acoustic signature was examined. In this work, we analyze the pressure signals recorded by highly sensitive barometers deployed on the ground and on tethers suspended from balloons. Our signal processing results show that wind noise experienced by a barometer on a free-flying balloon is lower compared to one on a moored balloon. This has never been experimentally demonstrated in the lower troposphere. While seismoacoustic signals were not recorded on the hot air balloon platform owing to operational challenges, we demonstrate the detection of seismoacoustic signals on our moored balloon platform. Our results have important implications for performing seismology in harsh surface environments such as Venus through atmospheric remote sensing.

Evolution of NASA Scientific Ballooning and Particle Astrophysics Research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, William Vernon

2017-01-01

Particle astrophysics research has a history in ballooning that spans over 100 years, ever since Victor Hess discovered cosmic rays on a manned balloon in 1912. The NASA Particle Astrophysics Program currently covers the origin, acceleration and transport of Galactic cosmic rays, plus the Nature of Dark Matter and Ultrahigh Energy Neutrinos. Progress in each of these topics has come from sophisticated instrumentation flown on Long Duration Balloon (LDB) flights around Antarctica for more than two decades. Super Pressure Balloons (SPB) and International Space Station (ISS) platforms are emerging opportunities that promise major steps forward for these and other objectives. NASA has continued development and qualification flights leading to SPB flights capable of supporting 1000 kg science instruments to 33 km for upwards of hundred day missions, with plans for increasing the altitude to 38 km. This goal is even more important now, in view of the Astro2010 Decadal Study recommendation that NASA should support Ultra-Long Duration Balloon (ULDB) flight development for studies of particle astrophysics, cosmology and indirect detection of dark matter. The mid-latitude test flight of an 18.8 MCF SPB launched from Wanaka, NZ in 2015 achieved 32 days of nearly constant altitude exposure, and an identical SPB launched from Wanaka in 2016 with a science payload flew for 46 days. Scientific ballooning as a vital infrastructure component for cosmic ray and general astrophysics investigations, including training for young scientists, graduate and undergraduate students, leading up to the 2020 Decadal Study and beyond, will be presented and discussed.

Networked differential GPS system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sheynblat, Leonid (Inventor); Kalafus, Rudolph M. (Inventor); Loomis, Peter V. W. (Inventor); Mueller, K. Tysen (Inventor)

1994-01-01

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a worldwide network of differential GPS reference stations (NDGPS) that continually track the entire GPS satellite constellation and provide interpolations of reference station corrections tailored for particular user locations between the reference stations Each reference station takes real-time ionospheric measurements with codeless cross-correlating dual-frequency carrier GPS receivers and computes real-time orbit ephemerides independently. An absolute pseudorange correction (PRC) is defined for each satellite as a function of a particular user's location. A map of the function is constructed, with iso-PRC contours. The network measures the PRCs at a few points, so-called reference stations and constructs an iso-PRC map for each satellite. Corrections are interpolated for each user's site on a subscription basis. The data bandwidths are kept to a minimum by transmitting information that cannot be obtained directly by the user and by updating information by classes and according to how quickly each class of data goes stale given the realities of the GPS system. Sub-decimeter-level kinematic accuracy over a given area is accomplished by establishing a mini-fiducial network.

GPS-Squitter capacity analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orlando, Vincent A.; Harman, William H.

1994-05-01

GPS-Squitter is a system concept that merges the capabilities of Automatic Dependent Surveillance (ADS) and the Mode S beacon radar. The result is an integrated concept for seamless surveillance and data link that permits equipped aircraft to participate in ADS and/or beacon ground environments. This concept offers many possibilities for transition from a beacon to an ADS-based environment. This report provides the details of the techniques used to estimate GPS-Squitter surveillance and data link capacity. Surveillance capacity of airborne aircraft is calculated for the omni and six-sector ground stations. Next, the capacity of GPS-Squitter for surface traffic is estimated. The interaction between airborne and surface operations is addressed to show the independence of these systems. Air ground data link capacity for GPS-Squitter is estimated, together with an estimate of the use of the Mode S link to support other ground surveillance and data link activities as well as TCAS operation. The analysis indicates the low transponder occupancy resulting from the total effect of these activities. Low occupancy is a key requirement in avoiding interference with the operation of the current ATCRBS and future Mode S interrogators.

Transarterial Balloon-assisted Onyx Embolization of Intracranial Arteriovenous Malformations Using a Dual-lumen Balloon Microcatheter: Two Case Reports.

PubMed

Kim, Sang Heum; Kim, Tae Gon; Kong, Min Ho

2017-09-01

The Onyx system has been well established in recent years as a very important material in the treatment of arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). When using the Onyx, it is essential to wait for the creation of a plug around the tip of the catheter, which enables the effective forward penetration of Onyx. Recent reports have shown that the introduction of a dimethyl sulfoxide compatible dual-lumen balloon microcatheter improves the efficiency of AVM embolization. We report our recent experience of two cases of intracranial AVM embolization using Onyx and the transarterial balloon-assisted technique. In both cases, the procedures were successfully performed and the nidus of the AVM was totally occluded in a relatively short time. This technique may enable immediate forward flow and penetration of Onyx without concern about reflux. It may also reduce the procedure time and increase the angiographic occlusion rate. Navigation of the dual-lumen balloon microcatheter nevertheless remains a challenge.

Transarterial Balloon-assisted Onyx Embolization of Intracranial Arteriovenous Malformations Using a Dual-lumen Balloon Microcatheter: Two Case Reports

PubMed Central

Kim, Sang Heum; Kong, Min Ho

2017-01-01

The Onyx system has been well established in recent years as a very important material in the treatment of arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). When using the Onyx, it is essential to wait for the creation of a plug around the tip of the catheter, which enables the effective forward penetration of Onyx. Recent reports have shown that the introduction of a dimethyl sulfoxide compatible dual-lumen balloon microcatheter improves the efficiency of AVM embolization. We report our recent experience of two cases of intracranial AVM embolization using Onyx and the transarterial balloon-assisted technique. In both cases, the procedures were successfully performed and the nidus of the AVM was totally occluded in a relatively short time. This technique may enable immediate forward flow and penetration of Onyx without concern about reflux. It may also reduce the procedure time and increase the angiographic occlusion rate. Navigation of the dual-lumen balloon microcatheter nevertheless remains a challenge. PMID:29159158

NASA’s BARREL Mission Launches 20 Balloons

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

The BARREL cargo on its four-hour journey from the supply ship to the research station. Credit: NASA --- In Antarctica in January, 2013 – the summer at the South Pole – scientists launched 20 balloons up into the air to study an enduring mystery of space weather: when the giant radiation belts surrounding Earth lose material, where do the extra particles actually go? The mission is called BARREL (Balloon Array for Radiation belt Relativistic Electron Losses) and it is led by physicist Robyn Millan of Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH. Millan provided photographs from the team’s time in Antarctica. The team launched a balloon every day or two into the circumpolar winds that circulate around the pole. Each balloon floated for anywhere from 3 to 40 days, measuring X-rays produced by fast-moving electrons high up in the atmosphere. BARREL works hand in hand with another NASA mission called the Van Allen Probes, which travels through the Van Allen radiation belts surrounding Earth. The belts wax and wane over time in response to incoming energy and material from the sun, sometimes intensifying the radiation through which satellites must travel. Scientists wish to understand this process better, and even provide forecasts of this space weather, in order to protect our spacecraft. As the Van Allen Probes were observing what was happening in the belts, BARREL tracked electrons that precipitated out of the belts and hurtled down Earth’s magnetic field lines toward the poles. By comparing data, scientists will be able to track how what’s happening in the belts correlates to the loss of particles – information that can help us understand this mysterious, dynamic region that can impact spacecraft. Having launched balloons in early 2013, the team is back at home building the next set of payloads. They will launch 20 more balloons in 2014. NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science

