[0002] This application claims the benefit of applicant's U. S. Provisional Application Number 60/467,525 titled,"Airship Powered by-Gràvity Acceleration for Transport and for the Generation of Useful Power"dated May 5,2003, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0003] This application claims the benefit of applicant's U. S. Provisional Application Number 60/484, 903 titled, "Gravity Powered Aircraft via the Use of Vacuum- Lift Contained within a Cellular Matrix Airfoil"dated July 7,2003, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0004] This application claims the benefit of applicant's U. S. Provisional Application Number 60/491, 108 titled,"Energy Generation via the Forces of Buoyancy and Gravity Acceleration"dated July 29,2003, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0005] This application claims the benefit of applicant's U. S. Provisional Application Number 60/491, 852 titled, "Flight Can be Sustained Using the Forces of Gravity-Buoyancy and Gravity Acceleration"dated August 1,2003, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0006] This application claims the benefit of applicant's U. S. Provisional Application with no number assigned thus far titled, "Gravity Ring which is Simultaneously Powered by the Forces of Buoyancy and Gravity Acceleration"dated November 13, 2003, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

- [0007] This application claims the benefit of applicant's U. S. Provisional Application Number 60/532,535 titled, "Gravity Powered Flight and Gravity Powered Energy Generation Via a Phase Change Process"dated December 26,2003, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference [0008] This application claims the benefit of applicant's International Patent Application PCT/US2004/001164 titled,"Potential Energy of Position Power Generation System and Method"dated January 13, 2004, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0009] This application claims the benefit of applicant's U. S. International Patent Application PCT/US2004/007369 application of the same name and titled, "Hybrid Wind and Solar Powered Turbine; Hydro-Turbine ; Air Compressor ; Hydraulic Pump; Air or Hydro-Propeller, Having Pivotable Shutters on a Rotating disk ?'dated March 6, 2004, that claim priority to U. S. Provisional Patent 60/452,119 dated March 6,2003 and U. S.

Provisional Patent 60/500, 362 dated September 3,2003, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0010] It is well known that wind turbines produce power, which subsequently may be used for the production of hydrogen and oxygen via the electrolysis of water. And, it is also well known that hydrogen may be used to power a hydrogen turbine engine via combustion of the hydrogen. The output power of a wind turbine is calculated as a cube of the velocity of the wind. As the velocity of the wind increases the kinetic output power of the wind exponentially increases.

[0011] It may be noted however that the present applicant has filed for patent protection on a vertical axis wind turbine that operates via hydraulically controlled shutters in Provisional Patent with no number assigned yet dated 02/28/2003, titled, "Hydraulic or Pneumatic Sail Mechanism--Improved Method of Power Generation, Refrigeration, Pumping, and Compression from Wind Energy, Wave Energy, or Water Current Energy via the use of Sails Constructed of Electronically Controlled Rotatable and Extendable Shutters to Reduce Drag and to Increase Power". The vertical axis wind turbine is capable of being powered by high velocity winds. This provisional patent is considered to be incorporated herein in its entirety.

[0012] Further it may be noted that the present applicant has filed for patent protection on a process to create power through the beneficial use of Potential Energies of Position in Provisional Patent Number 60/439,514 dated 01/13/2003, titled, "Methods and Apparatus to Generate Useful Power, Refrigeration, and Heating from Harnessing the Potential Energies of Position Via the Continuous Placement or Formation of Bodies of Mass to Create Mass Differentials, Caused by the Gravitational Pull of the Earth, that Are Immediately Converted to Kinetic Energies of Motion in a Cycle". This provisional patent is considered to be incorporated herein in its entirety.

[0013] Hot air balloons, helium balloons and blimps, and the legendary German hydrogen Zeppelins are examples of lighter-than-air air ships that contain a cavity that is filled with a low density gas that has a density lower than the density of the surrounding atmospheric air, which causes these devices to rise or float within the atmosphere in a seemingly weightless manner. The lift of the low density gas must be greater than the resistance weight of the material from which the cavity is formed. The lift of the low density gas and the resisting weight of the material that forms the cavity oppose each other ; and, if the material is light enough, the result is weightlessness.

[0014] Prior art lighter-than-air apparatus, such as hot-air-balloons and blimps, have demonstrated the ability to lift substantial weight and have demonstrated the ability to travel great distances via use of high speed upper level air currents, such as the jet stream.

The world record for the longest airship flight is 14,395 miles and the world record for height is 72,395 feet above sea level or over twelve miles high.

[0015] As a helium balloon rises within the atmosphere, the surrounding air pressure becomes lower and lower, which causes the helium balloon to expand. If the balloon is allowed to continue to rise indefinitely, the balloon will ultimately rupture at some height. A run-a-way balloon lift is one of the dangers of ballooning.

[0016] It is well known that a vacuum is the absence of molecules altogether. A vacuum has a greater lifting capacity than does hot air, helium, or even hydrogen which posses molecules. Thus, while the materials to hold a vacuum are generally very heavy, new materials, such as aerogels, are as strong as steel and almost as light as air. These materials show a lot of promise in holding a vacuum for lift.

[0017] Gliders use aerodynamically designed airfoils that have exception lift characteristics. Once a conventional glider is towed to substantial height (creating potential energy in the process), they use their weight to create acceleration by diving downward. As air passes over the glider's wings due to gravity acceleration lift is created. Gliders, therefore, are gravity powered. A glider uses elevators to control climb and descent attitude and use a rudder to control yaw. The extent by which a glider may descend is controlled by the glider's weight. The heavier the glider, the faster it is capable of gliding due to the acceleration caused by gravity as a function of mass. Often gliders carry water in order to make the ride faster, at the expense of distance traveled.

[0018] In comparison to gliders, a heavy jet airliner with a maximum glide slope of near 17 to 1 may achieve speeds in excess of 500 miles per-hour while descending from flight altitude toward the earth. At a glide slope of 60 to 1 that is typical for conventional gliders, it takes over twenty minutes to glide to the earth from only 3,000 feet. A glide ratio of 60 to 1 would allow a glider to travel approximately 300 miles if it started its glide at an altitude of 5 miles high. Gliders are known to have obtained average air speeds of over 140 miles per hour while being airborne for long hours at time.

(0019] Gliders are capable of gaining substantial altitude via the use of rising hot air currents know as"thermals"and they have achieved heights of 39,000 above sea level.

For example, if the wind is rising at three feet per second and the glider is diving and gaining sufficient gravity acceleration at only one foot per second, then there is a net rise of two feet per second. Thus gliders are capable of obtaining very great heights and are capable of traveling very long distances. The world record for a manned glider following along a seashore cliff that causes rising"cliff wind"is near 1,200 miles during a single flight. Cliff winds only rise a few hundred feet above the cliff. However, thermals extend to the base of the clouds, which may be as high as 10,000 feet.

[0020] Potential energy is stored as the glider obtains altitude. It doesn't matter if the height is accomplished via being towed to a high elevation or whether the glider gains altitude by riding rising air currents that provide the power to carry the glider upward.

[0021] Lighter-than-air airships also gain potential energy as they obtain altitude, which can have disastrous consequences if the lift of the airship is suddenly lost due to rupture of the balloon containing the lighter-than-air gases, causing the airship to plunge to the earth at a high rate of speed due to gravity acceleration.

[0022] In Applicant's U. S. Provisional Application Number 60/439,514 titled, "Methods and Apparatus to Generate useful Power, Refrigeration, and Heating from Harnessing the Potential Energies of Position Via the Continuous Placement or Formation of Bodies of mass to Create Mass Differentials, Caused by the Gravitational Pull of the Earth, that Are Immediately Converted to Kinetic Energies of Motion in a Cycle"dated January 13,2003, novel methods of power generation, refrigeration, and heating from harnessing the potential energies of position via the continuous placement or formation of bodies of mass to create mass differentials is disclosed that use phase changes of the working fluid among other methods to accomplish the formation of mass in such a location that the mass possess potential energy that is immediately converted to kinetic energy of motion to produce power. The process uses the phase change of a working fluid from gaseous to liquid or in the reverse manner or alternately in order to generate power, which is more fully explained within the patent disclosure.

[0023] In Applicant's U. S. Provisional Application Number 60/467,525 titled, "Airship Powered by Gravity Acceleration for Transport and for the Generation of Useful Power"dated May 5,2003, a novel airship or submersible is disclosed that uses a lifting gas within an airfoil to provide lift that is later compressed to lose lift in order to use the forces of gravity-Buoyancy and Gravity Acceleration-in an alternating cycle. Further, a novel wind turbine or hydro-turbine is used to generate power from the force of the wind air or water as the airship or submersible glides downward, which is more fully explained within the patent disclosure.

[0024] In Applicant's U. S. Provisional Application Number 60/484,903 titled, "Gravity Powered Aircraft via the Use of Vacuum-Lift Contained within a Cellular Matrix Airfoil"dated July 7,2003, a novel airship or submersible is disclosed that uses a vacuum within a cellular matrix airfoil to provide lift in order to use the forces of gravity- Buoyancy and Gravity Acceleration-in an alternating cycle. A novel wind turbine or hydro-tubine is used to generate power from the motion of the force of the wind or water as the airship or submersible glides downward, which is more fully explained within the patent disclosure.

[0025] In Applicant's U. S. Provisional Application Number 60/491, 108 titled, "Energy Generation via the Forces of Buoyancy and Gravity Acceleration"dated July 29, 2003, a series of novel energy generation cycles are disclosed that use the forces of gravity -Buoyancy and Gravity Acceleration-in an alternating cycle to generate energy, which is more fully explained within the patent disclosure.

[0026] In Applicant's U. S. Provisional Application Number 60/491, 852 titled, "Flight Can be Sustained Using the Forces of Gravity-Buoyancy and Gravity Acceleration"dated August 1,2003, a novel airship or submersible is disclosed that uses the forces of gravity-Buoyancy and Gravity Acceleration-in an alternating cycle to power flight in the air or in water, which is more fully explained within the patent disclosure.

[0027] In applicant's U. S. Provisional Application with no number assigned thus far titled,"Gravity Ring which is Simultaneously Powered by the Forces of Buoyancy and Gravity Acceleration"dated November 13, 2003, a novel energy generation cycle is disclosed that uses the forces of gravity-Buoyancy and Gravity Acceleration- simultaneously to generate energy. The process uses the phase change of a working fluid from gaseous to liquid or in the reverse manner or alternately in order to generate power, which is more fully explained within the patent disclosure.

[0028] It is well known that air and water are both lifting fluids. Air is merely a more dilute lifting fluid than is water and the principals of science that work in water also work the same in air or; conversely, the scientific principals that work in air work the same in water.

[0029] Scientists could not understand how marine mammals traveled for great distances when their food intake which represents their energy input was so low that it would be impossible for them to swim such great distances, when their movements are calculated as a thermodynamic power cycle relating to energy input and energy output--as their output of energy appeared to be far greater than their input of energy. They have since learned that the marine mammals use gravity to glide upward and downward through the water.

[0030] The mammals after taking in air from the atmosphere at the surface of the water, compress the air to a higher density and a smaller volume within their bodies using their muscles with a simple quick movement that causes them to physically become smaller and heavier than the surrounding water so that they glide downward and forward from the surface. When the mammal desires to rise they can release the force applied by their muscles, causing their physical size to become larger and causing the air within their bodies to expand to a lower density and to a greater volume, which in turn causes the mammal to become lighter-than-water.

[0031] The force of buoyancy, the greater pull of the earth's gravitation field on the water than on the low density air within the mammal, causes the mammal to rise upward and forward. The forward motion is caused by the resistance of the water to the upward motion, which deflects a portion of the upward motion into a forward motion, known as sea gliding that works exactly the same as an aerodynamic glider works in air.

The energy input of these mammals to provide propulsion through the water is quite minimal--merely quick muscular movements periodically in order to glide upward and downward through the water as they change from being heavier-than-water to being lighter- than-water. Thus the mystery of how long range migration of marine mammals is accomplished was solved by discovering their use of gravity's two forces-buoyancy and gravity acceleration--in an alternating cycle.

[0032] Conventional sea gliders, like their mammal cousins, glide both upward and downward through the water via alternating between buoyancy and gravity acceleration and use almost no battery power to operate as they travel enormous distances. The energy input in order to sea glide is so minute that one small battery can operate a sea glider for over a year of continuous travel. From a thermodynamic efficiency calculation the sea gliders get far more momentum energy out of the process than is put in as an energy source to provide periodic ballast changes. They harness gravity to provide propulsion.

[0033] Sea gliders use a power source, such as an electrical battery, to provide guidance and control of the craft. The amount of power available for the craft is usually extremely minimal and the duration of operation is determined by the amount of stored power that is provided by this power source ; however, even with this small power source, sea gliders potentially can operate for more than a year.

[0034] Sea gliders harness gravity via mass differentials and this can be proven by their existing operation as opposed to complex mathematical computations. A state-of- the-art conventional thruster powered underwater vehicle can operate for approximately four hours at a velocity of approximately five knots with the best batteries available today that are much larger than those typically used by sea gliders. By comparison a sea glider can operate for up to a year of continuous motion at a velocity of near. 5 knot. If the sea glider used its battery power to propel the craft at the same. 5 knot velocity like a powered underwater vehicle in level horizontal motion instead of obtaining gravity power by sea gliding, it would only operate for hours or days at best before using up all of its available power. The energy to accomplish the additional range and extended duration of operation is provided by harnessing gravity via mass differentials-alternating from being heavier- than-water to being lighter-than-water in a continuous cycle.

[0035] Current sea gliders rise by pumping an oil contained inside the hull into external sacks to increase the volume of the sea glider or use a piston called a"buoyancy pump"located in the nose of the sea glider to discharge water from the hull or inflate a balloon type of gas bag within a flooded section of the tail of the sea glider. Further, it is proposed that sea gliders use a temperature differential to alter the craft from being heavier- than-water to being lighter-than-water, using the ambient temperature of the water, which varies by depth. However, great depth must be accomplished in order to provide sufficient temperature differential for this process to work. And, this is a slow process that provides minimal change in the mass differential of the craft in relationship to the mass of the water, which in turn provides a very slow velocity to the sea glider, as the rate of upward and forward movement via buoyancy or the rate of downward and forward movement via gravity acceleration is a function of the degree of mass differential in mass density between the mass density of the sea glider and the mass density of the water.

