New Insulation for Thermal Balloons and Airships

[Abstract] This paper presents the joint efforts of developers, manufacturers and record pilots in order to establish a new generation of insulated hot air balloons. Numerical simulations and comprehensive experimental tests both of scaled model balloons and fullscale balloons were carried out. With the help of just a single layer of the aerofabrix insulation the fuel consumption of a hot air balloon was reduced by half. Alternatively the buoyant force can be increased about 50% at the same level of fuel consumption. Life prolonging effects and daily operations are investigated with the current prototype.