NASA’s BARREL Mission Launches 20 Balloons

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

The BARREL team at the SANAE IV research station celebrates their final launch in the Antarctica sun. Credit: NASA --- In Antarctica in January, 2013 – the summer at the South Pole – scientists launched 20 balloons up into the air to study an enduring mystery of space weather: when the giant radiation belts surrounding Earth lose material, where do the extra particles actually go? The mission is called BARREL (Balloon Array for Radiation belt Relativistic Electron Losses) and it is led by physicist Robyn Millan of Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH. Millan provided photographs from the team’s time in Antarctica. The team launched a balloon every day or two into the circumpolar winds that circulate around the pole. Each balloon floated for anywhere from 3 to 40 days, measuring X-rays produced by fast-moving electrons high up in the atmosphere. BARREL works hand in hand with another NASA mission called the Van Allen Probes, which travels through the Van Allen radiation belts surrounding Earth. The belts wax and wane over time in response to incoming energy and material from the sun, sometimes intensifying the radiation through which satellites must travel. Scientists wish to understand this process better, and even provide forecasts of this space weather, in order to protect our spacecraft. As the Van Allen Probes were observing what was happening in the belts, BARREL tracked electrons that precipitated out of the belts and hurtled down Earth’s magnetic field lines toward the poles. By comparing data, scientists will be able to track how what’s happening in the belts correlates to the loss of particles – information that can help us understand this mysterious, dynamic region that can impact spacecraft. Having launched balloons in early 2013, the team is back at home building the next set of payloads. They will launch 20 more balloons in 2014. NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors

NASA’s BARREL Mission Launches 20 Balloons

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

An emperor penguin waddles away on Christmas morning in Antarctica. On Christmas day, the BARREL team visited a penguin colony. Credit: NASA --- In Antarctica in January, 2013 – the summer at the South Pole – scientists launched 20 balloons up into the air to study an enduring mystery of space weather: when the giant radiation belts surrounding Earth lose material, where do the extra particles actually go? The mission is called BARREL (Balloon Array for Radiation belt Relativistic Electron Losses) and it is led by physicist Robyn Millan of Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH. Millan provided photographs from the team’s time in Antarctica. The team launched a balloon every day or two into the circumpolar winds that circulate around the pole. Each balloon floated for anywhere from 3 to 40 days, measuring X-rays produced by fast-moving electrons high up in the atmosphere. BARREL works hand in hand with another NASA mission called the Van Allen Probes, which travels through the Van Allen radiation belts surrounding Earth. The belts wax and wane over time in response to incoming energy and material from the sun, sometimes intensifying the radiation through which satellites must travel. Scientists wish to understand this process better, and even provide forecasts of this space weather, in order to protect our spacecraft. As the Van Allen Probes were observing what was happening in the belts, BARREL tracked electrons that precipitated out of the belts and hurtled down Earth’s magnetic field lines toward the poles. By comparing data, scientists will be able to track how what’s happening in the belts correlates to the loss of particles – information that can help us understand this mysterious, dynamic region that can impact spacecraft. Having launched balloons in early 2013, the team is back at home building the next set of payloads. They will launch 20 more balloons in 2014. NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through

The International GPS Service (IGS) as a Continuous Reference System for Precise GPS Positioning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neilan, Ruth; Heflin, Michael; Watkins, Michael; Zumberge, James

1996-01-01

The International GPS Service for Geodynamics (IGS) is an organization which operates under the auspices of the International Association of Geodesy (IAG) and has been operational since January 1994. The primary objective of the IGS is to provide precise GPS data and data products to support geodetic and geophysical research activities.

Spaceborne GPS remote sensing for atmospheric research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Dasheng; Herman, Benjamin M.; Exner, M. L.; Schreiner, B.; Anthes, Richard A.; Ware, Randolph H.

1995-11-01

The global positioning system (GPS) is based on a constellation of 24 transmitter satellites orbiting the earth at approximately 21,000 km altitude. The original goal of the GPS was to provide global and all-weather precision positioning and navigation for the military. Since this original concept was developed, several civilian applications have been conceived that are making use of these satellites. GPS/MET is one such application. GPS/MET is sponsored by NSF, FAA, NOAA, and NASA. The goal of GPS/MET is to demonstrate the feasibility of recovering atmospheric temperature profiles from occulting radio signals from one of the 24 GPS transmitters. On April 3, 1995, a small radio receiver was launched into a 750 km low- earth orbit and 70 degree inclination. As this receiver orbits, occultations occur when the radio link between any one of the 24 GPS transmitters and the low-earth orbiting (LEO) receiver progressively descends or ascends through the earth's atmosphere. With the current constellation of GPS transmitters, approximately 500 such occultations occur in each 24-hour period per LEO receiver. Several hundred occultations have been analyzed to date, where some type of confirmational data has been available (i.e., radiosonde, satellite, numerical analysis gridded data). In this paper, we present a brief outline of the method followed by a few typical temperature soundings that have been obtained.

Trace gas measurements from tethered balloon platforms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bandy, Alan R.; Bandy, Terese L.; Youngbluth, Otto; Owens, Thomas L.

1987-01-01

Instrumentation and chemical sampling and analysis procedures are described for making measurements of atmospheric carbon disulfide in the concentration range 1-1000 pptv from tethered balloon platforms. Results of a study on the CS2 composition of air downward of a saltwater marsh are reported. A method for obtaining the necessary data for solving the budget equations for surface fluxes, chemical formation rates and chemical destruction rates using data acquired from tethered balloon platforms is presented.

GPS: Public Utility or Software Platform

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-09-01

major occurrences that could interrupt GPS’s operation for an extended period of time . Despite these safeguards, the U.S. government has...in the event of a GPS interruption .178 2. GPS Infrastructure is designed to Prevent and Minimize Disruption Like a public utility, GPS is designed ...production and distribution while at the same time minimizing the likelihood of signal interruptions . Each of GPS’s operational satellites are

Miniaturized GPS/MEMS IMU integrated board

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lin, Ching-Fang (Inventor)

2012-01-01

This invention documents the efforts on the research and development of a miniaturized GPS/MEMS IMU integrated navigation system. A miniaturized GPS/MEMS IMU integrated navigation system is presented; Laser Dynamic Range Imager (LDRI) based alignment algorithm for space applications is discussed. Two navigation cameras are also included to measure the range and range rate which can be integrated into the GPS/MEMS IMU system to enhance the navigation solution.

Recent results in the NASA research balloon program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, W. Vernon

1989-01-01

The NASA Balloon Program has progressed from a total hiatus in the fall of 1985 to an unprecedented flight success rate in the fall of 1988. Using heavy-lift balloons being regularly supplied by two manufacturers, the program has provided a timely response for investigations of Supernova 1987A from Australia, low energy cosmic ray investigations from Canada during periods of near-solar-minimum, and routine domestic turnaround flights for a variety of investigations. Recent re-evaluation of balloon flight-safety have resulted in severe constraints on flights launched from the Palestine, Texas facility. The future program must rely heavily on the use of remote launch sites to meet the growing requirements for more frequent and longer duration flights being planned for the next 3 - 5 years.

Permanent GPS Geodetic Array in Southern California (PGGA) and GPS observations in Indonesia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bock, Yehuds

1994-01-01

The Permanent GPS Geodetic Array (PGGA) is a network of permanent monitoring GPS stations in southern California devoted to the continuous measurement of crustal deformation in near real-time. The PGGA plays a unique role in studies of the kinematics of crustal deformation and the earthquake cycle in southern California because it is also providing temporally dense geodetic measurements of crustal motion over periods of minutes to variations in regional crustal strain. As it expands and matures the PGGA will play an increasingly important role in the study of active tectonics of southern California by bridging the frequency range between seismology, observatory geodesy, paleoseismology, and geology. In Indonesia GPS data is used for measurement of a large scale crustal deformation, extending from north China to the Indonesian archipelago. Indonesia offers a tremendous laboratory to study some of the processes that build continents, and mountains are active there. We began GPS observations in August 1989 on mainland Sumatra and the Mentawai Islands to study the phenomena of oblique plate convergence. We have analyzed the Indonesian data in conjunction with data collected on Christmas and Cocos Islands and at Darwin, Australia, and with the triangulation data in Sumatra.

The development of a pseudo-chamber after balloon pulmonary angioplasty: long-term complications of balloon pulmonary angioplasty.