[Q036] Air gliders use very long high aspect ratio wings that are designed with a high degree of aerodynamic capacity in order to obtain very high glide ratios with the most advanced air gliders now obtaining a glide ratio of 100 to 1. The glide ratio extends the duration of flight and the range of the flight, while not affecting the glide speed which is a function of the degree of mass differential alone. An air glider increases its velocity with an increase in weight (increase in the degree of mass differential) with no loss of glide ratio.

[0037] Prior art sea gliders unlike their airborne counter-parts do not use high aspect ratio wings to provide greater sea gliding ratios that would further extend their duration of glide and range. In large measure current sea gliders are merely torpedoes with extremely short poorly hydro-dynamically designed wings that provide poor glide ratios.

[0038] Further, it is proposed that sea gliders surface and to recharge their batteries using solar energy. However, this strategy has serious drawbacks, because the sun only shines for a portion of the time, it takes substantial time to produce and store solar power via photovoltaic solar cells, and the submersible is subject to detrimental tidal movements and wind forces while remaining on the surface in order to charge its batteries via solar power, etc.

[0039] Small sized sea gliders have historically been used for scientific purposes, such as measuring tidal movements, salinity and temperature changes, etc. and have not been used as a mode of transportation or as a mode of cargo transport. They are most often designed for extreme depth and are not designed for shallower depth sea gliding travel to avoid the high hydro-static pressure associated with greater depth.

[0040] Hydro-turbines produce power from the flow of water over the turbines' blades. However, it is well known that power may be produced by the movement of a hydro-turbine through the water instead of the water moving over the hydro-turbine.

[0041] Wind powered boats have been constructed that use wind turbines for motive power instead of sails. Power from the wind turbine is transferred to a propulsion device in the water to propel the craft. Unlike sail boats, these craft are able to sail directly into the wind and produce their greatest power and velocity sailing directly into the wind.

Existing wind powered boats using conventional horizontal axis wind turbines have achieved velocities exceeding thirty knots.

[0042] In pumped storage hydro-electric power plants, a pump powered by an electrical motor pressurizes water to a high elevation. In the reverse mode, pressurized water flows through the pump to cause it to become a hydro-turbine that powers a generator, which is the electrical motor, used in the reverse mode. This process is ninety percent efficient.

[0043] A stretched diaphragm has been designed to provide thousands of horsepower for short periods of time to launch torpedoes on submarines. Water is pressurized into one side of the diaphragm that is used as a biasing member, causing it to stretch in the opposite direction. The biasing member applies an equal and opposite force against the water as it stretches. Once the desired pressure has accumulated against the diaphragm, the vessel is sealed. Thus, the energy to launch the torpedo is stored and held for later use. When it is desired to launch the torpedo, a valve opens, which allows the water pressure to be applied against the torpedo within a cylinder launch tube and the water pressure launches the torpedo with great force. The stretched diaphragm is a method of energy storage.

[0044] Another problem with submersibles is occasional catastrophic loss due to insufficient buoyancy. Ships and submersibles occasionally are sunk into the depths of the sea. This happens in part because of the physics of increasing hydrostatic pressure. As a vessel sinks, the air or other gases retained within cavities becomes more and more compressed as the hydro-static pressure increases with depth, which in turn causes the gases to occupy a smaller and smaller volume as they compress. Smaller volume also means less lift capability via the principal of buoyancy, which may be stated as the principal of displacement. As the physical volume decreases due to compression, the area displaced also decreases. Also, pressure vessels containing gases, including the cabins of submersibles, often rupture releasing their gases due to extreme hydro-static pressure applied against the pressure vessels, causing loss of the lift the gases provide.

(0045] Once a vessel has lost lift at the surface and begins to sink in water, it is difficult to halt this process and, as the process of increasing hydro-static pressure progresses, less and less buoyancy is available and the vessel disappears into the depths of the sea, usually ending up on the ocean's floor and in the case of submersibles often with no survivors.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0046] The present invention incorporates scientific principals or technologies from lighter-than-air vessels, such as hot air balloons, helium balloons and blimps that are capable of creating lift to very great heights and incorporates technologies used by gliders that can glide for long distances and can rise into the air via thermals, and additionally incorporates the technological principals used by wind turbines that are capable of harvesting the force of wind. These prior art technologies and their underlying scientific principals are integrated together along with other innovations disclosed herein to create a gravity powered airship via gravity acceleration that is capable of generating useful electrical power, onboard propulsion power via compression of atmospheric air as a form of stored energy and as a source of counter-weight, onboard propulsion via combustion of hydrogen from which heat may be used to heat atmospheric air to provide hot air lift, and hydrogen and oxygen production via electrolysis of water using a portion of the electrical power generated.

[0047] The wind-powered airship of the present invention incorporates glider type aerodynamic airfoil lift characteristics after it has risen high into the sky via lighter- than-air lift, which allows a gravity powered gliding decent in the same manner as a glider that is towed to great height. First the airship must alter its lift characteristics before it can act as a glider. This is accomplished a-number of means, but the principal ways to make the airship heavier are to compresses a portion of the expanded lighter-than-air gases, compresses atmospheric air into the airship into pressure tanks, or to cool hot air if hot air lift is used. The ballast provides counter-weight to the lift and the airship can then begin to fall.

[0048] A wind turbine is designed into the wind powered air ship of the present invention. During a diving decent, gravity acceleration is accomplished by the airship, which causes a sustained strong air flow across the wind turbine and significant power is generated due to the high velocity of the wind. Power from the wind turbine can be used to further alter the weight of the airship and can be stored for later use.

[0049] The power generated may be used for many useful purposes: (1) to generate electrical power; and, (2) to power a hydraulic pump that can drive hydraulic motors for almost any mechanical purpose ; and, (3) power a compressor that can be used to compress air, hydrogen, helium, or any other gases; and, (4) directly drive an electrical generator that can supply onboard electrical power, provide power for electrolysis of water to produce hydrogen and oxygen or power for export to the ground via an electrical line if the airship is stationery tethered to the ground, or possibly via energy beam transmission.

[0050] The wind turbine may be used before the wind ship takes off and is still on the ground or floating just above the ground, provided sufficient wind is available. For example, the wind ship could remain on the ground or floating just above the ground during a windy day and could generate electrical power and could produce hydrogen that could be stored. The lighter-than-air hydrogen may actually be used to provide lift to the wind ship for takeoff and alternately a portion of the hydrogen produced may be combusted to create hot air to form hot air lift. If the lighter-than-air hydrogen gas is used for lift-off to a high elevation, it may be compressed using power generated by the wind turbine at altitude, which would reduce the lift of the airship that would then begin to dive downward to achieve gravity acceleration that would subsequently power the wind turbine to generate more hydrogen and to provide on board electrical power. This process could be used in a cycle as a form of transportation while generating hydrogen. The pattern of flight would become upward for thousands of feet then forward and downward for a minimum of several hours. If thermals are found, the downward dive may last for many hours and many miles may be covered.

[00513 The hydrogen may also be used to power a powerful combustion jet turbine engine. The hydrogen jet engine could provide forward and upward propulsion to quickly obtain great heights or to travel significant distances at jet speeds. Also, the heat from a hydrogen jet engine could be beneficially used to heat air to create hot air lift.

[0052] The high altitude, high velocity wind of the jet stream would allow "hitching a ride"on the jet stream to travel great distances in the direction of the flow of the jet stream as is a common practice of helium balloon and hot air balloons. Of course, this places detrimental limits on the direction of flight.

[0053] A portion of the power generated by the wind turbine may be used to propel the ship forward at a faster speed into the oncoming wind, thus increasing the velocity of the wind that flows into the wind turbine. Such power output for propulsion would also help to provide maneuverability to the airship, as well as to hold the position of the airship stationery into an oncoming wind.

[0054l The airfoils are aerodynamically designed to be high lift airfoils that are constructed of a series of individual smaller spherical balloons coupled to a flat lightweight frame, having a lightweight fabric covering over the smaller round balloons to form the shape of a high lift airfoil. Smaller balloons may be used on the outer edges to form a thinner leading edge with larger balloons used toward the center of the airfoil to create an overall thickness pattern for the airfoil.

[0055] The preferred embodiment of the present invention uses an upper airfoil and a lower airfoil with the wind turbine mounted in between and the two airfoils. The upper airfoil has a greater lift capacity than does the lower airfoil in order to maintain an upright position of the airship. In the preferred embodiment, the upper airfoil houses helium or hydrogen and the lower airfoil may house hot air. The lift of the helium or hydrogen is greater than the lift of the hot air. Additionally, the hot air may be cooled to reduce lift in order to accomplish decent.

[0056] Conventional airships often carry water as ballast. The water is released into the air in order to slow the descent of the airship during landing. The preferred embodiment of the present invention would carry water for crew members and would carry water that may be converted to hydrogen and oxygen via electrolysis. The hydrogen then may be used to provide lift as an expanded gas and may be used for combustion to provide heat for hot air lift, or may be supplied to a hydrogen powered turbine engine for propulsion. Hydrogen may be combusted for propulsion with the simultaneous use of the heat of combustion to heat air for hot air lift via heat exchangers and heat pipes delivering the heat to the lower airfoil.

[0057] Compressed air can be beneficially used as a ballast for the airship of the present invention. Air compressed and stored during decent via power generated by the wind turbine increases the weight of the airship and increases the gravity acceleration of the airship, which increases the velocity of the airship. Once the airship has descended to the desired position, the reservoir of compressed air may be used to perform useful work via expansion of the air through a compressed air driven turbine engine or may be used to power a propeller driven engine. Either a turbine engine or a propeller driven engine would generate propulsion for the airship as the air is simultaneously discharged from the airship, dramatically reducing the weight of the airship.

[0058] Lift of the airship may be altered via the relationship of mass to volume via the compression of low density gases. In order to provide lift, low density gases must be expanded, which increases the volume of the gases. To lower the lift capability of the low density gases, they may be compressed, causing the mass of the gases to occupy a smaller volume of space. Thus low density gases contained in the upper airfoil may be compressed into a smaller space, reducing the size of the balloons containing the expanded gases, and their ability to lift will be reduced by the process. Low density gases accomplish lift when expanded and conversely may be compressed to reduce their lift capacity.

Alternative means that could be used for compression of low density gases on the airship are: use of a hydrogen combustion powered air compressor, the use of electric motor driven gas compressors powered by electrical power from storage batteries or from electrical power generated via a hydrogen fuel cell.

[0059] It should be noted that the compression of air generates substantial heat that may be used for may purposes on the airship, including to provide heat for a low- boiling-point-liquid power cycle. With such an onboard power cycles using the heat of compression ;, the air surrounding the airship may be used for heat rejection. The heat may also be used for hot air lift as well as for passenger comfort.

[0060] The ability to compresses the low density gases into high pressure storage tanks also serves an important safety feature. As a helium balloon continues to rise within the atmosphere, the surrounding air becomes lower and lower in pressure, which causes the helium balloon to expand. At sufficient height if the balloon is allowed to continue to rise, the balloon will ultimately rupture. Compressing a portion of the helium into a tank designed to accept high pressure can thus prevent failure of the series of smaller balloons that make up the upper airfoil. The low density gas compression process also allows much greater altitudes to be safely reached.

[0061] The wind turbine portion of the ship generates power that can be used for on-board power, including powering turbines or powering electrical power to operate electric motors or for the storage of electricity via batteries. If a portion of the wind power is used on board either for propulsion or to supply onboard electrical needs, the remaining power may be used to generate hydrogen or create an export electrical current, which may possibly be beamed back to the earth from low earth orbit.

[0062] The following is a description of two alternative potential flight operational patterns that may be used by the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Both flight procedures begin by creating sufficient lift for the airship for it to ascend into the atmosphere: (1) the upper airfoil contains a series of balloons filled with lighter-than- air gas such as hydrogen or helium providing a constant lift force ; and, (2) high mass compressed air supplied by high pressure compressed air storage tanks is expanded through an air driven turbine engine to provide propulsion. This process exhausts the heavy compressed air that acts as counter-weight to the lifting force of the low density gases within the upper air foil ; and, (3) hydrogen, the lightest gas, is expanded into balloons housed within the lower airfoil to provide lift.

[0063] Alternately, step three above could become the following steps 3 and 4: (3) hydrogen is combusted via a hydrogen powered turbine engine in order to accomplish additional propulsion ; and, (4) heat from the combustion within the hydrogen powered turbine engine provides thermal energy to heat the air within the lower airfoil.

[0064] Actions one through three (1-3), create lift in several ways: direct lift provided by the helium or hydrogen low density gases that are lighter-than-air within the upper airfoil, lift provided by the airfoils as air passes over the airfoils due to propulsion of the compressed air turbine, and lift provided by the expanded hydrogen within the lower airfoil. The result of these actions is to cause the airship to have a total weight that is lighter-than-air in a short period of time and to accomplish a high rate of climb to high altitude.

[0065] If the alternative method of operation is used, lift is provided by the hydrogen turbine engine of step 3 and lift is provided by hot air lift within the lower airfoil with heat provided by combustion of the hydrogen in step 4.

[0066] Once a desired altitude has been accomplished by performing steps one through three (1-3) or by performing the alternative steps one through four (1-4), the mass of the airship in regards to the surrounding air may be altered to cause it to be heavier than the surrounding air by the following procedures, which will cause the airship to begin to dive downward: (5) the hydrogen contained within the balloons in the lower airfoil is combusted within the hydrogen power turbine engine, which provides propulsion as it removes the lifting force of the expanded hydrogen ; and, (6) high pressure compressed air storage tanks within the lower airfoil are filled with high weight compressed air via power generated by the wind turbine due to the velocity of the airship obtained by the hydrogen powered propulsion (7) low density gases within the upper airfoil are compressed, causing the balloons containing the gases to reduce in size.

