We were present at the Icarus Cup. at booth U 08. Thanks to all that came to meet us this was a fantastic show ! (the Icarus Cup is the biggest free flight air show in the world, it is held each year at St Hilaire du Touvet (close of Grenoble in France). Lots of things to see on the official site (photos etc). Icarus Cup site : http://www.coupe-icare.org

Some of our partners

People or company who helped in a way or an other

Here is what make it possible! :

1. The sun energy at ground level is about 1000 W per square meter.
2. The balloon is made of an envelope capable collecting the sun energy (special fabric with a special coating).
3. It is inflated with ambient air.
4. The envelope pickup enough of the sun energies to heat the air within the balloon.

It work like a common hot air balloon but the heat is produced by the envelop it self rather than by a burner as is usually seen on those balloons. The envelope is made of a very light and strong rip stopping fabric. This fabric is coated with a special component that renders it airtight and also makes it possible to efficiently convert ambient radiation into heat. This heat is then transferred to the air within the balloon by direct contact.

We use a ripstop fabric made of a high tenacity nylon fibres woven on special looms resulting in constructions that are light, low porosity, and durable. They are impregnated with PU and woven with a ripstop pattern (this is an integrally woven pattern of heavier yarns within a fabric to restrict tear and crazing.)

We finish these basic constructions with our
proprietary coating helping for infra red heating .

These fabrics in they're basic form, have set the standard in both performance and durability, having swept the last three America’s Cups.

Here is a cross cut of the materal used :

In order to inflate the balloons we use a high current speed controler and an electric fan.
This controler uses readily available and rugged electronic component and take it's current from 2 little motorcycle battery for the standard solar balloon.

the blimp prototype use the same current speed controler for it's electric engine but power comes from solar panels

here is the electronic controler (Pulse Width Modulator)
it generate low curent pulses on a fixed frequancy
if the pulses ar kept nil or very chort there is no
or very little curent flowing through the circuit
if we alow the pulse to end right at the time when the next one begins
the curent is always "on" we have maximum curent (max power)

those pulses are then amplified to higher curent but still 24v for the engine
through the power board (power modulator).
they are produced 15 000 times per second so it feel
like a continuous comand for both the pilot and the engine.

Research axis we are actually exploring :

• new fabric with different solar energy recovery ratios.
  
• new concept of electric motor with slow rotation speed and very high torque.
• integration of computer generated maps with GPS data and predictive local micro aerology.
• study of the concept feasibility of a new Stirling engine adapted to our balloons.
• a ballast managing system that increase endurance.
• co-generation of electricity and heat for our balloons during night flight with a clean energy source.

What is Starfield-Balloons ? :

• Starfield-balloons is a new, very little innovative company created by Alexander Voivoditch and Mireille Boucabeil the goal is to develop and promote alternative ways of ballooning and flying we also try to help others people by demonstrating the potential of alternatives sources of energy.
  We will do that by doing free demonstration for other companies or activity's involved in ecology or clean energy.
  The public is always very impressed by the concept wen they see it fly.
  Once the balloon is inflated it weighs 2.2 metric ton, peoples ask a lot of questions they are always very impressed to see it fly with only the sun power.
  It should be noted that a conventional hot air balloon flying for about an hour or two burn enough gas to heat up a 150 square yards house for some days.
  
• We are a small team of 2 people full-time , some part time peoples , and highly skilled sub contractors.
• The company work like a very high quality craftsman shop ; we plan on taking only a few order per year and get in personal touch with each of our customer. We can, to some extent do some custom building.
• The goal is high quality not quantity.
• We are also involved in some scientific study and near space operations we also support Michel Fournier who hold the French altitude record for freefall from 12 000m (39 370.00 ft) : the new jump will be a historic supersonic free fall from a height of 130 000 ft with a space suit. Members of the team contains among others very high ranking specialists, 2 rather famous European astronauts : Jean-Francois Clervoy and Michel Tognini (space shuttle crew).
  Michel Fournier has 8500 jumps, among them 100 at very high altitude over 8000 m (26 246.00 ft).
  We are trying to help finding sponsors, so here is the link to his site http://www.legrandsaut.org/
• We are Actually located in Marseille in France and most of the solar balloon tests are performed in the French Rivera or off shore from a sailing boat.
• We have the help of forest service and local coast guard that allow us to do our tests thanks to the inherent safety of our balloons.
  Any ways, the place is far from good for ballooning so we plan on moving to the French Alps or Canada or northern U.S.A. (we need empty spaces)

 

The balloon entirely fit into a car or prefferably probably over it and there still remain seats available	It is possible to inflate the balloon by using muscular energy alone or with a small electric fan powered by a 8ah or better 16ah battery	Easily movable because it weigh only 85 lb.; there is no need for a trailer and ground crew
Here the balloon is spreaded out on the ground of the hangar for a final check before flight test for validation of the new envelope		Teetered flight. Use readily available paraglider accessories here a harness with airbag and ballast integration

SAFETY

• No need to use a burner that may ignite the envelope.
• No flammable gas within the envelope or in tank.
• No pressure tank difficult to manage.
• The balloon does have a great inertia and doesn't display any "sharp" behavior.
• Great conspicuity during day.
• If the sun get obscured the descent velocity is very low because the envelop behave like a giant parachute.