PubMed

Sugiyama, Hisashi; Kise, Hiroaki; Toda, Takako; Hoshiai, Minako

2016-11-01

We experienced a rare complication where extravasation developed a pseudo-chamber long after the balloon pulmonary angioplasty for supravalvular pulmonary stenosis. A 3-month-old girl was diagnosed with an anomalous origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery. She underwent the Takeuchi procedure at 10 months of age. During the follow-up, the supravalvular pulmonary stenosis deteriorated, and was treated by balloon pulmonary angioplasty with the double balloon technique catheter at 6 years of age. Angiography at the main pulmonary artery showed a small amount of extravasation contrast medium after the procedure. Follow-up echocardiography showed a diminished extravasation hemorrhage. Twelve years later, right ventricular enlargement due to pulmonary regurgitation had been observed on echocardiography. In addition, abnormal echo free space was detected at the left posterior of the left atrium. Enhanced computed tomography clearly demonstrated there was an orifice and extent of the pseudo-chamber. Surgical findings revealed a large tear just distal to the coronary tunnel. We speculated that extravasation blood was limited in the perivascular area early after the procedure but eventually reached the non-adhesive oblique pericardial sinus with age. Consequently, pulmonary to oblique pericardial sinus communication was established and looked like a pseudo-chamber long after the procedure. In conclusion, even if extravasation seems to be limited immediately after the balloon pulmonary angioplasty, it could expand for non-adhesive space and could develop a huge blood space like chamber. Long-term careful observation should be necessary for extravasation of pulmonary artery even with surgical adhesion.

The effect of pressure anisotropy on ballooning modes in tokamak plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnston, A.; Hole, M. J.; Qu, Z. S.; Hezaveh, H.

2018-06-01

Edge Localised Modes are thought to be caused by a spectrum of magnetohydrodynamic instabilities, including the ballooning mode. While ballooning modes have been studied extensively both theoretically and experimentally, the focus of the vast majority of this research has been on isotropic plasmas. The prevalence of pressure anisotropy in modern tokamaks thus motivates further study of these modes. This paper presents a numerical analysis of ballooning modes in anisotropic equilibria. The investigation was conducted using the newly-developed codes HELENA+ATF and MISHKA-A, which adds anisotropic physics to equilibria and stability analysis. We have examined the impact of anisotropy on the stability of an n = 30 ballooning mode, confirming results conform to previous calculations in the isotropic limit. Growth rates of ballooning modes in equilibria with different levels of anisotropy were then calculated using the stability code MISHKA-A. The key finding was that the level of anisotropy had a significant impact on ballooning mode growth rates. For {T}\\perp > {T}| | , typical of ICRH heating, the growth rate increases, while for {T}\\perp < {T}| | , typical of neutral beam heating, the growth rate decreases.

Trial of a Paclitaxel-Coated Balloon for Femoropopliteal Artery Disease.

PubMed

Rosenfield, Kenneth; Jaff, Michael R; White, Christopher J; Rocha-Singh, Krishna; Mena-Hurtado, Carlos; Metzger, D Christopher; Brodmann, Marianne; Pilger, Ernst; Zeller, Thomas; Krishnan, Prakash; Gammon, Roger; Müller-Hülsbeck, Stefan; Nehler, Mark R; Benenati, James F; Scheinert, Dierk

2015-07-09

The treatment of peripheral artery disease with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty is limited by the occurrence of vessel recoil and restenosis. Drug-coated angioplasty balloons deliver antiproliferative agents directly to the artery, potentially improving vessel patency by reducing restenosis. In this single-blind, randomized trial conducted at 54 sites, we assigned, in a 2:1 ratio, 476 patients with symptomatic intermittent claudication or ischemic pain while at rest and angiographically significant atherosclerotic lesions to angioplasty with a paclitaxel-coated balloon or to standard angioplasty. The primary efficacy end point was primary patency of the target lesion at 12 months (defined as freedom from binary restenosis or from the need for target-lesion revascularization). The primary safety end point was a composite of freedom from perioperative death from any cause and freedom at 12 months from limb-related death (i.e., death from a medical complication related to a limb), amputation, and reintervention. The two groups were well matched at baseline; 42.9% of the patients had diabetes, and 34.7% were current smokers. At 12 months, the rate of primary patency among patients who had undergone angioplasty with the drug-coated balloon was superior to that among patients who had undergone conventional angioplasty (65.2% vs. 52.6%, P=0.02). The proportion of patients free from primary safety events was 83.9% with the drug-coated balloon and 79.0% with standard angioplasty (P=0.005 for noninferiority). There were no significant between-group differences in functional outcomes or in the rates of death, amputation, thrombosis, or reintervention. Among patients with symptomatic femoropopliteal peripheral artery disease, percutaneous transluminal angioplasty with a paclitaxel-coated balloon resulted in a rate of primary patency at 12 months that was higher than the rate with angioplasty with a standard balloon. The drug-coated balloon was noninferior to the standard

A balloon-borne prototype for demonstrating the concept of JEM-EUSO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

von Ballmoos, P.; Santangelo, A.; Adams, J. H.; Barrillon, P.; Bayer, J.; Bertaina, M.; Cafagna, F.; Casolino, M.; Dagoret, S.; Danto, P.; Distratis, G.; Dupieux, M.; Ebersoldt, A.; Ebisuzaki, T.; Evrard, J.; Gorodetzky, Ph.; Haungs, A.; Jung, A.; Kawasaki, Y.; Medina-Tanco, G.; Mot, B.; Osteria, G.; Parizot, E.; Park, I. H.; Picozza, P.; Prévôt, G.; Prieto, H.; Ricci, M.; Rodríguez Frías, M. D.; Roudil, G.; Scotti, V.; Szabelski, J.; Takizawa, Y.; Tusno, K.

2014-05-01

EUSO-BALLOON has been conceived as a pathfinder for JEM-EUSO, a mission concept for a space-borne wide-field telescope monitoring the Earth's nighttime atmosphere with the objective of recording the ultraviolet light from tracks initiated by ultra-high energy cosmic rays. Through a series of stratospheric balloon flights performed by the French Space Agency CNES, EUSO-BALLOON will serve as a test-bench for the key technologies of JEM-EUSO. EUSO-BALLOON shall perform an end-to-end test of all subsystems and components, and prove the global detection chain while improving our knowledge of the atmospheric and terrestrial ultraviolet background. The balloon-instrument also has the potential to detect for the first time UV-light generated by atmospheric air-shower from above, marking a milestone in the development of UHECR science, and paving the way for any future large scale, space-based ultra-high energy cosmic ray observatory.

Detection of Artificially Generated Seismic Signals Using Balloon-Borne Infrasound Sensors

DOE PAGES

Krishnamoorthy, Siddharth; Komjathy, Attila; Pauken, Michael T.; ...

2018-04-24

Here, we conducted an experiment in Pahrump, Nevada, in June 2017, where artificial seismic signals were created using a seismic hammer, and the possibility of detecting them from their acoustic signature was examined. In this work, we analyze the pressure signals recorded by highly sensitive barometers deployed on the ground and on tethers suspended from balloons. Our signal processing results show that wind noise experienced by a barometer on a free-flying balloon is lower compared to one on a moored balloon. This has never been experimentally demonstrated in the lower troposphere. While seismoacoustic signals were not recorded on the hotmore » air balloon platform owing to operational challenges, we demonstrate the detection of seismoacoustic signals on our moored balloon platform. Our results have important implications for performing seismology in harsh surface environments such as Venus through atmospheric remote sensing.« less

Detection of Artificially Generated Seismic Signals Using Balloon-Borne Infrasound Sensors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Krishnamoorthy, Siddharth; Komjathy, Attila; Pauken, Michael T.

Here, we conducted an experiment in Pahrump, Nevada, in June 2017, where artificial seismic signals were created using a seismic hammer, and the possibility of detecting them from their acoustic signature was examined. In this work, we analyze the pressure signals recorded by highly sensitive barometers deployed on the ground and on tethers suspended from balloons. Our signal processing results show that wind noise experienced by a barometer on a free-flying balloon is lower compared to one on a moored balloon. This has never been experimentally demonstrated in the lower troposphere. While seismoacoustic signals were not recorded on the hotmore » air balloon platform owing to operational challenges, we demonstrate the detection of seismoacoustic signals on our moored balloon platform. Our results have important implications for performing seismology in harsh surface environments such as Venus through atmospheric remote sensing.« less

Modified jailed balloon technique for bifurcation lesions.