[0067] If the alternative method of operation is used, the hot air within the lower airfoil is discharged at this point as the alternate step 5 above.

[0068] During steps 5 through 7 or alternative steps 5 through 7, level flight having substantial forward momentum may be maintained via the hydrogen powered turbine engine which allows air to be compressed into the storage tanks by the air compressor that is powered by the wind turbine that is driven by the high velocity air striking the wind turbine. The airship becomes heavier and heavier as more air is compressed into the high pressure storage tanks. The compressed air can be used later as air powered propulsion in step 2 above. The apparent advantage of the original steps over the alternative steps is that the hydrogen that is expanded into balloons in the lower airfoil to provide lift is then conserved until height is accomplished. The hydrogen then is combusted providing propulsion to power the wind turbine as lift is simultaneously reduced due to discharge of the low density expanded hydrogen gas from the airship.

[0069] In the alternative method a lot more hydrogen would be needed as it is combusted during the entire period of climb to high elevation. The hydrogen is critically needed once high elevation is achieved in order to provide thrust to power the wind turbine in order to produce compressed air to be used as counter-weight to begin the gravity powered dive. If the hydrogen were to be used up, backup power from batteries would be needed to compresses the low density gases in the upper airfoil to reduce lift to get the airship going down again, which would be a much slower process than wind powered air compression. Also, there is much more lift capacity via expanded hydrogen than there is by hot air. Another option to get the airship going down again would be to release a portion of the low density gases contained in the upper airfoil to decrease lift, which would require replacement of the lost gases. It would therefore be beneficial to have a supply of compressed helium aboard the airship in order to replace any lost gas.

[0070] The preferred embodiment proposes that the upper airfoil contain helium as the low density gas to perform constant lift because it is not flammable or explosive.

However, the airship could use hydrogen in the upper airfoil instead of helium. There are certain advantages to doing so. Hydrogen has greater lifting capacity than does helium. Also, the hydrogen in the upper airfoil as well as in the lower airfoil could be combusted via the hydrogen power turbine engine to provide propulsion, which would drastically reduce the lift of the airship in order to accomplish very high speed descent.

[0071] The airship glider of the present invention may be either manned or unmanned. The technology used in drones, such as the ones used in Afghanistan and Iraq, may be used to pilot the ship. This would allow one operator to operate a number of ships from a ground or air based control unit.

[0072] Once the airship is heavier-than-air it may be powered via gravity acceleration alone and other forms of propulsion may be ceased as the airship will continue its glide to forward and downward to earth without additional energy input. The above described processes may be used in a cycle in order to accomplish continuous non-stop flight indefinitely.

[0073] The ship can be used for transportation at the same time that it is generating hydrogen. In fact the transportation may be used to deliver the hydrogen to the customer. For example, an airship of the present invention may be sailed across the Atlantic Ocean producing hydrogen along the way and then could land and sell and deliver its valuable cargo.

[0074] The present inventor has succeeded at designing methods and systems for fuelless gravity powered flight within air, fuelless gravity powered gliding in water, and gravity powered generation of useful power that uses a phase change of a working fluid from the liquid or solid state to the gaseous state or from the gaseous state to the liquid state in an alternating or simultaneous cycle within an enclosure to form a potential energy of position that is immediately converted into kinetic energy of motion using the forces of gravity-buoyancy and gravity acceleration--via the location at which the mass is formed.

[0075] USING PRESSURE HEIGHT AS A BALANCE POINT AND TEMPERATURE DIFFERENTIAL TO FLY VIA HEAT OF COMPRESSION AND ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE HEATING-AND USE OF KINTETIC ENERGY TO OVERSHOOT PRESSURE HEIGHT AS WELL. The temperature differential can accomplish vaporization/condensation when use of pressure height is being done. The above pressure height temperature differential can be performed without the use of condensation/vaporization as a density change is capable of being performed merely by heating of a lighter-than-air gas or of air itself, as is used by hot air balloons.

[0076] Methods that energy may be obtained from the atmosphere while performing fuelless flight: temperature differentials, pressure differentials, sunlight via direct solar heat or by use of photovoltaic cells to generate electricity, and wind current differentials. Solar has been used by Helios and others in the past, but temperature differentials, pressure differentials, and wind current differentials are considered novel and are herein disclosed as part of this Provisional Patent Application.

[0077] An upward lifting force is generated by the force of buoyancy and a downward sinking force is generated by the force of gravity acceleration. The present invention is capable of generating energy via harnessing the upward motion caused by the force of buoyancy and the downward motion caused by the force of gravity in an alternating back-and-forth cycle more fully described herein. l0078] In order to create a power cycle using buoyancy for lift and gravity acceleration as a downward motive force, there must be the ability to change the overall density of the body of mass that is being lifted within a surrounding lifting fluid via buoyancy to a higher density that will sink within the surrounding lifting fluid. For example, an enclosure containing a low density gas or having a vacuum may rise within a column of liquid and an enclosure containing a low density gas or a vacuum may rise within a column of heavier gas via buoyancy. To change the density of the enclosure containing a low density gas or a vacuum to a heavier configuration, the gas may be compressed or the vacuum may be released and than a heavier gas or liquid may be allowed to enter the enclosure taking the area previously occupied by the low density gas or vacuum, making the entire enclosure heavier than the lifting fluid so that it is capable of sinking via the greater gravitational pull of the earth on the heavier enclosure.

[0079] However in the preferred embodiment of the present invention a phase change is used to change the density of the working fluid within the enclosure from being heavier or lighter than the surrounding fluid.

[0080] A power cycle is thus created by alternately creating buoyancy via vaporizing a liquid to a low density gas that is lighter-than-air within an enclosure to create lift by changing the working fluid within the enclosure from the liquid state or solid state to the gaseous state. Then the lift is lost by altering the density of the enclosure by causing a phase change of the gaseous state working fluid to the liquid or solid state. Lift is lost because the density per cubic feet of the gas is greatly increased as a result of the phase change and the area previously occupied by low density gas is filled with high density liquid, which causes the mass of the enclosure to be much greater so that its density is greater than the density of the lifting fluid and it sinks via gravity acceleration. To continue the cycle, lift must be re-established when the enclosure has reached a lower elevation which may be accomplished by vaporizing the liquid back to the gaseous state in an alternating cycle.

[0081] A novel gravity powered fuelless flight aircraft is herein disclosed using a phase change technique to alter the aircraft's density to being greater than the surrounding air by causing a working fluid to change phase to the liquid phase to create gravity powered gliding flight and then alternately at a lower altitude the process is reversed to re-establish lift by changing the working fluid back to the gaseous state, with the gaseous state of the working fluid being a lighter-than-air gas, such as methane, propane, and many of the well known refrigerants in an alternating cycle.

[0082] The above described process works very well in the atmosphere because the temperature of air decreases with altitude, which aides the liquidification process to lose lift at high altitude that is accomplished as a result of an increase in pressure and a decrease in temperature. Likewise, the process of vaporization of the liquid back to the gaseous state is aided by the increase in temperature at lower altitude.

[0083] Liquidication may be accomplished by retaining the working with a rigid aircraft within flexible gas bags. Cold ambient air can be compressed, and then the heat of compression removed via heat exchange. The air may then be expanded into the rigid aircraft on the outside of the flexible gas bags. Expansion of the air will cause its temperature to dramatically drop to an extremely cold temperature. This process will refrigerate the gas within the flexible gas bags and will increase the pressure of the gas within the gas bags due to external increase and pressure and will cause the gas within the gas bags to change to the liquid state and a subsequent reduction in the volume of the working fluid will occur. Thus, space that was previously occupied by expanded gas within the gas bags may now be filled with heavy compressed air.

[0084] A second process for the liquidification of the lighter-than-air gas is to compresses the gas, remove the heat of compression via heat exchanger and then expand the gas through a Joules-Thompson valve or a work producing turbo-expander, causing a portion of the gas to liquefy.

[0085] Energy is created by using the motive forces (rising and falling) of buoyancy and gravity acceleration to create mechanical drive. This may be accomplished via attachment of an enclosure to a closed rotary loop, such as a chain rotating around at least an upper sprocket and a lower sprocket or may be accomplished by an upward and downward motion within a lifting fluid, using the motion of the enclosure passing through the lifting fluid as a kinetic force to drive a gas turbine or a hydro-turbine.

[0086] The energy generated from the present invention comes from the effect of gravity. The upward lift of buoyancy and the downward fall of the gravitational pull of the earth are both functions of gravity. Therefore, the present invention is gravity powered in both the upward and downward-directions of motion.

[0087] The amount of power generated may be measured as a mass differential with greater power output being generated as the mass differential increases. The greater the mass differential ; the greater the gravity powered energy output. Time must also be taken into consideration as an energy output factor. A given amount of energy input must be used to alter the mass from the gaseous state to the liquid state or from the liquid state to the gaseous state to make an enclosure lighter than the surrounding fluid or heavier than the surrounding fluid. The distance or height between phase changes that occur within the apparatus to change its ballast determines the period of useful time that elapses before another phase change must occur in the alternating phase change cycle. The greater the height or distance between phase changes in the upward and downward vertical plane; the greater the energy output. Height directly relates to potential energy. The greater the altitude the enclosure achieves in the lighter-than-the-surrounding-fluid mode, the more kinetic energy it achieves while falling after the mass of the enclosure has been altered to the heavier-than-the-surrounding-fluid mode via a phase change to the liquid state. And, likewise, the height between phase changes of the apparatus determines the amount of potential energy gained in the lift process via buoyancy.

[0088] This process may be applied to a rotary loop mounted on upper and lower sprockets having a series of enclosures attached to the loop. Each enclosure attached to the rotary loop applies a constant lifting and gravitation pull to power rotation of the loop with the right side of the loop pulling upward (due to the lift of buoyancy when the working fluid is in the gaseous state) on the loop and the left side of the loop pulling downward on the loop (due to the downward pull of gravity when the working fluid is in the liquid state).

The greater the number of enclosures attached to the loop; the greater the combined power of the lifting force and downward gravity force of all of the enclosures working together.

The greater the distance between the top and bottom sprockets (height of the apparatus) ; the greater the number of enclosures that may be attached with each new enclosure adding power to the loop and the greater the length of time that the force will be applied, as the force (lift or downward pull) will be constant until the mass of the enclosure is again altered.

The greater the distance between the top sprocket and bottom sprocket of the apparatus the greater the time it takes to travel between the two sprockets.

10089] The amount of energy that it takes to alter the phase of the working fluid is relatively constant. However, the amount of energy that can be generated by the present invention is only limited to the size of the enclosures and the height of the apparatus. The height relates to the amount of potential energy stored via altitude gained by the enclosures that may be converted to kinetic energy of motion by altering the mass of the enclosure to be heavier than the surrounding fluid so that via a phase change of the working fluid to the liquid state and it begins to fall and to pick up speed via gravity acceleration, thus converting its potential energy into kinetic energy.

[0090] The present inventor has succeeded at designing improved methods and systems for gravity powered gliding through air or water that was first disclosed in U. S.

Provisional Application Number 60/439,514 dated January 13,2003, cited above and subsequently filed as an International Patent Application that set forth the principals of obtaining motive power via creating potential energy via the formation of mass differentials using the force of gravity that is exhibited as both gravity acceleration, which is a downward motive force, and as buoyancy, which is an upward motive force ; and, a wind turbine or hydro-tubine is the method principally proposed among other methods for obtaining power from these motive forces within these patent applications.

[0091] The invention herein disclosed that claims priority to the above referenced patent applications is directed more specifically at solving many of the problems of current sea gliders by the innovative use of a hydro-turbine to generate power via the movement of the submersible through water that can generate and store power from the kinetic energy of motion as previously disclosed and the innovative use of a surface sled that can generate power from the motion of a wind turbine through the air and can generate power via solar power from the surface. Additional environmental energy resources that are available to a sea glider, including pressure differentials, temperature differentials, and current differentials, are also disclosed in detail herein. Further, the surface sled may prevent catastrophic loss of an attached submersible if the surface sled has sufficient lift capacity to hold the sea glider in a position so that it does not sink any further.

[0092] While the sea glider of the present invention may be constructed as a small research sized unit that is manned or unmanned, it is the intent of this patent application to disclose a sea glider capable of being constructed at a very large size that is capable of carrying cargo and passengers exceeding the capacity of a conventional surface ship. This may be accomplished because of the additional lift capacity of having the entire vessel submerged while a conventional ship only provides lift using the portion of its hull that is submerged for displacement. The apparatus of the present invention also gains the tremendous energy saving benefit of gravity powered sea gliding that is not available to a conventional surface ship.

100931 The hydro-turbine generates power from the motion of the glider through the water to generate the needed power for operational and ballast control purposes and to produce additional power for other uses. A hydro-turbine will perform in an identical manner either when the hydro-turbine is stationery as water moves over its blades or when the turbine is attached to the sea glider as it moves through stationery water and, likewise, the wind turbine on the surface sled will operate by the motion of the sled through the air.

Further, a hydro-turbine and water pump may be used as a thruster to provide propulsion when used in the reverse mode in which pressurized water drives the pump to power the thruster, which is the hydro-turbine used in the reverse mode. Two different processes to provide pressurized water to drive the pump in reverse mode and to provide energy from pressure differentials are disclosed herein: (1) the first being the use of an expanded diaphragm; and, (2) the second is the use of compressed air.

[0094] It has been proposed that sea gliders use the temperature differential found within the sea as a power source. This potentially is a slow and marginally effective process. In the present invention, energy may be produced by a hydro-turbine that may be used to heat a high vapor pressure low-boiling-point-liquid to provide a faster and more effective use of a phase change from the liquid to the gaseous phase to provide buoyancy in order to produce lift for a sea glider or conversely the gas may be cooled to reduce lift. The low-boiling-point-liquid may be heated by RF (Radio Frequency) microwaves, may be heated by electrical resistance heating coils, may be heated by thermoelectric modules, or other forms of heat generation derived from stored energy or from energy currently being produced by the hydro-turbine to change to the high pressure gaseous phase.