SIMPLICITY OF USAGE

• No need to have a trailer the balloon entirely fit into a car, there still remain two seats available, but a pickup truck is the best.
• No need to have a big "ground crew" a helper is enough. It is even possible to launch alone but some one will be needed to pick you up.
• Easily movable because it weighs only 85 lbs it can be carried over the head or easily by 2 people in its bag.
• The balloon inflates from within it's bag there is no need to spread it out on the field.
• It only needs a grass or sand and obstacles free field, for takeoff and landing, a smooth rock field is possible if there is no wind at all.
• It can use 12v battery such as that of the car to inflates or even a small motorcycle battery (8Ah) if a takeoff from a remote field is a possibility.
• If there is no wind teetered flight is possible and easy it doesn't cost anything.
• Inflating can also be performed on the sea from a boat the velocity of the boat can cancel that of the wind (if light and there is no swell) during the inflating process (here pilot flotation device is absolutely mandatory)

ECOLOGY

• The ecology is total because there is no exhaust gas.
• It doesn't use a filling gas that needs polluting industry to be produced.
• It only use ambient air and sun energy in total silence

AUTONOMY

• The autonomy is only dependent of the sun radiation.
• There is no residual lifting gas leaks
• And there is no fuel consumption for the burner

ECONOMY

• It is much cheaper to use than any other balloon
• It only uses the sun radiation.
• It do not need expensive helium gas that cost around 20$ per cubic meter no need for tanks either

HIGH ALTITUDE POTENTIAL

The common balloons have some limitations:

• In order to gain altitude a common hot air balloon must carry enough gas in tanks to reach and maintain targeted altitude
• This does limit the available payload for the pilot and limit the autonomy
• In order to gain altitude the under filled gas balloon must drop ballast to begin ascent this ballast does limit the available payload for the pilot
• And if already fully inflated the gas filled balloon must vent out expensive gas while climbing to avoid envelope over pressure
• In order to loose altitude the gas filled balloon must vent out gas to begin descent

None of those limits affect the solar balloons!

• Without a human payload the altitude reached by a solar balloon can be as high as 50 000 ft
• Plastic solar balloon with probes have gone as high as 100 000 ft
• In our balloon to gain altitude you just let some more air go into the envelope after a while it will get hot and the balloon will rise.
• In our balloon to loose altitude you just vent out hot air and the balloon will descend.
• There is also ballast that can be available to quickly arrest a descent should it be needed but it is not a controlling means, only an emergency lift reserve.

PERFORMANCES :

• Vertical velocity :
  The normal ascent or descent velocity is around 200 ft/min
  the cold descent is 600 ft/min



• Inflation deflation time :
  Inflation can take between 15 and 30 minute depending on the fan used



• Warm-up time :
  It will take 30 min from the beginning of the inflation in good sun condition and no wind
  it can be longer depending on the weight of the pilot
  
  
• Good free weather forecast here http://www.windguru.cz/int/
  

Here perf_computer applet
This applet permits you to check the lift possibility of the balloon at your location
it need:
the difference between ambient temperature at your altitude and ambient temperature at your altitude from standard atmosphere (delta I.S.A. Celsius)
the altitude (feet)
the difference between ambient temperature and the temperature inside the envelope (it is about 20 Celsius with good sun conditions)
the balloon envelope weight (40 kilograms for all balloons at present time)
the envelope volume (2200 cubic meters for all balloons at present time)


Buying

 

Part	Amount	Deposit	Crating
Balloon envelope ready to fly with suspension cables and control cables (suspension cables are set for use with a harness and not for a basket)	13 000.00 Euros 16 624.00 USD	7 000.00 Euros 8 950.00 USD	300.00 Euros 383.00 USD crating include carrier bag and delivery bag
Harness with integrated airbag	600.00 Euros 767.00 USD	na	Included with balloon bag if ordered with harness
Hand actuated fan here (do not need battery)	400.00 Euros 511.00 USD	na	Depend of post service

Take the next step!
We hope the information here has answered a lot of your questions about owning,and flying one of the starfield balloons, the most ecologic and economic aerostat on the market today. We can also arrange a demonstration flight near you under certain conditions, and we stand by to answer any other questions you might have about this new ecologic kind of flying :

type this

or regular Mail adress :
43 bd vincent delpuech 13006
Marseille France

mailto:inquire@singularity-zone.com