PubMed

Saito, Shigeru; Shishido, Koki; Moriyama, Noriaki; Ochiai, Tomoki; Mizuno, Shingo; Yamanaka, Futoshi; Sugitatsu, Kazuya; Tobita, Kazuki; Matsumi, Junya; Tanaka, Yutaka; Murakami, Masato

2017-12-04

We propose a new systematic approach in bifurcation lesions, modified jailed balloon technique (M-JBT), and report the first clinical experience. Side branch occlusion brings with a serious complication and occurs in more than 7.0% of cases during bifurcation stenting. A jailed balloon (JB) is introduced into the side branch (SB), while a stent is placed in the main branch (MB) as crossing SB. The size of the JB is half of the MB stent size. While the proximal end of JB attaching to MB stent, both stent and JB are simultaneously inflated with same pressure. JB is removed and then guidewires are recrossed. Kissing balloon dilatation (KBD) and/or T and protrusion (TAP) stenting are applied as needed. Between February 2015 and February 2016, 233 patients (254 bifurcation lesions including 54 left main trunk disease) underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) using this technique. Procedure success was achieved in all cases. KBD was performed for 183 lesions and TAP stenting was employed for 31 lesions. Occlusion of SV was not observed in any of the patients. Bench test confirmed less deformity of MB stent in M-JBT compared with conventional-JBT. This is the first report for clinical experiences by using modified jailed balloon technique. This novel M-JBT is safe and effective in the preservation of SB patency during bifurcation stenting. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

GPS=A Good Candidate for Data Assimilation?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Poli, P.; Joiner, J.; Kursinski, R.; Einaudi, Franco (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

The Global Positioning System (GPS) enables positioning anywhere about our planet. The microwave signals sent by the 24 transmitters are sensitive to the atmosphere. Using the radio occultation technique, it is possible to perform soundings, with a Low Earth Orbiter (700 km) GPS receiver. The insensitiveness to clouds and aerosols, the relatively high vertical resolution (1.5 km), the self-calibration and stability of the GPS make it a priori a potentially good observing system candidate for data assimilation. A low-computing cost simple method to retrieve both temperature and humidity will be presented. Comparisons with radiosonde show the capability of the GPS to resolve the tropopause. Options for using GPS for data assimilation and remaining issues will be discussed.

Better Aircraft Positioning for Airborne Gravimetry: Results from GRAV-D's "Kinematic GPS Challenge" Issued to the GPS Community

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diehl, T. M.; Mader, G. L.; Preaux, S. A.; Weil, C.

2011-12-01

The National Geodetic Survey's (NGS's) Gravity for the Redefinition of the American Vertical Datum (GRAV-D) program plans to collect airborne gravity data across the entire U.S. and its holdings over the next decade. The goal is to build a geoid accurate to 1-2 cm, for which the airborne gravity data is key. The first phase is underway, with > 13% of data collection already completed across the U.S. To achieve the best airborne gravity data accuracy possible, the GPS position solutions must provide not just accurate positions, but also accurate velocities and accelerations to be used in calculating the gravity corrections. However, to our knowledge, no comparison has been done of available kinematic GPS processing techniques as they pertain to producing accurate airborne gravity results. So, in Fall 2010, NGS issued the "Kinematic GPS Challenge" to the GPS processing community, soliciting position solutions for GPS data of two GRAV-D airborne gravity flights done in Louisiana in 2008. Of the four lines on these two flights, one of the lines on the first flight was noisy (due to excessive turbulence) and was reflown on the second flight. These two flights of data allow the Challenge results to be tested on both good-quality and noisy data, as well as to be compared for repeatability along the reflown line, the assumption being that the solution producing the best fit between the reflown gravity data is the best. Fifteen position results from nine contributors were submitted from the GPS community for each of the two flights. We will present the results of the Kinematic GPS Challenge in an anonymous manner, to provide information to the airborne gravity community while protecting the identities of the GPS contributors while they incorporate the results into their research projects. Initial analyses show that the submitted position solutions are somewhat different, usually by +/- 0.25 m or less in X, Y, and Z. The shape and structure of these differences indicate

Wakeshield WSF-02 GPS Experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schutz, B. E.; Abusali, P. A. M.; Schroeder, Christine; Tapley, Byron; Exner, Michael; Mccloskey, rick; Carpenter, Russell; Cooke, Michael; Mcdonald, samantha; Combs, Nick;

Second-generation endometrial ablation technologies: the hot liquid balloons.

PubMed

Vilos, George A; Edris, Fawaz

2007-12-01

Hysteroscopic endometrial ablation (HEA) was introduced in the 1980s to treat menorrhagia. Its use required additional training, surgical expertise and specialized equipment to minimize emergent complications such as uterine perforations, thermal injuries and excessive fluid absorption. To overcome these difficulties and concerns, thermal balloon endometrial ablation (TBEA) was introduced in the 1990s. Four hot liquid balloons have been introduced into clinical practice. All systems consist of a catheter (4-10mm diameter), a silicone balloon and a control unit. Liquids used to inflate the balloons include internally heated dextrose in water (ThermaChoice, 87 degrees C), and externally heated glycine (Cavaterm, 78 degrees C), saline (Menotreat, 85 degrees ) and glycerine (Thermablate, 173 degrees C). All balloons require pressurization from 160 to 240 mmHg for treatment cycles of 2 to 10 minutes. Prior to TBEA, preoperative endometrial thinning, including suction curettage, is optional. Several RCTs and cohort studies indicate that the advantages of TBEA include portability, ease of use and short learning curve. In addition, small diameter catheters requiring minimal cervical dilatation (5-7 mm) and short duration of treatment cycles (2-8 min) allow treatment under minimal analgesia/anesthesia requirements in a clinic setting. Following TBEA serious adverse events, including thermal injuries to viscera have been experienced. To minimize such injuries some surgeons advocate the use of routine post-dilatation hysteroscopy and/or ultrasonography to confirm correct intrauterine placement of the balloon prior to initiating the treatment cycle. After 10 years of clinical practice, TBEA is thought to be the preferred first-line surgical treatment of menorrhagia in appropriately selected candidates. Economic modeling also suggested that TBEA may be more cost-effective than HEA.

Scientific ballooning. Proceedings. PSB Meeting of the COSPAR Panel on Technical Problems Related to Scientific Ballooning which was held during the Thirtieth COSPAR Scientific Assembly, Hamburg (Germany), 11 - 21 Jul 1994.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riedler, W.; Torkar, K.

1996-05-01

This issue is grouped into sections on materials, design, performance and analysis of balloons, reviews of major national and international balloon programmes, novel instrumentation and systems for scientific ballooning, and selected recent scientific observations.

Generalised ballooning theory of two-dimensional tokamak modes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdoul, P. A.; Dickinson, D.; Roach, C. M.; Wilson, H. R.

2018-02-01

In this work, using solutions from a local gyrokinetic flux-tube code combined with higher order ballooning theory, a new analytical approach is developed to reconstruct the global linear mode structure with associated global mode frequency. In addition to the isolated mode (IM), which usually peaks on the outboard mid-plane, the higher order ballooning theory has also captured other types of less unstable global modes: (a) the weakly asymmetric ballooning theory (WABT) predicts a mixed mode (MM) that undergoes a small poloidal shift away from the outboard mid-plane, (b) a relatively more stable general mode (GM) balloons on the top (or bottom) of the tokamak plasma. In this paper, an analytic approach is developed to combine these disconnected analytical limits into a single generalised ballooning theory. This is used to investigate how an IM behaves under the effect of sheared toroidal flow. For small values of flow an IM initially converts into a MM where the results of WABT are recaptured, and eventually, as the flow increases, the mode asymptotically becomes a GM on the top (or bottom) of the plasma. This may be an ingredient in models for understanding why in some experimental scenarios, instead of large edge localised modes (ELMs), small ELMs are observed. Finally, our theory can have other important consequences, especially for calculations involving Reynolds stress driven intrinsic rotation through the radial asymmetry in the global mode structures. Understanding the intrinsic rotation is significant because external torque in a plasma the size of ITER is expected to be relatively low.

High Altitude Infrasound Measurements using Balloon-Borne Arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bowman, D. C.; Johnson, C. S.; Gupta, R. A.; Anderson, J.; Lees, J. M.; Drob, D. P.; Phillips, D.

2015-12-01

For the last fifty years, almost all infrasound sensors have been located on the Earth's surface. A few experiments consisting of microphones on poles and tethered aerostats comprise the remainder. Such surface and near-surface arrays likely do not capture the full diversity of acoustic signals in the atmosphere. Here, we describe results from a balloon mounted infrasound array that reached altitudes of up to 38 km (the middle stratosphere). The balloon drifted at the ambient wind speed, resulting in a near total reduction in wind noise. Signals consistent with tropospheric turbulence were detected. A spectral peak in the ocean microbarom range (0.12 - 0.35 Hz) was present on balloon-mounted sensors but not on static infrasound stations near the flight path. A strong 18 Hz signal, possibly related to building ventilation systems, was observed in the stratosphere. A wide variety of other narrow band acoustic signals of uncertain provenance were present throughout the flight, but were absent in simultaneous recordings from nearby ground stations. Similar phenomena were present in spectrograms from the last balloon infrasound campaign in the 1960s. Our results suggest that the infrasonic wave field in the stratosphere is very different from that which is readily detectable on surface stations. This has implications for modeling acoustic energy transfer between the lower and upper atmosphere as well as the detection of novel acoustic signals that never reach the ground. Our work provides valuable constraints on a proposed mission to detect earthquakes on Venus using balloon-borne infrasound sensors.