[0095] Further, it has been proposed that sea gliders surface and re-charge their batteries with solar energy. However, the innovative use of a surface sled provides additional methods by which energy may be generated from environmental energy sources.

The surface sled allows a wind turbine to generate power from the force of the wind and it also allows solar energy to be gained from the surface via the connecting lines from the surface sled to the submersible.

[0096] In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the sea glider does not have to be sea gliding in order to generate power. The sea glider may be held stationery by an anchor/counterweight that may be lowered to the bottom of the sea. A stationery sea glider may harness environmental energy from : (1) the tidal movement of water over the blades of a hydro-tubine; and, (2) wind energy via the wind turbine at the surface; and, (3) solar energy via solar cells from the sun at the surface; and, (4) the current differential between the wind and water.

[0097] Further, the sea glider does not even have to be anchored to generate power. Power can be generated by the opposing forces of the wind current energy and water current energy. Generally, the tidal current of the water will pull the sea glider underwater in one direction and the wind energy at the surface will pull the sled in a different direction, even if they are merely drifting in these currents, power is produced by the process. Power is obtained via the pressure differential created between current energy applied against the sea glider underwater and wind energy applied against the surface sled in the air that may be harnessed by the wind turbine and/or hydro-turbine respectively.

[0098] The innovation of a unique wind turbine that combines both solar energy production and wind energy generation is herein disclosed. Solar cells may be mounted onto the upper surfaces of the blades and support horizontal disk of the wind turbine as well as other structures on the surface sled to produce both solar and wind energy simultaneously.

[0099] The surface sled moves along the water's surface and because it is open to the air it can provide : (1) real-time continuous communication capabilities for the submerged sea glider via a communication line, such as a fiber optic cable, connected to the submersible below water ; and, (2) a supply of air to breath while submerged underwater via an air supply line connected to the submersible below water ; and, (3) surface visibility via a fiber optic communication line connected to the submersible below water; and (4) radar surface detection and other electronic surface monitoring of the surface via a radar system mounted on the sled using a communication line, such as a fiber optic cable, connected to the submersible below water ; and, (5) a stored air supply from the surface to use for ballast control on the submersible via an air supply line connected to the submersible below water that will allow the submersible to use air to blow ballast water out of the glider in order to gain buoyancy without having to rise to the surface to acquire air. The sled can hold a pressure vessel having a pressurized air supply without negatively affecting the buoyancy of the submersible because the pressure vessel filled with compressed air is not on the submersible itself but rather is on the surface on the sled. The tank can remain filled by a wind turbine driven air compressor that uses the kinetic energy of the motion of the wind turbine through the air and via the kinetic energy of the wind blowing along the water's surface as an additional energy source; and, (6) notification of the presence of the submersible below water via the visible surface sled, like a diver's flag floating on the surface, and via air bubbles that will continuously rise from the submersible, like a divers bubble trail. Emergency signals may be placed on the sled in order to provide notification at the surface that there is a problem with the submersible below and the submersible can be reeled to the surface via the connecting lines if necessary ; and (7) ability to acquire GPS global satellite positioning while submerged all of the time to more accurately navigate the sea glider; and, (8) supply electrical power when the sun is shining that is produced via solar cells mounted on the sled and mounted on the horizontal disc and shutters of the wind turbine ; and, (9) emergency location of the sea glider via the surface sled located at the surface with the sea glider attached below ; and, (10) provides a means via return air lines from the sea glider to the surface sled to discharge spent air back to the lower pressure atmosphere, which requires less pressure than discharging air into the water which must be at a higher pressure than the hydrostatic pressure of the water in order to enter the water ; and, (11) added safety from catastrophic loss of the sea glider as the surface sled will provide buoyancy for the sea glider to prevent it from going to the bottom of a deep ocean in the case of ballast system failure of the sea glider that makes it impossible for the sea glider to return to the surface on its own and will supply needed air to the sea glider until a rescue can be accomplished by pulling the sea glider up from the depths by its line connected to the surface sled.

[00100] Environmental energy and gravity power energy sources available to the sea glider are: (1) wind power from both wind energy from the environment ; and, (2) wind energy from the motion of the wind turbine through the wind as the sled is pulled forward by the submersible; and, (3) hydro-power from the kinetic energy of motion of the submersible the surface sled through the water if it has a hydro-tubine attached that is under the surface of the water ; and (4) hydro-power from the kinetic energy of motion of the submersible through the water with hydro-turbines attached to the sea glider and, (5) hydro-power produced by the motion of water over the hydro-tubines while the sea glider and surface sled are stationery ; and (6) power produced as a result of temperature differentials that occur due to changing depths within the water or as a result of height within the air in regards to an airship; and, (7) solar energy from solar cells mounted on the surface sled and wind turbine that remain at the surface all the time; and, (8) power generated from pressure differentials; and, (9) power generated from current differentials, using air currents at the surface acting upon the surface sled and water currents underwater acting upon the sea glider.

[00101] The sea glider of the present invention uses very long high aspect ratio wings that are designed with a high degree of aerodynamic capacity in order to obtain very high glide ratios of perhaps as high as 100 to 1. The glide ratio extends the duration of flight and the range of the flight, while not affecting the glide speed which is a function of the degree of mass differential alone. The glide ratio of the sea glider is very important because as the glide ratio increases more power is generated between ballast changes and a greater distance is traveled between ballast changes, which conserves valuable energy resources.

[00102] An improved glide ratio also means that a shallower glide path may be followed. This is important if the purpose of the vessel is to transport passengers and cargo and it is desirable for the craft to be designed for shallower depth travel to avoid the high hydro-static pressure associated with greater depth.

[00103] The sea glider of the present invention will increase its velocity with an increase in the degree of mass differential with no loss of glide ratio and will attempt to produce as much mass differential at each ballast change as is reasonably practical.

[00104] Heavy lifting capability in excess of a surface ship may be achieved because the sea glider is fully buoyant as it fully sinks below the surface as where a surface ship only creates buoyancy using that portion of its hull that is below the surface of the water to create lift.

[00105] A sea glider may be constructed with a portion of its hull being pliable.

This would allow the sea glider to become smaller and heavier than water when flooded with water and would then allow the pliable portion of the hull to be expanded via air pressure to make it buoyant in water. A flexible collapsible gas bag may be inflated to produce additional buoyancy.

[00106] A sea glider may be constructed with a hydraulic ram within lifting body pontoons that allow the cylinder of the ram to be flooded with water to lose buoyancy or filled with compressed air that forces the water out of the cylinder via the air being injected on the opposite side of the piston than the side containing the water that is discharged from the sea glider to gain buoyancy. Thrust is achieved by the rapid discharge of water from the lifting body pontoons.

[00107] In the alternative a ram may be operated by the use of hydraulic power to withdraw the piston in order to form a vacuum on the opposite side of the piston. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, both of these methods are used simultaneously. As hydraulic force provided by the hydro-tubine forces the piston backward, compressed air is supplied to the opposite side of the piston to reduce the energy (negative force of the vacuum) required to withdraw the piston by the hydraulic force. This is especially beneficial when substantial depth is encountered as the pressure of compressed air alone may not be sufficient to push the piston back due to the hydrostatic pressure of the water surrounding the sea glider. However, the pressure supplied by the compressed air makes it easier for the hydraulic force to move the piston backward to expel the ballast water from the sea glider. Further, the hydraulic ram acts as a backup to the failure of the supply of compressed air due for any reason. The ram may be operated by battery power or by the use of the hydro-turbine as an additional backup.

[00108] The preferred embodiment of the invention accomplishes dramatic ballast change with substantial mass differential by rapidly blowing water ballast out of lifting body pontoons located on the glider using compressed air provided from the surface sled via a connecting high pressure air line. The rapid ballast change accomplishes a powerful buoyant lifting force via the principal of buoyancy that is translated into forward and upward glide velocity. Thus the sea glider of the present invention is capable of gliding at substantial speeds that are far greater than the velocity attained by prior art sea gliders.

[00109] Thrust may be attained as the ballast is being blown from the ballast tanks by high pressure air by providing a jet propulsion nozzle that the water rapidly flows through to create an equal and opposite reaction via Newton's Third Law.

01 1 q Upon reaching a desired depth while ascending upward via the powerfill lift force describe above, the compressed air is rapidly released from the lifting body pontoons by the opening of upper and lower hatches and the pontoons are again flooded with water. After the pontoons have been flooded, the hatches again close.

[00111] The degree of mass differential determines the amount of power available to a sea glider in water or gravityplane in air. The degree of mass differential is a function of both the quality and quantity of mass differential. The quality refers to the degree of mass differential between the lifting fluid and object lifted within the fluid. The quality of lift of air in water is 821 times greater than the quality of lift of a vacuum in air or almost a thousand times the quality of the lift of helium in air. The quantity refers to how much physical volume of lift is obtained by cubic area. To produce a large amount of power even if the quality of mass differential is good as it is for the sea glider, the quantity or number of cubic feet of displacement must still be significantly large as well.

[00112] Further, in order to have a stable velocity for fuel-less flight gravity powered gliding in air or for sea gliding in water the two forces of gravity must be in almost perfect balance. The amount of mass differential of gravity acceleration must match the amount of mass differential of buoyancy. For example if a sea glider has a net weight when in the heavier-than-water mode of 620 pounds to provide a downward motive gliding force, then it must have a net lift of 620 pounds in the lighter-than-water mode in order to obtain the same velocity in gliding upward. The ballast change of buoyancy accomplished then must be 1, 240, with the first 620 pounds equaling and canceling the net weight of the heavier-than-water mode and then an additional 620 pounds of lift to provide a net lift via buoyancy of 620 pounds in the lighter-than-water mode.

[00113] The velocity will decrease as the mass differential decreases. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, thrusters using stored energy are used to transition between the heavier-than-water modes of operation to the lighter-than-water mode to maintain a constant velocity. The hydro-turbine becomes a thruster in the reverse mode operation to provide propulsion power. The hydro-turbine that is powered by water movement is connected via a shaft to a hydraulic pump that provides a flow of high pressure water that is used for ballast change and for other uses in normal power generating use. In the reverse mode high pressure water is forced through the pump and the pump becomes a hydro-turbine itself to provide power to the thruster.

[00114] An innovative counter-weight is used to make the sea glider substantially heavier than the surrounding water when the pontoons are flooded. The counterweight provides forceful gravity acceleration for the sea glider to maintain the velocity in the downward and forward directions via the principal of gravity acceleration and gliding. The pontoons are flooded with water and the glider sinks lower in the water as the cables wench the craft underwater. Once the anchor is attached to the underside of the craft, sufficient water is displaced from the pontoons by compressed air to cause the craft to rise upward via buoyancy and to also begin an upward and forward glide through the water. Near the surface the air is discharged and the sea glider begins to move downward as it maintains its forward momentum [00115] Conventional submarines must surface to get a new supply of air after blowing ballast to gain buoyancy to rise to the surface.

[00116] Like a diver's flag floating at the surface while the diver is underwater, the sled moving through the water will provide surface notification that the submersible is forward of and below the direction of movement of the attached sled that is being towed along the surface of the water.

[00117] Also, the air used for breathing in a manned sea glider will be exhausted back to the surface via the return air line to the surface sled to maintain good quality and to prevent unwanted floatation. Also, less energy is beneficially required to exhaust the air to the surface as the surface has less pressure than the hydro-static pressure at depth.

[00118] The glider may also be used as a boat using stored power, i. e. electrical power storage such as batteries or compressed air may be used as a power storage medium, etc.

[00119] The preferred embodiment of the sea glider is made of lightweight strong composite materials, instead of metal materials as is used by most submersibles. The counter-weight is removed and the pontoons are filled with air on the water's surface and the craft becomes a boat and floats high in the water like a conventional boat. And, thus, may be used as a boat to travel along the surface of the water. Energy produced and stored during sea gliding may be used to power the boat via stored electrical energy or stored compressed air to run pneumatic motors to provide mechanical drive, etc.

[00120] The sea glider invention herein disclosed innovatively uses three different apparatus to create a new improved sea glider; (1) the composite sea glider that is the main vessel that may be lighter than a conventional submersible and may be used as a boat; and, (2) the sled that may be used to provide the above mentioned advantages; and, (3) a counter-weight device that may be connected to the main sea glider vessel or may be used as an anchor to hold the position of the sea glider and sled stationery. Further, a valuable cargo may be used instead of a counterweight in order to be transported by the sea glider, making the sea glider a cargo transport vessel.

[00121] The counterweight provides an additional safety feature for the sea glider as the craft is made of materials that are lighter-than-water and only sinks because of the weight provided by the counterweight. The counterweight may be disconnected from the submersible in order to allow it to surface in the event of failure of the crafts dual ballast system-compressed air supply and hydraulically and/or electrically powered ram to create a vacuum. In the event of release of the counterweight, the submersible is capable of making a rapid emergency ascent.

[00122] As a cargo carrying vessel, the counterweight may consist of cargo that is being transported by the sea glider. The innovative use of a modular cargo counterweight system disclosed herein allows the cargo to be transported in individual sections once the location of delivery of the cargo has been attained. It requires all or most of the cargo counterweight to make the sea glider heavier-than-water ; therefore, a portion of the weight of the cargo counterweight can be transported on the surface by the sea glider, perhaps as much as one-half of the cargo weight, which would allow the cargo to be delivered in two trips to the port or the other half to be lifted onto a second vessel. Additional cargo or a counterweight must be obtained in order for the sea glider to again submerge. This could be accomplished by beneficially backhauling a second cargo.

[00123] A supply line reel housed on the surface sled controls the length of the line from the surface sled to the sea glider. The line may be wound around the Reel to bring the surface sled and sea glider fully together. Once together, the sea glider mounts underneath the surface sled to form one surface vessel having the combined capabilities of the surface sled and the sea glider.