The Liege-balloon program. [balloon-borne instruments for high-spectral resolution observations of the sun

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zander, R.

1974-01-01

The Liege-balloon program is intended to make high-spectral resolution observations of the sun in the near- and intermediate infrared regions not accessible from the ground. A description of the equipment, followed by a summary of the data obtained till now is presented. Except for ozone whose maximum of concentration lies near 25 Km altitude, the residual mass distribution of the other mentioned molecules decreases with altitude. This is a self-explanatory argument for carrying out spectroscopic observations from platforms transcending the densest layers of the earth's atmosphere. The Liege balloon equipment is primarily intended for very high-resolution solar observations from about 27-30 Km altitude, in all spectral regions between 1.5 and 15.0 microns, not accessible from the ground.

Development of a 5,000 m(3) super-pressure balloon with a diamond-shaped net

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saito, Yoshitaka; Tanaka, Shigeki; Nakashino, Kyoichi; Matsushima, Kiyoho; Goto, Ken; Furuta, Ryosuke; Domoto, Kodai; Akita, Daisuke; Hashimoto, Hiroyuki

A light super-pressure balloon of which weight will be comparable to the weight of the zero-pressure balloon has been developed using a method to cover a balloon with a diamond-shaped net of high-tensile fibers. The goal is to fly a payload of 900 kg to the altitude of 37 km with a 300,000 m(3) balloon. A flight test of a 3,000 m(3) balloon in the tandem balloon configuration with a 15,000 m(3) zero-pressure balloon was performed in 2012. Although a small gas leak occurred in the super-pressure balloon at the differential pressure of 400 to 500 Pa, the differential pressure reached the highest value of 814 Pa and kept positive through the level flight lasting for 25 minutes due to its slow leakage. To avoid a possible stress concentration to films at the polar area, a new design setting the meridian length of the balloon gore film equal to the length of the net was adopted. A 3-m balloon with the design was developed and its capacity to resist pressure at room temperature and at -30 (°) C was checked through the ground inflation tests. In 2013, a balloon of the same model was launched in the tandem balloon configuration with 2 kg rubber balloons. It was confirmed that the balloon could withstand the maximum differential pressure of 6,280 Pa, could withstand the differential pressure of 5,600 Pa for 2 hours, and there was a small gas leak through a hole with an area of 0.4 mm(2) which was also found in the ground leakage test. These results indicated that the improvement was adequate and there was no problem for the super-pressure balloon to fly in the environment of the stratosphere except for the problem of the small gas leak. In 2014, a flight test of a 5,000 m(3) balloon will be performed. In this paper, after reviewing the method to cover a balloon with a diamond-shaped net, the current status of the development will be reported.

Robotic weather balloon launchers spread in Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosen, Julia

2018-04-01

Last week, things began stirring inside the truck-size box that sat among melting piles of snow at the airport in Fairbanks, Alaska. Before long, the roof of the box yawned open and a weather balloon took off into the sunny afternoon, instruments dangling. The entire launch was triggered with the touch of a button, 5 kilometers away at an office of the National Weather Service (NWS). The flight was smooth, just one of hundreds of twice-daily balloon launches around the world that radio back crucial data for weather forecasts. But most of those balloons are launched by people; the robotic launchers, which are rolling out across Alaska, are proving to be controversial. NWS says the autolaunchers will save money and free up staff to work on more pressing matters. But representatives of the employee union question their reliability, and say they will hasten the end of Alaska's remote weather offices, where forecasting duties and hours have already been slashed.

Applications of Clocks to Space Navigation & "Planetary GPS"

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lichten, Stephen M.

2004-01-01

The ability to fly atomic clocks on GPS satellites has profoundly defined the capabilities and limitations of GPS in near-Earth applications. It is likely that future infrastructure for Lunar and Mars applications will be constrained by financial factors. The development of a low cost, small, high performance space clock -- or ultrahigh performance space clocks -- could revolutionize and drive the entire approach to GPS-like systems at the Moon (or Mars), and possibly even change the future of GPS at Earth. Many system trade studies are required. The performance of future GPS-like tracking systems at the Moon or Mars will depend critically on clock performance, availability of inertial sensors, and constellation coverage. Example: present-day GPS carry 10(exp -13) clocks and require several updates per day. With 10(exp -15) clocks, a constellation at Mars could operate autonomously with updates just once per month. Use of GPS tracking at the Moon should be evaluated in a technical study.

Astrobiology Exploration Strategies for the Mars Polar Regions Using Balloon Platforms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mahaffy, P. R.; Atreya, S. A.; Fairbrother, D. A.; Farrell, W. M.; Gorevan, S.; Jones, J.; Mitrofanov, I.; Scott, J.

2003-01-01

Montgolfiere balloons can provide a unique near-surface platform for an extended traverse over the polar regions of Mars. During the polar summer, such solar powered balloons would remain in the constant sun of the polar summer and could remain airborne for many weeks or even months as the atmospheric circulation would drive the balloons around the polar region many times before the balloon would cross the terminator. Such a platform for scientific measurements could provide in situ sampling of the atmosphere for trace disequilibrium species that might be indicators of present geological or biological activity in this region. It could furthermore provide high resolution imaging, deep electromagnetic (EM) sounding for subsurface stratigraphy and liquid water, and high spatial resolution neutron measurements of subsurface ice. Technologies for robust balloon deployment on entry and controlled encounters with the surface and near subsurface for sample acquisition in otherwise inaccessible regions are presently being studied and developed with support from NASA.

Astrobiology Exploration Strategies for the Mars Polar Regions Using Balloon Platforms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mahaffy, P. R.; Atreya, S. A.; Fairbrother, D. A.; Farrell, W. M.; Gorevan, S.; Jones, J.; Mitrofanov, I.; Scott, J.

2003-01-01

Montgolfiere balloons can provide a unique near-surface platform for an extended traverse over the polar regions of Mars. During the polar summer, such solar powered balloons would remain in the constant sun of the polar summer and could remain airborne for many weeks or even months as the atmospheric circulation would drive the balloons around the polar region many times before the balloon would cross the terminator. Such a platform for scientific measurements could provide in situ sampling of the atmosphere for trace disequilibrium species that might be indicators of present geological or biological activity in this regon. It could furthermore provide high resolution imaging, deep electromagnetic (EM) sounding for subsurface stratigraphy and liquid water, and high spatial resolution neutron measurements of subsurface ice. Technologies for robust balloon deployment on entry and controlled encounters with the surface and near subsurface for sample acquisition in otherwise inaccessible regions are presently being studied and developed with support from NASA.

Analysis of Spaceborne GPS Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cosmo, Mario L.; Davis, James L.; Elosegui, Pedro; Hill, Michael; ScireScapuzzo, Francesca

1998-01-01

A reasonable amount of literature can be found on the general topic of GPS receiving antennas, but very little has been published on spaceborne GPS receiving antennas. This very new topic seems to be so far more of interest for the industrial world than for the academic community. For satellite applications, microstrip antennas are usually preferred over other types of antennas mainly because of their non-electrical characteristics, such as small size, relatively lightweight, shape, possibility of integration with microwave integrated circuits, and relatively low costs. Careful design of patch antennas could meet all the requirements (electrical and non-electrical) of GPS receiving antenna to be mounted on a tethered satellite.