[00124) The surface sled contains communications equipment such as radar and long distance visual aides, wind power and solar power, stored energy via its high pressure compressed air tanks and electrical energy storage batteries. The sea glider has hydro- turbines that remain below the surface to produce power from tidal movement of from the kinetic energy of movement through the water is the combined craft is being propelled by the wind turbines, solar power, or stored electrical power, the sea glider also has stored electrical energy stored in batteries.

[00125] The pontoons of the surface sled are pressure vessels that store high pressure compressed air that filled when wind energy is available either from environmental wind energy or from wind power created by the forward movement of the surface sled through the wind when the sea glider is providing power to pull the surface sled forward via sea gliding energy.

[00126] The anchor may be removed at such time that it is desirable to use the surface sled and sea glider when connected together as a surface vehicle. The anchor acts as a counterweight to hold the sea glider underwater. Without the counterweight anchor, the sea glider will float high up on the surface of the water like a conventional surface vessel. The anchor counterweight may be re-attached when it is desirable to resume sea gliding underwater or it may be simply allowed to rest on the bottom underwater to act as an anchor, which also removes the weight associated with the anchor counterweight from the sea glider so that it will float high on the surface of the water. In the alternative, the anchor counterweight may be lowered to the bottom to hold the sea glider in a stationery position below the surface of the water.

[00127] The vertical axis hydro-turbine invented by the present applicant has far less drag than that of a conventional hydro-turbine as one side is in the position of a horizontal disk having low drag through the water and the other side of the vertical shaft has shutters-open to ninety degrees perpendicular to the oncoming water as the sea glider moves through the water and the shutters move backward as the force of the water acts upon the shutter to further reduce drag. In comparison a conventional hydro-turbine produces drag across its entire swept area, which is the area within the entire circumference of the hydro-turbine's blades, like that of a vertical propeller that is on a horizontal axis.

[00128] A sled moves along the water's surface and because it is open to the air it can provide : (1) real-time continuous communication capabilities for the submerged sea glider via a communication line, such as a fiber optic cable, connected to the submersible below water; and, (2) a supply of air to breath while submerged underwater via an air supply line connected to the submersible below water; and, (3) surface visibility via a fiber optic communication line connected to the submersible below water; and (4) radar surface detection and other electronic surface monitoring of the surface via a radar system mounted on the sled using a communication line, such as a fiber optic cable, connected to the submersible below water; and, (5) an air supply from the surface to use for ballast control on the submersible via an air supply line connected to the submersible below water that will allow the submersible to use air to blow ballast water out of the glider in order to gain buoyancy without having to rise to the surface to acquire air. The sled can hold a pressure vessel having a pressurized air supply without negatively affecting the buoyancy of the submersible because the pressure vessel filled with compressed air is not on the submersible itself but rather is on the surface on the sled. The tank can remain filled by a wind turbine driven air compressor that uses the kinetic energy of the motion of the wind turbine through the air and via the kinetic energy of the wind blowing along the water's surface as an additional energy source; and, (6) notification of the presence of the submersible below water via the visible surface sled. Emergency signals may be placed on the sled in order to provide notification at the surface that there is a problem with the submersible below and the submersible can be reeled to the surface via the connecting lines if necessary; and (7) ability to acquire GPS global satellite positioning while submerged all of the time to more accurately navigate the sea glider.

[00129] Energy sources available to the sea glider are: (1) wind power from both existing wind energy from the environment; and, (2) wind energy from the motion of the wind turbine through the wind as the sled is pulled forward by the submersible; and, (3) solar power via solar cells on the wind turbine and surface of the sled ; and, (4) hydro-power from the kinetic energy of motion of the submersible through the water ; and, (5) power produced as a result of temperature differentials that occur due to changing depths within the water or as a result of height within the air in regards to an airship ; and, (6) power produced as a result of pressure differentials.

[00130] Heavy lifting capability in excess of a surface ship may be achieved because the sea glider is fully buoyant as it fully sinks below the surface as where a surface ship on creates buoyancy using that portion of its hull that is below the surface of the water to create lift.

[00131] A pliable sea glider or rigid hydraulic ram sea glider that can increase its size to change ballast.

[00132] The preferred embodiment of the invention accomplishes dramatic ballast change with substantial mass differential by rapidly blowing water ballast out of lifting body pontoons located on the glider using compressed air provided from the surface sled via a connecting high pressure air line. The rapid ballast change accomplishes a powerful buoyant lifting force via the principal of buoyancy that is translated into forward and upward glide velocity. Thus the sea glider of the present invention is capable of gliding at substantial speeds that are far greater than the velocity attained by prior art sea gliders.

[00133] Upon reaching a desired depth while ascending upward via the powerful lift force describe above, the compressed air is rapidly released from the lifting body pontoons by the opening of upper and lower hatches and the pontoons are again flooded with water. After the pontoons have been flooded, the hatches again close.

[00134] The innovative use of a counter-weight is used to make the sea glider substantially heavier than the surrounding water when the pontoons are flooded and a forceful gravity is gained by the sea glider to maintain the velocity in the downward and forward directions via the principal of gravity acceleration.

[00135] The preferred embodiment of the sea glider is made of lightweight strong composite materials, instead of metal materials as is used by most submersibles. When the pontoons are filled with air on the water's surface, the craft becomes a boat and float high in the water like a conventional boat and thus may be used as a boat to travel along the surface of the water. Energy produced and stored during sea gliding may be used to power the boat via stored electrical energy or stored compressed air to run pneumatic motors to- provide mechanical drive, etc.

[00136] The sea glider is innovatively coupled to a surface sled that remains on the surface of the water to produce energy from wind via a wind turbine and solar energy via solar cells as the sea glider moves underwater. The sea glider and surface sled are connected via a tube that contains a bundle of individual lines for ; radar, GPS, and visual communications, to supply compressed air from the surface sled to the submersible for ballast control and for breathing by occupants, to allow spent air to return to the surface to a lower pressure, to provide warning notification at the surface of the presence of the sea glider underwater. The shaft of the wind turbine on the surface sled is coupled to an air compressor to produce compressed air that is held within the pressure vessel pontoons of the surface sled.

[00137] The sea glider invention herein disclosed innovatively uses three different apparatus to create a new improved sea glider; (1) the composite sea glider that is the main vessel; and, (2) the sled that may be used to provide the above mentioned advantages ; and, (3) a counter-weight device that may be connected to the main sea glider vessel or may be used as an anchor to hold the position of the sea glider and sled stationery.

[00138] An upward lifting force is generated by the force of buoyancy and a downward sinking force is generated by the force of gravity acceleration. The present invention is capable of generating energy via harnessing the upward motion caused by the force of buoyancy and the downward motion caused by the force of gravity in an alternating back-and-forth cycle more fully described herein.

[00139] In order to create a power cycle using buoyancy for lift and gravity acceleration as a downward motive force, there must be the ability to change the overall density of the body of mass that is being lifted within a surrounding lifting fluid via buoyancy to a higher density that will sink within the surrounding lifting fluid. For example, an enclosure containing a low density gas or having a vacuum may rise within a column of liquid and an enclosure containing a low density gas or a vacuum may rise within a column of heavier gas via buoyancy. To change the density of the enclosure containing a low density gas or a vacuum to a heavier configuration, the gas may be compressed or the vacuum may be released and than a heavier gas or liquid may be allowed to enter the enclosure taking the area previously occupied by the low density gas or vacuum, making the entire enclosure heavier than the lifting fluid so that it is capable of sinking via the greater gravitational pull of the earth on the heavier enclosure.

[00140] A greater mass differential means more forceful glide and faster velocity.

[00141] A phase change power cycle is thus created by alternately creating buoyancy via vaporizing a liquid to a low density gas that is lighter-than-air within an enclosure to create lift by changing the working fluid within the enclosure from the liquid state or solid state to the gaseous state. Then the lift is lost by altering the density of the enclosure by causing a phase change of the gaseous state working fluid to the liquid or solid state. Lift is lost because the density per cubic feet of the gas is greatly increased as a result of the phase change and the area previously occupied by low density gas is filled with high density liquid, which causes the mass of the enclosure to be much greater so that its density is greater than the density of the lifting fluid and it sinks via gravity acceleration. To continue the cycle, lift must be re-established when the enclosure has reached a lower elevation which may be accomplished by vaporizing the liquid back to the gaseous state in an alternating cycle.

[00142] A novel gravity powered fuelless sea glider is herein disclosed using a phase change technique to alter the sea glider's density to being greater than the surrounding water by causing a working fluid to change phase to the liquid phase to create gravity powered gliding flight and then alternately at a greater depth the process is reversed to re-establish buoyancy lift by changing the working fluid back to the gaseous state in an alternating cycle.

[00143] Compressed air produced by the surface sled may assist the phase change process. When air is compressed, substantial heat is produced via the heat of compression.

The heat may be used to vaporize a low-boiling-point-liquid via a heat exchanger.

[00144] Compressed air can also be used to accomplish liquefication of the vapor by removing the heat of compression by heat rejection to the environment then expanding the air to provide source of cooling to condense the vapor to the liquid phase. Expansion of the air will cause its temperature to dramatically drop to an extremely cold temperature to refrigerate the vapor to cause the gas within to change to the liquid state and a subsequent reduction in the volume of the working fluid will occur.

[00145] A second process for the liquefication of the gas is to compresses the gas, remove the heat of compression via heat exchange with the surrounding to reject heat and then expand the gas through a Joules-Thompson valve or a work producing turbo-expander, causing a large portion of the gas to liquefy.

[00146] The amount of power generated may be measured as the degree of mass differential with greater power output being generated as the mass differential increases.

The greater the degree of mass differential; the greater the gravity powered energy output.

Time must also be taken into consideration as an energy output factor. A given amount of energy input must be used to alter the mass from the gaseous state to the liquid state or from the liquid state to the gaseous state to make an enclosure lighter than the surrounding fluid or heavier than the surrounding fluid. The distance or height between phase changes that occur within the apparatus to change its ballast determines the period of useful time that elapses before another phase change must occur in the alternating phase change cycle. The greater the height or distance between phase changes in the upward and downward vertical plane ; the greater the energy output. Height directly relates to potential energy. The greater the depth that the sea glider achieves in the heavier-than-the-surrounding-fluid mode, the more kinetic energy it achieves while rising after the mass of the enclosure has been altered to the lighter-than-the-surrounding-fluid mode via a phase change to the gaseous state. The height between phase changes of the apparatus determines the amount of potential energy gained in the lift process via buoyancy.

[00147] The heat of compression of air from the surface may be used to heat to the cabin area of a manned sea glider. The temperature of the air is dramatically increased via the heat of compression. The heat may be removed by heat exchange in the cabin, then the compressed air with its heat removed can be beneficially used on the gravityplane to provide on-board power then discharged as not to add weight to the sea glider to affect ballast control if desired or it may be used to create further buoyancy. In this method air from the surface aides in temperature control of a manned sea glider.

[00148] Buoyancy is a force of gravity. Gravity exerts a greater pull on more dense materials than on less dense materials, which causes buoyancy. A bubble rises in water and helium rises in air because they are less dense than the surrounding lifting fluid.

[00149] Gravity acceleration, which is commonly thought of simply as the downward gravitational pull of the earth, is the reason a glider is able to fly. When you combine the two forces of gravity (buoyancy that is an upward pull and gravity acceleration that is a downward pull) into a new hybrid aircraft, it can rise into the sky via aerostatic lift, using a lifting gas such as helium, and then glide downward like a glider using the gravitation pull of the earth. Before being able to glide, however, the aircraft must first change from being lighter-than-air to being heavier-than-air. This weight change may be accomplished by bringing compressed air from the surrounding atmosphere into the aircraft to make the aircraft heavier to lose lift.

[00150] The Compression of atmospheric air into the aircraft requires an energy input. The required energy may be generated by a wind turbine from the high velocity wind created while gliding downward and energy may be stored in the form of compressed air that is stored in high pressure storage cylinders. The stored energy may be used later to change the weight of the aircraft by powering pneumatic motor driven compressors to compress air that is taken from the surrounding environment into the aircraft to add mass to the aircraft. Importantly, however, the weight of the stored compressed air must be conserved aboard the aircraft after it has been expanded in order to obtain power to drive the pneumatic motors.

[00151] During descent, the compressed air also beneficially adds weight to the aircraft. The aircraft glides faster as it becomes heavier ; however, the glide slope remains the same because increased velocity causes the air to flow faster over the wings, which provides more aerodynamic lift to offset the additional weight.

[00152] The amount of energy produced by the wind turbine while gliding down is directly related to the height (potential energy) at which the glide begins, with the higher the altitude of the starting point the greater the length of time that the aircraft glides downward and produces power. A portion may be stored for later use. Gravity is used to lift the aircraft via buoyancy and also is used to generate power via the wind turbine as it glides downward, as well as provide forward momentum while gliding.

[00153] Height represents potential energy and height provides the power needed for the new hybrid aircraft to glide and to produce and store power. The higher the aircraft is the more potential energy it has that can be converted to kinetic energy of motion, and ; therefore, the greater distance it can glide and the more power it can generate and store.

[00154] In regards to a perpetual motion device. Here is the explanation of why the present invention man not be considered a perpetual device. Any qualified scientist knows that the use of heat as a power source in a closed thermodynamic cycle results in entropy-the loss of a portion of the heat energy due to friction, heat conduction, etc. The result is that each time a cycle is completed there is less energy returned as an output than went into the process; therefore, perpetual motion is correctly deemed to be impossible.

[00155] However, those same scientists also know that the world in which we live is not a closed system. There are forces provided by our natural environment, such as sunlight that produces heat energy and can produce electricity via photovoltaic modules, wind that may be harnessed by a wind turbine to produce mechanical drive that can be used to generate electrical power, used to compress air, or used to drive a hydraulic pump, and there is geothermal heat energy can produce electrical power, and yes the forces of gravity that may be used to our benefit. Just because scientists in the past failed to create practical devices that employ gravity does not mean that gravity cannot be used. The present inventor has discovered how to harness gravity by the combined use of gravity's dual properties-buoyancy to create an upward motion and gravity acceleration to create a downward motion-in an alternating cycle.

[00156] The present invention is an open system using these two well known forces of gravity provided by our natural environment and also includes other sources of environmental energy or fossil fuel or hydrogen power. The gravity technology is equivalent to harnessing the power of the wind or harnessing the power of sunlight that are provided by nature, only in this case the power of nature that is being harnessed is the power of gravity, which is also responsible for buoyancy due to the greater gravitation pull of the earth on the surrounding air than on the less dense lifting gas.

[00157] One force of gravity can take you up and the other can take you down.

Understanding the potential of this dual relationship and creating a cycle out of the up and down motion is the heart of current inventor of a new gravity powered technology, that will make our world a better place to live and a cleaner environment for our children and their children. l00158] The new hybrid"gravity-powered aircraft"is formed by merging the capabilities of the following devices into a single new aircraft apparatus : (1) an aircraft capable of aerostatic (lighter-than-air) lift to gain altitude and, (2) a glider aircraft capable of aerodynamic lift, having a high glide ratio to accomplish long range gliding ; and, (3) a wind turbine that is capable of harnessing the force of wind to generate power and to store power as the aircraft glides downward.

[00159] A conventional glider is towed to fairly high altitude by an airplane or is launched by a tow wench Potential energy is created as the glider gains altitude. As the glider dives toward the earth, the aircraft trades the potential energy difference from a higher altitude to a lower altitude to produce kinetic energy. The glider picks up speed as it falls due to gravity acceleration, which causes high velocity wind to pass over the wings of the glider to create aerodynamic lift. Gliders can climb upward while diving downward by catching rising air currents known as"thermals"in which the air is rising faster than the glider dives downward to achieve an overall upward rise. A glider is capable of gliding much further than an airplane because it has greater aerodynamic lift due to long narrow, high aspect ratio wings. A glider is able to fly because it is able to harnesses a force of gravity-gravity acceleration.

[00160] Lighter-than-air (aerostatic) lift may be explained by the principal of buoyancy, also known as the Archimedes Principal which states: an object immersed in a fluid experiences a buoyant force that is equal in magnitude to the force of gravity on the displaced fluid. Stated differently, the lifting capability is equal to the weight of the surrounding fluid mass that it displaces. Displacing a cubic foot of air creates a lifting capacity equal to the weight of a cubic foot of air, which is. 0755 pounds per cubic foot.

[00161] The lifting capability of helium in air is. 062828 pounds per cubic foot at sea leveL Hydrogen has a greater lifting capability in air than helium and can lift. 0724 pounds per cubic foot at sea level. Helium is heavier than hydrogen and the lighter hydrogen, therefore, has a greater lifting capacity than does helium.

[00162] A conventional aerostatic airship creates lift by the use of gases that are lighter-than-air, such as helium, or use hot air which is less dense than cold air for lift. The lift capacity of hot air is much less than the lift capacity of a lifting gas. Hydrogen generally is not used as a lifting gas any longer because it is explosive and combustible.

Lighter-than-air airships are now being designed to attain altitudes of over 100,000 feet and may be built very large to carry heavy loads of passengers and cargo approaching 1,000 tons. By comparison, a U. S. military C-17 heavy lifter only carries near 70 tons.

[00163] The greater the density of a body of mass, the greater the gravitational pull of the earth on that body of mass. Gravity causes high density mass to sink within lower density mass, like a piece of high density steel sinks in lower density water or like higher density water droplets fall downward toward the earth in lower density air, as each is heavier (higher density) than their respective surrounding body of mass.

[00164] The interesting thing about this process is that the gravitational force can cause motion in both the upward and downward directions. Place a helium balloon in the air and the balloon rises because it contains a lower density gas (helium) than the density of the air surrounding the balloon. Likewise, an air bubble in water has a lower density than the density of the surrounding water, which causes the bubble to be lifted upward by the surrounding lifting fluid-water.

[00165] The aircraft of the present invention has the capability to alter its density (mass as a unit of weight per cubic area) in relationship to the mass of the surrounding air by the use of collapsible gas bags that are inside of the aircraft into which low pressure, low density helium is expanded, which causes the overall density of the aircraft to be lighter- than-air.

[00166] To make the overall density of the airship heavier-than-air to become a glider, compressed air contained in high pressure cylinders is used as a power source to operate pneumatic motors that drive air compressors to bring in compressed air from the surrounding atmosphere to add weight to the aircraft. The new incoming compressed air from the atmosphere and the expanded compressed air from the cylinders are allowed to enter into the area between the inside of the cells of the aircraft and the outside of the gas bags holding the low pressure helium. The helium is compressed due to the greater pressure of the compressed air outside of the gas bags and as the helium is compressed its volume decreases until it occupies far less area in which the helium occupied while expanded in the gas bags. High weight compressed air replaces the space in which the expanded low density helium within the gas bags had previously occupied. The total mass of helium remains constant, but the volume in which the mass is housed is dramatically reduced as a result of compression of the helium and in the process additional weight is added to the aircraft in the form of compressed air in order to lose lift.

[00167] The height that is attained determines the amount of potential energy available that may be converted to kinetic energy as the hybrid aircraft glides downward.

As the aircraft rises it gains potential energy. The higher the altitude gained by the aircraft; the greater the amount of potential energy that is created that may be converted to kinetic energy of motion as the aircraft glides downward from high elevation. The amount of energy that may be generated by the wind turbine via gravity acceleration is in direct relationship to the height (amount of potential energy attained). The higher the aircraft is before it starts gliding the longer the duration of time and the further distance it will glide downward producing power. The aircraft trades the potential energy difference from a higher altitude to a lower altitude to produce kinetic energy as it glides downward.

[00168] For example, let's assume that the glide begins at 1,000 feet and the aircraft begins to pick up speed by gravity acceleration (9.8 meters per second, the speed of gravity acceleration) and much of the low altitude is traded for velocity to reach glide speed and as a result the glider doesn't go very far. The amount of energy gained via converting the potential energy of 1,000 feet of height to kinetic energy of motion by the aircraft is too small to be very useful and the wind turbine of the aircraft would not have generated nearly enough energy to compress the required amount of air into the aircraft to lose lift on the next flight.

[00169] Now let's assume that the aircraft takes a second flight and starts its glide from an altitude of 52,800 feet (10 miles high). It accelerates to the full glide speed via gravity acceleration within the first thousand feet then glides downward at constant speed for over two hours at 200 miles per hour with a 40 to 1 glide slope or 40 miles forward to 1 mile down (10 miles down times 40 miles forward = 400 miles traveled divided by 200 miles per hour = 2 hours of flight). During the glide the aircraft stores compressed air produced by the wind turbine as stored energy and within less than thirty minutes from the time the glide began, it had stored enough energy in the form of compressed air to power a pneumatic motor to drive an air compressor to compress the required amount of air into the aircraft to lose lift on the next climb-out to high elevation. Compressed air can be used for propulsion, electrical power generation, or used to perform any other form of mechanical work.

[00170] From this illustration comparing two different altitudes at which the glide starts, it can readily be seen that the amount of potential energy gained that may be converted to kinetic energy of motion is in direct relationship to the height attained. The energy input to compress air into the aircraft to lose lift is relatively constant, but the energy output via harnessing gravity by creating potential energy that is immediately converted to kinetic energy of motion changes dramatically by the altitude gained before the glide begins.

[00171] If sufficient altitude is not gained before the glide begins, then there is not enough energy produced and stored as compressed air to perform compression of air into the aircraft to lose lift during the next flight to high altitude and the craft must land and replenish its supply of compressed air, which is its fuel source, before starting another flight.

[00172] By starting the glide from great elevation and employing aerodynamic designs having high glides slopes, the duration of power generation may be on the order of many hours at a time before the requirement to again alter its mass in relationship to the surrounding air occurs. Thus, power produced by the wind turbine and stored during these long glides will be available to meet the energy needs of the aircraft for air compression and for other energy requirements.

[00173] The heavier the aircraft ; the faster it is capable of gliding downward as the gravitational pull is greater. The aircraft can become much heavier by storing large quantities of highly compressed, heavy air in order to glide faster. Thus two beneficial purposes are served by the compression and storage of air by the wind turbine: (1) energy is stored for later use; and, (2) the aircraft becomes heavier and glides downward faster.

The aircraft would normally land with a significant load of compressed air-its fuel for later use, including thrust for vertical take-off.

[00174] The new aircraft is able to continue to fly for extended periods of time because of the use of wind turbines. Critical processes that must be accomplished to create the gravity powered flight cycle, such as compression of air into the aircraft to lose lift, need energy input. Wind turbines produce and store energy in the form of compressed air as the aircraft glides downward via gravity acceleration. The stored energy is later used by the aircraft after it rises to substantial height and again needs energy to compress new air into the aircraft to lose lift. The aircraft lands with a cargo of compressed air made possible by the use of wind turbines to produce and store compressed air, which serves as the source of energy that is used for air compression to increase the weight of the aircraft to lose lift during the next flight.

1001751 The wind turbines can generate power while the aircraft is on the ground or floating on water so long as the wind blows with sufficient velocity and provided the wind turbines are faced into the wind. This allows the supply of compressed air to be fully charged after use for short flights that do not produce sufficient compressed air to resume high altitude flight and provides compressed air produced by the wind turbines to drive pneumatic motors to run generators to produce electrical power while on the ground or floating in water.

[00176] Robert Hunt is the inventor of a patent pending vertical axis wind turbine that is ideally suited for use by the new hybrid gravity powered aircraft. Initial tests indicate that Hunt's vertical axis drag wind turbine generates four times the power (20% efficiency) than is generated by conventional bladed horizontal axis wind turbines (only 5% efficient at converting the kinetic energy of wind to power) that use aerodynamic lift. The wind turbine uses drag as the operating force. It alternates from an extremely high drag configuration to an extremely low drag configuration to more efficiently harness the power of the wind. This is accomplished by shutters that close to form a large sail area when pushed by the wind to create high drag to harness the power of the wind and then open to a very narrow surface area to cause low drag when rotating into the wind.

[00177] The wings of the craft are capable of being rotated along a ninety degree arc. This allows the sweep of the wings to be altered as needed. The high aspect ratio wings are fully extended for take-off and landing and for slow speed gliding to achieve high lift. The wings may be swept back to accommodate high speed flight, especially during high velocity dives from high altitude.

[00178] The ship is equipped with three reversible turbines that can serve either as wind turbines to generate energy during descent or be used as propulsion turbines to power the ship. The smaller turbines mounted on each side of the craft may also be used to provide steering assistance. The turbines are connected to pneumatic motors/compressors.

As wind rotates the turbine's blades that are connected to a compressor by a common shaft, the turbine drives the compressor and atmospheric air is taken into the compressor to be compressed and may be stored for later use. When the stored high pressure compressed air is run back through the compressor to rotate the compressor, the compressor becomes a pneumatic motor that drives rotation of the turbine to produce jet propulsion. The turbine can produce and store power generated from the kinetic energy of motion of wind or in the reverse mode of operation use the power produced by the wind to provide jet propulsion.

[M179J The aircraft is designed to carry heavy loads of passengers and cargo without combustion of hydrocarbons as fuel, can stop and hover in place weightless at any time, and can takeoff and land vertically, using compressed air as its fuel that it produces itself during flight via gravity acceleration.

[00180] The aircraft can land on any open, relatively level spot of land and does not necessarily need an airport. Any sizable body of water provides an excellent landing site and it can also be used as a boat after landing on water. The pontoons of the craft are filled with helium to provide lift in air, but likewise they can provide lift within water.

[00181] Using advanced new strong, lightweight materials that are now available, such as carbon fiber or Kevlar bonded with epoxy resin to construct a rigid frame and outer skin a lightweight lifting pontoon may be constructed. Additionally, lightweight non- porous Mylar will be used to form the balloon type gas-bags to hold the helium gases, which can escape more porous materials. Engineering performed by material science engineers for Hunt Aviation indicates that a rigid outer shell with gas bags inside the shell using these new ultra-lightweight materials may readily be built that will be capable of being lighter-than-air when the gas bags are filled with helium.

[00182] A single layer of Kevlar covering an area of a square yard that is bonded with epoxy resin may weigh as little as three ounces. The use of multiple layers of composite material and adding the weight of a carbon fiber framework is estimated to create a total weight of less than 16 ounces (one pound) per square yard of surface area to build a lightweight rigid aircraft.

[00183] The larger the cubic area that is enclosed the less the number of square feet of surface area that there is in ratio to the number of cubic feet of lifting-gas capacity within the enclosure. A cubic enclosure that has six identical sides that are 6 feet by 6 feet, has an internal area of 216 cubic feet and has 216 feet of surface area or a 1 to 1 ratio of surface area to cubic-feet of lifting gas area. If the size of the cubic enclosure is increased tolO feet by 10 feet per side, there are 1,000 cubic feet inside the cube and the sides of the cube have 600 square feet of surface area, increasing the ratio to 1.6. The greater the size of the cube the better the ratio of lifting gas area to square feet of surface area.

[00184] This ratio helps to determines at what size the craft can become lighter- than-air when filled with helium. If the total weight to be lifted is 16 ounces per square yard of surface area, then we must have a ratio that will provide sufficient lift. The lifting capability of helium in air is. 062828 pounds per cubic foot at sea level. A ratio of two means that there are two cubic feet of lifting gas area for each square foot of surface area or. 1256 pounds of lift per square foot of surface area or 1.13 pounds per square yard, which is over 18 ounces of lift capacity per square yard of surface material, which is greater than the 16 ounces of lift needed to make the aircraft lighter-than-air.

[00185] The size of a cube needed to get a ratio of 2 is only 12 feet by 12 feet sides.