JUBA (Joint UAS-Balloon Activities) Final Campaign Report.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dexheimer, Darielle; Apple, Monty; Callow, Diane Schafer

Using internal investment funds within Sandia National Laboratories’ (SNL) Division 6000, JUBA was a collaborative exercise between SNL Orgs. 6533 & 6913 (later 8863) to demonstrate simultaneous flights of tethered balloons and UAS on the North Slope of Alaska. JUBA UAS and tethered balloon flights were conducted within the Restricted Airspace associated with the ARM AMF3 site at Oliktok Point, Alaska. The Restricted Airspace occupies a 2 nautical mile radius around Oliktok Point. JUBA was conducted at the Sandia Arctic Site, which is approximately 2 km east-southeast of the AMF3. JUBA activities occurred from 08/08/17 – 08/10/17. Atmospheric measurements frommore » tethered balloons can occur for a long duration, but offer limited spatial variation. Measurements from UAS could offer increased spatial variability.« less

Ballooning in the constant sun of the South Pole summer

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-04-24

While large compared to a human, BARREL balloons are actually much smaller than typical science balloons, which can be as large as a football field. Credit: NASA/Goddard/BARREL/Brett Anderson Read more: www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/nasas-barrel-returns-success... -- Three months, 20 balloons, and one very successful campaign. The team for NASA's BARREL – short for Balloon Array for Radiation belt Relativistic Electron Losses -- mission returned from Antarctica in March 2014. BARREL's job is to help unravel the mysterious Van Allen belts, two gigantic donuts of radiation that surround Earth, which can shrink and swell in response to incoming energy and particles from the sun and sometimes expose satellites to harsh radiation. While in Antarctica, the team launched 20 balloons carrying instruments that sense charged particles that are scattered into the atmosphere from the belts, spiraling down the magnetic fields near the South Pole. Each balloon traveled around the pole for up to three weeks. The team will coordinate the BARREL data with observations from NASA's two Van Allen Probes to better understand how occurrences in the belts relate to bursts of particles funneling down toward Earth. BARREL team members will be on hand at the USA Science and Engineering Festival in DC on April 26 and 27, 2014 for the exhibit Space Balloons: Exploring the Extremes of Space Weather. NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

Ballooning in the constant sun of the South Pole summer

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

The BARREL team at Halley Research Station in Antarctica, work to inflate a balloon. The long tube on the left is the inflation tube used to fill the top of the balloon with helium. Credit: NASA/Goddard/BARREL Read more: www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/nasas-barrel-returns-success... -- Three months, 20 balloons, and one very successful campaign. The team for NASA's BARREL – short for Balloon Array for Radiation belt Relativistic Electron Losses -- mission returned from Antarctica in March 2014. BARREL's job is to help unravel the mysterious Van Allen belts, two gigantic donuts of radiation that surround Earth, which can shrink and swell in response to incoming energy and particles from the sun and sometimes expose satellites to harsh radiation. While in Antarctica, the team launched 20 balloons carrying instruments that sense charged particles that are scattered into the atmosphere from the belts, spiraling down the magnetic fields near the South Pole. Each balloon traveled around the pole for up to three weeks. The team will coordinate the BARREL data with observations from NASA's two Van Allen Probes to better understand how occurrences in the belts relate to bursts of particles funneling down toward Earth. BARREL team members will be on hand at the USA Science and Engineering Festival in DC on April 26 and 27, 2014 for the exhibit Space Balloons: Exploring the Extremes of Space Weather. NASA image use policy.NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission.Follow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookFind us on Instagram

Ballooning in the constant sun of the South Pole summer

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-04-24

Release of a BARREL balloon. The launch crew can be seen on the right holding the payload as the top of the balloon moves overhead where they can release it. Credit: NASA/Goddard/BARREL Read more: www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/nasas-barrel-returns-success... -- Three months, 20 balloons, and one very successful campaign. The team for NASA's BARREL – short for Balloon Array for Radiation belt Relativistic Electron Losses -- mission returned from Antarctica in March 2014. BARREL's job is to help unravel the mysterious Van Allen belts, two gigantic donuts of radiation that surround Earth, which can shrink and swell in response to incoming energy and particles from the sun and sometimes expose satellites to harsh radiation. While in Antarctica, the team launched 20 balloons carrying instruments that sense charged particles that are scattered into the atmosphere from the belts, spiraling down the magnetic fields near the South Pole. Each balloon traveled around the pole for up to three weeks. The team will coordinate the BARREL data with observations from NASA's two Van Allen Probes to better understand how occurrences in the belts relate to bursts of particles funneling down toward Earth. BARREL team members will be on hand at the USA Science and Engineering Festival in DC on April 26 and 27, 2014 for the exhibit Space Balloons: Exploring the Extremes of Space Weather. NASA image use policy.NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission.Follow us on TwitterLike us on FacebookFind us on Instagram

Ballooning in the constant sun of the South Pole summer

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-04-24

Getting ready to lay out a BARREL balloon to prepare for inflation. The helium stillages used to fill the balloon can be seen in the background. Credit: NASA/Goddard/BARREL/Brett Anderson Read more: www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/nasas-barrel-returns-success... -- Three months, 20 balloons, and one very successful campaign. The team for NASA's BARREL – short for Balloon Array for Radiation belt Relativistic Electron Losses -- mission returned from Antarctica in March 2014. BARREL's job is to help unravel the mysterious Van Allen belts, two gigantic donuts of radiation that surround Earth, which can shrink and swell in response to incoming energy and particles from the sun and sometimes expose satellites to harsh radiation. While in Antarctica, the team launched 20 balloons carrying instruments that sense charged particles that are scattered into the atmosphere from the belts, spiraling down the magnetic fields near the South Pole. Each balloon traveled around the pole for up to three weeks. The team will coordinate the BARREL data with observations from NASA's two Van Allen Probes to better understand how occurrences in the belts relate to bursts of particles funneling down toward Earth. BARREL team members will be on hand at the USA Science and Engineering Festival in DC on April 26 and 27, 2014 for the exhibit Space Balloons: Exploring the Extremes of Space Weather. NASA image use policy. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Find us on Instagram

75 FR 77673 - National Environmental Policy Act: Scientific Balloon Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-13

... implementation of the Proposed Action are summarized below. Airspace and Balloon Operations: No adverse impacts to airspace management or balloon operations are anticipated under this proposal. CSBF would continue... minimal. Air emissions would not be perceptibly [[Page 77674

Multiscale GPS tomography during COPS: validation and applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Champollion, Cédric; Flamant, Cyrille; Masson, Frédéric; Gégout, Pascal; Boniface, Karen; Richard, Evelyne

2010-05-01

Accurate 3D description of the water vapour field is of interest for process studies such as convection initiation. None of the current techniques (LIDAR, satellite, radio soundings, GPS) can provide an all weather continuous 3D field of moisture. The combination of GPS tomography with radio-soundings (and/or LIDAR) has been used for such process studies using both advantages of vertically resolved soundings and high temporal density of GPS measurements. GPS tomography has been used at short scale (10 km horizontal resolution but in a 50 km² area) for process studies such as the ESCOMPTE experiment (Bastin et al., 2005) and at larger scale (50 km horizontal resolution) during IHOP_2002. But no extensive statistical validation has been done so far. The overarching goal of the COPS field experiment is to advance the quality of forecasts of orographically induced convective precipitation by four-dimensional observations and modeling of its life cycle for identifying the physical and chemical processes responsible for deficiencies in QPF over low-mountain regions. During the COPS field experiment, a GPS network of about 100 GPS stations has been continuously operating during three months in an area of 500 km² in the East of France (Vosges Mountains) and West of Germany (Black Forest). If the mean spacing between the GPS is about 50 km, an East-West GPS profile with a density of about 10 km is dedicated to high resolution tomography. One major goal of the GPS COPS experiment is to validate the GPS tomography with different spatial resolutions. Validation is based on additional radio-soundings and airborne / ground-based LIDAR measurement. The number and the high quality of vertically resolved water vapor observations give an unique data set for GPS tomography validation. Numerous tests have been done on real data to show the type water vapor structures that can be imaging by GPS tomography depending of the assimilation of additional data (radio soundings), the

Catalytic Generation of Lift Gases for Balloons

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zubrin, Robert; Berggren, Mark

2011-01-01

A lift-gas cracker (LGC) is an apparatus that generates a low-molecular-weight gas (mostly hydrogen with smaller amounts of carbon monoxide and/or carbon dioxide) at low gauge pressure by methanol reforming. LGCs are undergoing development for use as sources of buoyant gases for filling zero-gauge-pressure meteorological and scientific balloons in remote locations where heavy, high-pressure helium cylinders are not readily available. LGCs could also be used aboard large, zero-gauge-pressure, stratospheric research balloons to extend the duration of flight.

Precise measurement method for ionospheric total electron content using signals from GPS satellites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Imae, Michito; Kiuchi, Hitoshi; Kaneko, Akihiro; Hama, Shinichi; Miki, Chihiro

1990-01-01

A GPS codeless receiver called GTR-2 was for measuring total electron content (TEC) along the line of sight to the GPS satellite by using the cross correlation amplitude of the received P-code signals carried by L1(1575.42 MHz) and L2(1227.6 MHz). This equipment has the performance of uncertainty in the measurement of TEC of about 2 X 10(exp 16) electrons/sq m when a 10 dBi gain antenna was used. To increase the measurement performance, an upper version of GTR-2 called GTR-3 is planned which uses the phase information of the continuous signals obtained by making a cross correlation or multiplication of the received L1 and L2 P-code signals. By using the difference of these measured phases values, the ionospheric delay with the ambiguities of the periods of L1+L2 and L1-L2 signals can be estimated.