A cube having 18 feet sides provides a ratio of 3 and a cube having 30 feet sides has a ratio of 5. It is easy to see that a reasonably sized rigid enclosure may be constructed that can become lighter-than-air to gain altitude using helium as the lifting gases.

[00186] The aircraft is made up of a cellular matrix. The wings and fuselage are composed of a series of rigid cells ; within each cell is a flexible gas bag capable of holding helium to provide. Compressed air can be individually supplied to each cell on the outside of the gas bag to add weight when it is desirable to become heavier-than-air. The lifting capacity of the aircraft must be sufficient to carry an adequate supply of compressed air within high pressure storage containers during its climb to high elevation in order to compress a portion of the helium within the cells to lose lift.

[00187] A wind turbine is capable of generating power from the kinetic energy of motion of the wind. The power of wind is cubed. If the velocity of the wind increases from ten feet per second to twenty feet per second, the kinetic energy in the wind is not doubled, but rather it is eight times greater (2 X 2 X 2 = 8). And if the velocity is then increased to forty feet per second the power of the wind is not four times the original ten feet per second but is sixty-four times greater (8 X 8 = 64). From this illustration you can see why hurricane and tornado force winds destroy buildings, because the power of the wind grows exponentially with increased velocity. The new gravity powered aircraft will have wind velocities into the hundreds of miles per hour striking its wind turbines as it rapidly descends from great heights by gravity acceleration and a very large quantity of energy may be generated by the wind turbines for extended periods of time as individual glides may last for several hours.

[00188] Due to the aircraft's ability to alter its lift via aerostatic lift at any time, it is capable of floating in the air whenever it is desirable to do so. This natural floating capability prevents"falling out of the sky"as conventional airplanes do when jet engine power is lost, which vastly increases the safety of the aircraft of the present invention.

[00189] Fuel-less flight also brings a far greater degree of safety because there is no jet fuel to spill and burn. The combustion of aircraft fuel is the major cause of loss of life in the crash of a conventional airplane.

[00190] After 9/11 many people are very concerned over air travel, fearing that airplanes filled with explosive aviation fuel may become lethal weapons. This has greatly reduced air travel and tourism. The new hybrid aircraft does not carry explosive fuel and it is believed that passengers will feel much safer flying in an aircraft that has no explosive or combustible fuel.

[00191] The rising cost of aviation fuel is the greatest, uncontrollable expense that airlines face. It is obvious that the"innovation of fuel-less flight"is a major achievement in aviation, but it is also a major economic accomplishment. Also, liquid aviation fuel is very heavy, which is an advantage that Hunt's aircraft does not have to carry a substantial load of fuel into the sky.

[00192] There are no emissions from the aircraft to create greenhouse gases that can cause global warming as is produced by convention aircraft using combustion jet turbines, nor does the airship harm the ozone layer as is done by conventional supersonic flight. The environment will be greatly enhanced and protected by the invention of this aircraft that accomplishes flight via harnessing the gravitational pull of the earth to provide a silent gliding style of flight that does not generate loud sounds, as do jet engine powered aircraft.

[00193] Major advantage of the present invention: (1) does not require fuel, which accounts for over eighty percent (80%) of the operating cost of conventional air travel; and, (2) does not have to lift the weight of fuel during take-off or flight; and, (3) makes energy instead of using energy via harnessing gravity by use of the wind-turbine ; and, (4) has the capability to take-off and landing vertically, which is a significant advantage over conventional airplanes; and (6) can deliver people and products directly to the destination ; and, (7) does not necessarily need an airport ; and, (8) has very heavy lifting capabilities on the order of a ship when built to very large size ; and, (9) is safer because there is no fuel to explode and burn ; and, (10) is safer because it can gain neutral buoyancy at any time and float in the air, which can prevent a crash landing ; and, (11) is safer because it is less likely to encounter terrorist activities because there is no fuel to make it a flying bomb; and, (12) is environmentally friendly because there are no greenhouse gas emissions; and, (13) is environmentally friendly because there is not harm the ozone layer; and, (14) is environmentally friendly because there is no noise pollution; and, (15) potentially can fly within the stratosphere where the air is thinner so there is less resistance.

[00194] How the new gravityplane works: (1) Lighter-Than-Air Lift-inert helium gas fills gas-bags enclosed within the rigid shell of a lightweight composite aircraft in order to gain substantial altitude via aerostatic lift; and, (2) Loss of Lift-compressed air is pumped into the aircraft to make it heavier to lose lift, so that the aircraft becomes heavier- than-air to become a glider; and, (3) Gliding-the aircraft glides at a high glide slope for long distances via gravity acceleration, like a conventional glider, at speeds in excess of two hundred miles per hour; (4) Wind Turbines-create and store energy in the form of compressed air, using the force of the high speed flow of wind to generate power as the aircraft glides downward. The high speed wind that powers the wind turbines is created by gravity acceleration of the aircraft. (5) Start Over-The process begins again by discharging the weight of the stored compressed air to lose weight and to power propulsion to again make the aircraft lighter-than-air via aerostatic lift to gain altitude to continue the flight process. (6) Stored Energy for Compression-energy stored in the form of high pressure compressed air stored in high pressure storage cylinders via power generated by the wind turbine is used to power pneumatic motors that drive air compressors to compress air from the atmosphere into the aircraft to make it heavier-than-air to again lose lift to become a glider in a cycle. (Note: The high pressure compressed air that is expanded to power the air compressors is retained on the aircraft to conserve the weight of the expanded air.) [00195] A lifting body may be constructed forming a pontoon shaped cylinder having a diameter of twenty feet and being one hundred feet in length. The cylinder contains 31,400 cubic feet of area that is capable of holding a lifting gas. The cylinder contains 6,405. 6 square feet of surface area. The ratio is 4.9 cubic feet of lifting gas holding area for each square feet of surface area (31,400 cubic feet divided by 6,405. 6 square feet = ratio of 4.9).

[00196] The lightweight composite material from which the pontoon is constructed will weigh 16 ounces (one pound) per square yard. This level of weight allows the cylinder to be constructed using four individual layers of lightweight composite materials, including a carbon fiber corrugated frame made of corrugated sections, with a first layer of carbon fiber tape wound around the ring segments to tie them together securely, then one layer of Kevlar running longitudinally the entire length of the cylinder and a second layer of Kevlar tape spiral wound around the cylinder to tie the entire series of layers together then the carbon fiber and Kevlar fabric are bonded together with epoxy resin to the carbon fiber corrugated frame. Each of the two Kevlar layers has a weight of 3 ounces per square yard and the carbon fiber corrugated frame layer weighs 5 ounces per square yard and the spiral would layer of carbon fiber has a weight of 5 ounces per square yard for a combined weight of 16 ounces (one pound) per square yard or 1.77 ounces per square foot. The radial corrugated design pattern of the carbon fiber will provide substantial additional strength to the cylinder. The total weight of the pontoon's 100 feet by 20 feet diameter rigid shell is 712 pounds. Helium has a lifting capacity at sea level of. 062828 pounds per cubic foot.

The 31,400 cubic feet of area when filled with helium can lift 1,972 pounds at sea level, providing a gross lifting capacity of 1,260 pounds less the weight of the polyester reinforced nylon collapsible gas bags and cell dividers having a weight of 3 ounces per square yard with an area of approximately 7, 285 square feet is 152 pounds. The total weight of the pontoon with the gas bags is 864 pounds and the net lift of the pontoon is 1, 108 pounds.

[001 97l More lift can be obtained by pulling a partial vacuum in the annular space between the gas bags and the inside walls of the cells to cause the pressure on the outside of the helium gas to be lowered to cause the helium to further expand within the gas bags in order to lower the density of the helium by reducing its pressure below atmospheric pressure and thus increasing its lift capacity as the helium further expands. The removal of air from the cells while forming the partial vacuum removes weight from the cells as well.

1001 98l Cells will be created every 20 feet along the cylinder that are formed using flexible walls made of strong lightweight nylon that is polyester film reinforced that will act as dividers to create the individual cells. New lightweight reinforced films that are used to build pressurized balloons can withstand up to 45 pounds per square inch of pressure. An An individual gas bag capable of housing a low density lifting gas will be within each of the five cells. This matrix of cells with internal gas bags will provide pressure and lift control for the pontoon. The gas bags can be filled with low pressure, low density helium to provide lift. Compressed air having a higher pressure than the pressure of the helium can be provided to the annular space between the gas bags and the inside walls of the cells to add weight and to provide compression to the helium gas bags to cause them to shrink, causing a reduction in lift as the helium is partially compressed, which causes it to occupy a smaller area. The heavy compressed air replaces the space that was previously occupied by low density helium.

[00199] A mold is only needed to form the corrugated rings segments that provide the framework for the cylinder. The strong carbon fiber rings are fabricated and are then mounted vertically on at least two horizontal pipes that are on the inside of the rings. The pipes are suspended above ground level by vertical pipe sections that are fluidly connected to the horizontal pipes. These pipes which are made of spiral wound lightweight Kevlar material remain inside the pontoon and provide the lines to control pressure control over the pontoons, supplying compressed air to the individual cells or removing air from the cells via a vacuum pump attached to the lines. The vertical pipes are merely cut free from the ground attachments and are provided with fittings after the pontoon is finished. The lines can be used as pressure vessels to hold supplies of compressed air as well being able to withstand pressure overl, OOO p. s. i. Spherical ends are added to the pontoon as the final procedure to allow access into the interior of the pontoon through the ends until near completion.

[00200] A layer of carbon fiber tape is spiral would over the carbon fiber rings that makeup the framework to securely tie the corrugated ring frame segments together. A layer of Kevlar material is applied horizontally to extend the entire length of the pontoon. The layer is woven together with a second layer of Kevlar tape that is spiral wound around the circumference of the pontoon. These three layers are bonded together and are bonded to the corrugated carbon fiber frame with epoxy resin once in place to make a strong lightweight cylinder capable of holding approximately substantial pressure.

[00201] The lift capacity of this pontoon in regard to altitude attainable would be on the order of 20,000 feet of elevation above sea level before equilibrium known as pressure heights reached. The density of the air at 20,000 feet is. 0408, less the weight of the helium. 011 pounds per cubic foot. The net lift capacity of helium at this altitude is. 0298 times 31,400 cubic feet of helium gas equals 935 pounds of lift which is greater than the 864 pounds of weight of the prototype pontoon. Temperature and humidity and other factors also affect this calculation. It is only an approximation used for illustration purposes of estimated potential height obtainable by the small prototype pontoon. Larger pontoons will have greater capabilities in regards to obtainable altitude. The prototype pontoon will be tethered to the ground, so this calculation is not critical to its development, but it is important to know the potential altitude attainable for later models that will actually fly as height represents potential energy that may be converted to kinetic energy of motion.

[00202] The pontoon will be tested for mass/volume relationships to determine precise control methods. The following describes tests procedures anticipated at this time : (1) Fabricate the pontoon lifting body having five individual cells with a collapsible gas bag capable of holding helium gas being within each cell. The pontoon is connected to tether lines attached to the ground. (2) Fill the gas bags partially full of helium gas and with draw air from between helium bags and interior of pontoon within cells. (3) Measure the maximum amount of net lift of the pontoon via an accurate scale in regards to the upward pull of the pontoon on its tether lines. The maximum lift will be obtained by the use of a partial vacuum outside the gas bags allowing the helium in the bags to expand without opposition from atmospheric pressure at sea level and removing gas molecules that have weight from the pontoon between the gas bags and the shell of the pontoon, which results in very low pressure, low density helium that has a pressure that is substantially below 14.7 p. s. i. being within the gas bags in order to provide greater lift. (4) Cause the pontoon to sink on one end by providing compressed air to the end cell on the end that will sink. Then, sink the opposite end by the same method. Basically, cause the pontoon to rock back and forth by alternately sinking one end then sinking the opposite end. During this time the center of the pontoon still provides its full lifting capacity via the three center cells that are isolated from the two end cells, of which the mass/volume relationship is manipulated to cause the back and forth rocking motion of the pontoon. (5) The rising end provides thrust via jet propulsion to assist in rising. A jet shaped exhaust port that is aimed downward ejects the compressed air, which has substantial weight, to produce upward thrust and to reduce weight by discharging the heavy compressed air. (6) Air to perform these functions will be obtained from a tank of compressed air that is on the ground. The action will be rapid; much like an inflatable air bag in a car that is almost instantly inflated by a supply of compressed air from a container. Loss of lift will occur because the very low pressure helium gas within the gas bags will undergo compression as higher pressure compressed air is supplied on the outside of the bag and the pressure builds between the gas bag and the shell of the pontoon, compressing the helium in the gas bags and adding weight to the cell via the heavy compressed air. (7) Tests conducted on the pontoon will provide us with empirical data that will allow the development of flight control systems to manipulate the mass/volume relationship. Density is defined as the quantity of mass divided by the volume in which the mass is held. Therefore, the density is altered to change the lift characteristics on a cell by cell basis to control the overall center of gravity of the aircraft.

This function will be operated by a computer program that will be developed as a result of the above described tests.

[00203] The craft may be tethered in place or may be free flying. A tethered embodiment of the present may be a radio remote controlled unit tethered to a line and sends power back to the earth via its wind turbine. The power could be used for night lighting, etc. and the units could be scaled up to produce commercial grade power as well.

The craft would mainly be flexible helium balloon material to provide aerostatic lift with lightweight ultra-light type wings for gliding with a very lightweight small wind turbine to produce enough power to run a bicycle light sized of small type of generator. The tether is a reel with a thin metal wire to transmit the power back to the ground, most likely to power a single small light bulb for night lighting.