Stability of Balloon-Retention Gastrostomy Tubes with Different Concentrations of Contrast Material: In Vitro Study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lopera, Jorge E., E-mail: Lopera@uthscsa.ed; Alvarez, Alex; Trimmer, Clayton

2009-01-15

The purpose of this study was to determine the performance of two balloon-retention-type gastrostomy tubes when the balloons are inflated with two types of contrast materials at different concentrations. Two commonly used balloon-retention-type tubes (MIC and Tri-Funnel) were inflated to the manufacturer's recommended volumes (4 and 20 cm{sup 3}, respectively) with normal saline or normal saline plus different concentrations of contrast material. Five tubes of each brand were inflated with normal saline and 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% contrast material dilutions, using either nonionic hyperosmolar contrast, or nonionic iso-osmolar contrast. The tubes were submerged in a glass basin containingmore » a solution with a pH of 4. Every week the tubes were visually inspected to determine the integrity of the balloons, and the diameter of the balloons was measured with a caliper. The tests were repeated every week for a total of 12 weeks. The MIC balloons deflated slightly faster over time than the Tri-Funnel balloons. The Tri-Funnel balloons remained relatively stable over the study period for the different concentrations of contrast materials. The deflation rates of the MIC balloons were proportionally related to the concentration of saline and inversely related to the concentration of the contrast material. At high contrast material concentrations, solidification of the balloons was observed. In conclusion, this in vitro study confirms that the use of diluted amounts of nonionic contrast materials is safe for inflating the balloons of two types of balloon-retention feeding tubes. High concentrations of contrast could result in solidification of the balloons and should be avoided.« less

The application of NAVSTAR Differential GPS to civil helicopter operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beser, J.; Parkinson, B. W.

1981-01-01

Principles concerning the operation of the NAVSTAR Global Positioning Systems (GPS) are discussed. Selective availability issues concerning NAVSTAR GPS and differential GPS concepts are analyzed. Civil support and market potential for differential GPS are outlined. It is concluded that differential GPS provides a variation on the baseline GPS system, and gives an assured, uninterrupted level of accuracy for the civilian community.

Accuracy of Tracking Forest Machines with GPS

Treesearch

M.W. Veal; S.E. Taylor; T.P. McDonald; D.K. McLemore; M.R. Dunn

2001-01-01

This paper describes the results of a study that measured the accuracy of using GPS to track movement offorest machines. Two different commercially available GPS receivers (Trimble ProXR and GeoExplorer II) were used to track wheeled skidders under three different canopy conditions at two different vehicle speeds. Dynamic GPS data were compared to position data...

Detection of VHF lightning from GPS orbit

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Suszcynsky, D. M.

2003-01-01

Satellite-based VHF' lightning detection is characterized at GPS orbit by using a VHF receiver system recently launched on the GPS SVN 54 satellite. Collected lightning triggers consist of Narrow Bipolar Events (80%) and strong negative return strokes (20%). The results are used to evaluate the performance of a future GPS-satellite-based VHF global lightning monitor.

Benefits of Software GPS Receivers for Enhanced Signal Processing

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-01-01

1 Published in GPS SOLUTIONS 4(1) Summer, 2000, pages 56-66. Benefits of Software GPS Receivers for Enhanced Signal Processing Alison Brown...Diego, CA 92110-3127 Number of Pages: 24 Number of Figures: 20 ABSTRACT In this paper the architecture of a software GPS receiver is described...and an analysis is included of the performance of a software GPS receiver when tracking the GPS signals in challenging environments. Results are

Immediate balloon deflation for prevention of persistent phrenic nerve palsy during pulmonary vein isolation by balloon cryoablation.

PubMed

Ghosh, Justin; Sepahpour, Ali; Chan, Kim H; Singarayar, Suresh; McGuire, Mark A

2013-05-01

Persistent phrenic nerve palsy is the most frequent complication of cryoballoon ablation for atrial fibrillation and can be disabling. To describe a technique-immediate balloon deflation (IBD)-for the prevention of persistent phrenic nerve palsy, provide data for its use, and describe in vitro simulations performed to investigate the effect of IBD on the atrium and pulmonary vein. Cryoballoon procedures for atrial fibrillation were analyzed retrospectively (n = 130). IBD was performed in patients developing phrenic nerve dysfunction (n = 22). In vitro simulations were performed by using phantoms. No adverse events occurred, and all patients recovered normal phrenic nerve function before leaving the procedure room. No patient developed persistent phrenic nerve palsy. The mean cryoablation time to onset of phrenic nerve dysfunction was 144 ± 64 seconds. Transient phrenic nerve dysfunction was seen more frequently with the 23-mm balloon than with the 28-mm balloon (11 of 39 cases vs 11 of 81 cases; P = .036). Balloon rewarming was faster following IBD. The time to return to 0 and 20° C was shorter in the IBD group (6.7 vs 8.9 seconds; P = .007 and 16.7 vs 37.6 seconds; P<.0001). In vitro simulations confirmed that IBD caused more rapid tissue warming (time to 0°C, 14.0 ± 3.4 seconds vs 46.0 ± 8.1; P = .0001) and is unlikely to damage the atrium or pulmonary vein. IBD results in more rapid tissue rewarming, causes no adverse events, and appears to prevent persistent phrenic nerve palsy. Simulations suggest that IBD is unlikely to damage the atrium or pulmonary vein. Copyright © 2013 Heart Rhythm Society. All rights reserved.

First-in-human experience using the Volcano VIBE-RX vascular imaging balloon catheter system (Volcano IVUS-guided Balloon Evaluation - New Zealand: VIBE-NZ Study).

PubMed

Watson, Timothy; El-Jack, Seifeddin; Stewart, James T; Ormiston, John

2013-09-01

Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) is a proven and safe imaging modality used to guide percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The Volcano VIBE™ RX Vascular Imaging Balloon Catheter is a novel rapid exchange, 0.014" wire-compatible multi-lumen conventional balloon catheter modified with the addition of an IVUS transducer proximal to the balloon, delivered via a standard 6 Fr sheath. We sought to evaluate the safety, balloon performance, and image quality of the VIBE™ RX in patients scheduled for coronary intervention. Patients aged >21 and <85 years with single or multivessel coronary disease scheduled for PCI due to coronary ischaemic symptoms were included. Those with angiographic features that precluded the safe or informative use of the device were excluded. Twenty-nine patients having angiography because of ischaemic symptoms underwent 44 VIBE RX imaging runs, with balloon dilation in 20. Successful device deployment was achieved in all but one patient. All images were adequate and reproducible. One patient had a non-ST-elevation MI felt to be due to the complexity of the procedure rather than directly related to the VIBE™ RX. The study demonstrated the safety and effectiveness of the VIBE™ RX for its intended purpose with minimal failure rate and no directly related complications.

The glider balloon: a useful device for the treatment of bifurcation lesions.

PubMed

Briguori, Carlo; Visconti, Gabriella; Donahue, Michael; Chiariello, Giovanni Alfonso; Focaccio, Amelia

2013-10-09

Final kissing balloon dilatation (FKBD) is a recommended final step in case of treatment of bifurcation lesions by two stents approaches. Furthermore, dilatation of the side branch (SB) may be necessary following main vessel (MV) stenting. Occasionally, recrossing the stent struts with a balloon is hampered because the tip hits a stent strut. The Glider (TriReme Medical, Pleasanton, CA) is a dedicated balloon designed for crossing through struts of deployed stents toward a SB. From October 2010 to January 2012, FKBD was attempted in 236 consecutive bifurcation lesions treated in our Institution. FKBD was successfully performed by conventional balloon catheters in 221 (93.5%) lesions (Conventional group). In the remaining 15 (6.5%) lesions, where a conventional balloon failed to cross the stent strut, the Glider balloon was attempted (Glider group). The angle beta (between the axis of the MV after the branch point and the SB axis at the point of divergence) was wider in the Glider group (83±17° versus 65±27°; p=0.032). A trend toward an higher rate of the true bifurcation lesions was observed in the Glider group (93% versus 70.5%; p=0.07). The Glider balloon successfully crossed through MV stent struts toward a SB in 12 patients (80%), whereas failed in the remaining 3 patients. The Glider balloon represents an unique bail-out device which offers an effective rescue strategy for recrossing stent struts during complex bifurcation stenting. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

High submuscular placement of urologic prosthetic balloons and reservoirs via transscrotal approach.

PubMed

Morey, Allen F; Cefalu, Christopher A; Hudak, Steven J

2013-02-01

Traditional placement of inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP) reservoirs and/or artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) balloons into the space of Retzius may be challenging following major pelvic surgery. The aim of this study is to report our 1-year experience using a novel technique for high balloon/reservoir placement beneath the rectus abdominus muscle, thus completely obviating deep pelvic dissection during prosthetic urologic surgery. A retrospective review of all patients who underwent IPP and/or AUS placement between June 2011 and June 2012 was performed. All had AUS balloons and/or IPP reservoirs placed in a submuscular location by bluntly tunneling through the external inguinal ring into a potential space between the transversalis fascia and the rectus abdominus muscle using a long, angled, lung grasping clamp. Patient demographics, perioperative outcomes, and initial follow-up patient-reported outcomes were reviewed. During the study period, 120 submuscular balloons/reservoirs were inserted in 107 consecutive patients who underwent placement of an IPP (61 patients), AUS (33 patients), or both (13 patients). Among our 48 most recent patients, 41 (85%) reported they were totally unable to feel their balloon/reservoir, and all but two patients reported no bother from the submuscular balloon/reservoir placement. Of the 120 total submuscular balloons and reservoirs, surgical time and outcomes of the prosthetic procedures appeared similar to those placed using traditional methods; two reservoirs required revision surgery for repositioning. High submuscular placement of genitourinary prosthetic balloons and reservoirs via a transscrotal approach is both safely and effective, while avoiding deep retropubic dissection. © 2012 International Society for Sexual Medicine.

NASA’s BARREL Mission Launches 20 Balloons

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

An iceberg as viewed from the bow of the RRS Ernest Shackleton a few days before the BARREL team reached Halley Research Station in Antarctica. This research vessel regularly carries scientists and supplies to Halley. Credit: NASA --- In Antarctica in January, 2013 – the summer at the South Pole – scientists launched 20 balloons up into the air to study an enduring mystery of space weather: when the giant radiation belts surrounding Earth lose material, where do the extra particles actually go? The mission is called BARREL (Balloon Array for Radiation belt Relativistic Electron Losses) and it is led by physicist Robyn Millan of Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH. Millan provided photographs from the team’s time in Antarctica. The team launched a balloon every day or two into the circumpolar winds that circulate around the pole. Each balloon floated for anywhere from 3 to 40 days, measuring X-rays produced by fast-moving electrons high up in the atmosphere. BARREL works hand in hand with another NASA mission called the Van Allen Probes, which travels through the Van Allen radiation belts surrounding Earth. The belts wax and wane over time in response to incoming energy and material from the sun, sometimes intensifying the radiation through which satellites must travel. Scientists wish to understand this process better, and even provide forecasts of this space weather, in order to protect our spacecraft. As the Van Allen Probes were observing what was happening in the belts, BARREL tracked electrons that precipitated out of the belts and hurtled down Earth’s magnetic field lines toward the poles. By comparing data, scientists will be able to track how what’s happening in the belts correlates to the loss of particles – information that can help us understand this mysterious, dynamic region that can impact spacecraft. Having launched balloons in early 2013, the team is back at home building the next set of payloads. They will launch 20 more balloons in 2014

NASA’s BARREL Mission Launches 20 Balloons

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-12-08

Arrival of the RRS Ernest Shackleton near Halley Research Station in Antarctica. The Shackleton is the regular resupply ship for the station and it also brought in some of the BARREL team scientists. The long tether is for the ship’s mooring. Credit: NASA --- In Antarctica in January, 2013 – the summer at the South Pole – scientists launched 20 balloons up into the air to study an enduring mystery of space weather: when the giant radiation belts surrounding Earth lose material, where do the extra particles actually go? The mission is called BARREL (Balloon Array for Radiation belt Relativistic Electron Losses) and it is led by physicist Robyn Millan of Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH. Millan provided photographs from the team’s time in Antarctica. The team launched a balloon every day or two into the circumpolar winds that circulate around the pole. Each balloon floated for anywhere from 3 to 40 days, measuring X-rays produced by fast-moving electrons high up in the atmosphere. BARREL works hand in hand with another NASA mission called the Van Allen Probes, which travels through the Van Allen radiation belts surrounding Earth. The belts wax and wane over time in response to incoming energy and material from the sun, sometimes intensifying the radiation through which satellites must travel. Scientists wish to understand this process better, and even provide forecasts of this space weather, in order to protect our spacecraft. As the Van Allen Probes were observing what was happening in the belts, BARREL tracked electrons that precipitated out of the belts and hurtled down Earth’s magnetic field lines toward the poles. By comparing data, scientists will be able to track how what’s happening in the belts correlates to the loss of particles – information that can help us understand this mysterious, dynamic region that can impact spacecraft. Having launched balloons in early 2013, the team is back at home building the next set of payloads. They will launch

NASA Balloon Highlights 2015-2017

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fairbrother, Debora

2017-01-01

The NASA Balloon Program provides low-cost, quick response, near space access to NASAs science Community for conducting Cutting Edge Science Investigations. Serve as a technology development platform. Excellent training for NASA scientists and engineers.

A local network integrated into a balloon-borne apparatus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Imori, Masatosi; Ueda, Ikuo; Shimamura, Kotaro; Maeno, Tadashi; Murata, Takahiro; Sasaki, Makoto; Matsunaga, Hiroyuki; Matsumoto, Hiroshi; Shikaze, Yoshiaki; Anraku, Kazuaki; Matsui, Nagataka; Yamagami, Takamasa

A local network is incorporated into an apparatus for a balloon-borne experiment. A balloon-borne system implemented in the apparatus is composed of subsystems interconnected through a local network, which introduces modular architecture into the system. The network decomposes the balloon-borne system into subsystems, which are similarly structured from the point of view that the systems is kept under the control of a ground station. The subsystem is functionally self-contained and electrically independent. A computer is integrated into a subsystem, keeping the subsystem under the control. An independent group of batteries, being dedicated to a subsystem, supplies the whole electricity of the subsystem. The subsystem could be turned on and off independently of the other subsystems. So communication among the subsystems needs to be based on such a protocol that could guarantee the independence of the individual subsystems. An Omninet protocol is employed to network the subsystems. A ground station sends commands to the balloon-borne system. The command is received and executed at the system, then results of the execution are returned to the ground station. Various commands are available so that the system borne on a balloon could be controlled and monitored remotely from the ground station. A subsystem responds to a specific group of commands. A command is received by a transceiver subsystem and then transferred through the network to the subsystem to which the command is addressed. Then the subsystem executes the command and returns results to the transceiver subsystem, where the results are telemetered to the ground station. The network enhances independence of the individual subsystems, which enables programs of the individual subsystems to be coded independently. Independence facilitates development and debugging of programs, improving the quality of the system borne on a balloon.

Paraspinal arteriovenous malformation Onyx embolization via an Ascent balloon.

PubMed

Martínez-Galdámez, Mario; Rodriguez-Arias, Carlos A; Utiel, Elena; Arreba, Emilio; Gonzalo, Miguel; Arenillas, Juan F

2013-03-22

Purely extradural lumbar spinal arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are rare lesions that have diverse presentations and imaging features. The treatment of a symptomatic high flow paraspinal AVM with multiple feeders remains a challenge. We report the first use of an Ascent balloon (dual lumen balloon catheter) to deliver Onyx with excellent penetration to a paraspinal AVM.

Paraspinal arteriovenous malformation Onyx embolization via an Ascent balloon.

PubMed

Martínez-Galdámez, Mario; Rodriguez-Arias, Carlos A; Utiel, Elena; Arreba, Emilio; Gonzalo, Miguel; Arenillas, Juan F

2014-04-01

Purely extradural lumbar spinal arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are rare lesions that have diverse presentations and imaging features. The treatment of a symptomatic high flow paraspinal AVM with multiple feeders remains a challenge. We report the first use of an Ascent balloon (dual lumen balloon catheter) to deliver Onyx with excellent penetration to a paraspinal AVM.

[Pressure-volume recording of PTCA catheters with balloons of lower and higher compliance].