[00204] Larger and more advanced tethered models would use compressed air as ballast via an airline with its air supply on the ground to cause the craft to become heavier so that the glider could be lowered back to earth (as the reel is pulled in) or could then glide in a 360 degree circle around the tether line. This could be accomplished by adding compressed air to make the craft heavier-than-air, then gliding into the wind moving forward and downward; thus, gaining forward momentum until near the end of the tether is reached and bank cross wind. Then exhaust the compressed air (again becoming lighter- than-air) to provide thrust via jet propulsion and climb back to full height as the glider moves down wind to repeat the cycle for 360 deg. continuous flight (or at least until you run out of compressed air and have to wait for the tank to refill via the power of the wind turbine). The entire gravityplane glider power unit would be portable and when deflated could fit into a very small area. The power output could be in the form of compressed air if the generator is replaced with a small lightweight air compressor that can charge a tank on the ground with compressed air to control flight and/or to be used to power a pneumatic motor to provide mechanical drive.

[00205] A second pontoon will be constructed to match the original pontoon and wings and other aircraft flight control structures, such as ailerons and a rudder, will be added to the structure. A wind turbine will also be installed and small thruster propulsion turbine will be installed. The unit will be manned in flight, but will be tethered to the ground at very low altitude (probably less than 500 feet) ; therefore, minimal cabin area will be needed. This craft will provide interesting data in regards to aerodynamic criteria as it will function much like a kite when the wind is blowing and thus will incorporate aspects of both aerodynamic lift and aerostatic lift. Less aerostatic lift will be required to maintain flight configuration.

[00206] In many ways this embodiment of the present invention that is tethered device may be considered a flying wind turbine that employs both aerodynamic lift (like a glider) and aerostatic lift (like a helium balloon). Power will be generated when the wind is blowing. The power may be sent back to the ground via the tether or may be generated and stored as compressed air within high pressure pipes within the pontoons of the airship that act as pressure vessels. A portion of the compressed air will drive a pneumatic motor that will power an electrical generator to provide on board power and to charge the crafts batteries.

[00207] If sufficient heavy compressed air is allowed to be stored, then the lift will be reduced and the craft will lose altitude due to the increase in compressed air ballast weight. However, the lift is created by two lift forces and the cargo of compressed air when the wind is blowing is greater than if aerostatic lift alone were used. The craft can experience vertical landing by building up a supply of compressed air heavy enough to slowly sink it to the ground and using the propulsion turbines to assist the landing via downward thrust to slow the descent as the computer controls the lift ballast of the aircraft to keep it level. Likewise, the craft can practice vertical take off by downward thrust that also reduces the weight of the craft as the air is exhausted through the propulsion turbines.

[00208] The compressed air will be used to provide steering of the craft into the wind. Pitot tubes will sense the direction of the wind and then the propulsion turbines will provide thrust as needed to keep the craft headed into the wind so that the wind turbine continues to operate, aerodynamic lift is attained, and to keep the tether lines from becoming twisted due to excess rotation of the craft. The wind's velocity will determine the amount of aerodynamic lift generated. The area between the gas bags and the rigid shell will become a partial vacuum at sea level. This causes the helium within the gas bags to react as if the helium was already at a higher altitude and allows the helium to be at extremely low pressure (substantially expanded providing more lift at sea level), while still on the ground due to the artificial low pressure inside the cells of the pontoon and on the outside of the gas bags. This causes a differential of pressure at sea level as the pressure of the atmosphere (up to but less than 14.7 p. s. i. ) applies a force against the rigid shell, being a partial vacuum within. As the craft rises due to the discharge of ballast weight (compressed air) that also provides thrust via pneumatic motor driven turbine engines, the craft rises due to propulsion and due to a reduction in weight. As it rises the amount atmospheric pressure on the hull actually decreases as the pressure of the atmosphere drops.

[00209] At all times the operators of the aircraft will have control over the volume /mass relationship of the individual cells of the craft with the ability to alter the pressure within the cells on the outside of the gas bags, by increasing the pressure via compressed air or decreasing the pressure via a vacuum pump. If needed, a small portion of the helium will be compressed into high pressure cylinders for later use. If the craft has risen to an altitude in which equilibrium has occurred, then it will not take much reduction in lift to start a descending glide downward resulting in an increase in the velocity of the wind. Once falling the wind turbine will continue to compress air into the craft to increase the weight to keep it heavier-than-air and it will land heavier-than-air with a load of compressed air as ballast weight and as stored energy for propulsion.

[00210] The aircraft may use rapid ascent (like a porpoise coming up out of the water into the air due to its kinetic energy of upward motion) and thrust via compressed air powered jet engine propulsion to intentionally overshoot the equilibrium altitude, which will cause it to fall back to the equilibrium altitude. Upon starting to fall, a supply of compressed air may be pressurized into to the craft as it is returning to the equilibrium altitude to add weight to make it to continue the fall--gliding forward and downward. To exceed the anticipated target can be used beneficially in order to go into a diving mode by the loss of lift caused by exceeding the altitude of equilibrium by use of the kinetic energy of motion of the aircraft to provide power to bring additional weight into the aircraft in the form of heavy compressed air. A dive created by loss of lift is necessary for the wind turbines to work and to initiate gliding. Aerodynamic lift via the glider wings of the aircraft will alter the way it falls as opposed to a conventional aerostatic airship that is not designed to glide. The structure of the aircraft must be able to support these conditions of course.

[00211] Thrust can be powered in the same manner as air compression can be powered-by the stored power of compressed air held within high pressure compressed air storage tanks that is used to drive pneumatic motors to power a compressed air driven turbine. Like, in the use of air compression the weight of the air from the storage cylinders must be conserved on the aircraft by being expanded into the cells. If the weight of the air is lost, then the aircraft becomes lighter. The major advantage of powering thrust to gain additional altitude above the pressure height is that additional potential energy is gained in the process, which means that more energy is derived from the glide that begins at a higher altitude. Therefore, using thrust to overshoot the pressure height makes a more efficient method of operation as opposed to the use of air compression that may take longer and will not obtain additional beneficial altitude or forward motion.

[00212] The volume of mass within the pontoons or individual cells must change in order to change the weight of the pontoon. The pontoons are sealed to the outside environment only! Compressed air from the surrounding environment is supplied to the pontoons on the outside of the collapsible balloons containing low pressure helium, but on the inside of the cells within the rigid pontoons, increasing the pressure (causing compression of the helium within the balloons) and increasing the volume of mass (added weight in the form of compressed air) within the cells of the pontoons to make the entire pontoon heavier or individual cells heavier. Likewise, air may be withdrawn from between the collapsible balloons and the inside of the rigid shell via a vacuum pump to decrease the pressure on the outside of the balloons and to remove mass (weight) from the cells to make them lighter. Removed air is discharged to the environment when it is desirable to make the aircraft lighter and is compressed into high pressure cylinders when it is desirable to conserve the weight of the compressed air and to store power for later use. Supply lines that perform these functions are connected to compressors that withdraw air from the environment surrounding the aircraft and are connected to the cells within the pontoons. In order to create a partial vacuum within the cells, the suction side of the pneumatically powered or wind turbine powered compressor is switched to the cells. The discharge side of the pneumatically powered or wind turbine powered compressor is switched to the cells in order to supply compressed air to the cells. Therefore, the supply or withdrawal of air volume is mechanically controlled internally and the pontoons themselves are sealed to the environment.

[00213] Air compressors powered by the wind turbines withdraw air from the environment while descending and store the compressed air within high pressure storage cylinders for later use to change ballast via stored energy. The compressed air possesses stored power. The energy within the compressed air powers pneumatic motors to drive air compressors. The air compressors withdraw new air from the environment to add weight to the aircraft to make it heavier to start descending. The stored compressed air within the high pressure cylinders is not discharged from the aircraft after driving the pneumatic motor but moves from the high pressure cylinders to a much lower pressure in the cells, therefore, the weight of the compressed air that was previously within high pressure cylinder storage is conserved (The physical volume of the compressed air changes, but the weight of the compressed air remains the same).

[00214] However, new air mass (weight) is added-via the incoming compressed air brought into the aircraft from the environment by the compressors that are powered via the pressure (high pressure compressed air within the storage cylinders that perhaps is as high as 1,500 p. s. i. ) drop from higher pressure to lower pressure (low pressure within the cells that is higher than the pressure of the helium in the gas bags but far lower than the original pressure within the high pressure cylinders) to run the air compressors.

[When the aircraft is at pressure height and is merely floating in the air in equilibrium, only a relatively small volume of compressed air is required to be brought into the aircraft from the surrounding environment in order to initiate descent. Once any velocity is obtained due to gravity acceleration, the wind turbines will begin to generate a powerful compression force to bring in additional air mass to add weight. As the aircraft continues to descend and as it increases its velocity, the wind turbines begin generating more power and the process of bringing in additional air continues as the high pressure storage cylinders are refilled to replace air used in the previous processes, adding more weight to the aircraft. Additionally, using wind turbine power the helium within the gas bags may be compressed into high pressure helium storage cylinders and heavy compressed air can replace the area previously occupied by expanded helium to further reduce lift.

[00216] Likewise, the power generated by the wind turbines may be used to form a partial vacuum on the outside of the gas bags within the pontoons to provide greater lift prior to landing. The air withdrawn from the pontoons to form the partial vacuum can be compressed into the high pressure cylinders to conserve its weight aboard the aircraft.

Upon landing, the overall weight of the aircraft is much heavier than the surrounding air because of the large volume of high compressed air held as ballast weight on the aircraft.

The positive weight and glider shape of the aircraft makes it far more manageable during landing. Vertical landing can be accomplished using compressed air to drive pneumatic motors to provide downward thrust.

[00217] The aircraft could use vacuum lift alone, but the expanded helium in the gas bags serves as a safety feature, as rupture of a pontoon having only vacuum-lift could potentially cause catastrophic loss of lift. The negative pressure on the aircraft actually decreases with height as it rises to pressure height.

[00218] The aircraft has substantial flight control during vertical take-off via the propulsion engines and being heavier than air at that time with wings for aerodynamic lift as forward motion begins.

[00219] It is important to realize that all of the compressed air is not discharged during take-off. A cargo of compressed air is carried all the way up to"pressure height" with the aircraft. The compressed air is the aircraft supply of stored energy that is needed to change the aircraft to heavier-than-air at high altitude. Here is how the process works : The highly compressed air that may have a pressure within the high pressure compressed air storage cylinders on the order of 1,500 p. s. i. is used to power pneumatic motor driven compressors to bring in new compressed air from the surrounding environment into the aircraft to add mass to the aircraft to make it heavier-than-air. The compressed air from the cylinders moves from the pneumatic motors to the cells within the pontoons to conserve its weight and to compresses the helium within the air bags. Due to the compression of the helium, the compressed air (approx. 15 p. s. i. ) within the pontoons now occupies a lot of the area that was previously occupied by lower pressure expanded helium.

[00220] Alternately, the aircraft can use compressed air powered jet engine propulsion to climb above the pressure height to a point where the aircraft is heavier than air due to the thin atmosphere at that altitude. The compressed air used to power the turbine moves to the cells within the pontoons to conserve its weight. When the supply of stored compressed air is depleted, the aircraft begins a downward dive that provides kinetic energy via gravity acceleration sufficient to power the wind turbines that compress additional new air into the aircraft to make the aircraft heavier to continue the downward glide.

[00221] Power can be generated on the climb to pressure height by the wind turbines as movement through the air as little as 20 miles per hour is sufficient to cause power to be generated. A rate of climb of 5, 280 feet (one mile) per minute would provide an upward velocity of three times that rate of nearly 60 miles per hour. The faster the climb the better because you can start gliding sooner and more upward velocity power can be generated by the process. This process of upward gliding is proven by sea gliders that glide upward and forward through the water.

[00222] The upward velocity power generated could be stored as electrical energy or as chemical energy (hydrogen via electrolysis of water) to power a fuel cell to provide heat and to provide electrical power. Water could be obtained from the atmosphere via compression. As the air is compressed, the heat of compression is formed. The higher pressure air is sent to an accumulator and begins to cool, which causes the water vapor to condense at the higher pressure and lower temperature, thus air compression typically generates a lot of water via the accumulator.

[00223] Electrolysis via a reversible fuel cell could convert the water into hydrogen and oxygen, both of which are useful. To accomplish electrolysis a pneumatic motor drives a generator to produce an electrical current. The air from the pneumatic motor would then be discharged to the environment as not to add weight to the aircraft as it is climbing via lighter-than-air lift. The hydrogen could be housed within an expanded gas bag to additionally provide lift instead of helium, but that brings new risks associated with the volatile nature of the hydrogen. However, the technology of fuel cells using hydrogen is making it far safer. Some weight would be added to the craft by this process, but the weight would be minimal, especially if most of the oxygen is discharged. However, the oxygen may be needed to drive the fuel cell along with the hydrogen at high altitude. Fuel cells produce a lot of heat along with electrical power and water vapor when operating, all of which could be beneficially used by the aircraft. A fuel cell could supply heat and electrical power that can be used to produce more heat via resistive heating.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [00224] Figure 1 describes an embodiment of the present invention which is an innovative new sea gliding apparatus (100) comprising a sea glider (104), a surface sled (108), and a counterweight and anchor system (116). The sea glider (104) is connected to a surface sled (108) by a line (106) that is a hollow tube that contains a bundle of individual communication lines, air supply lines, return air lines, etc. (these lines are not individually shown in this drawing but are shown in detail in Section"AA"of Figure 2) that support the operation of the sea glider (104). The anchor system (116) provides the ability to anchor the sea glider into a stationery position underwater or may be readily detached so that the sea glider (104) may float high above the water's surface (110) like a conventional surface vessel. Further, all three components, the sea glider (104), the surface sled (108), and the anchor system (116) may be coupled to together to from a single vessel (not shown).

[00225] The sea glider (104) follows a wave pattern glide path (102) through the water below the surface (110) of the water. On-board power for the sea glider (104) is derived by harnessing the kinetic energy of motion through water via hydro-turbines (112) mounted on the sea glider (104).

[00226] The surface sled (108) travels on the surface of the water (110) and provides additional power via a wind turbine and via solar power (these are not individually labeled on this drawing but are shown in detail in Figure 2).

[00227] Thrusters (114) mounted on the sea glider (104) provide thrust for the sea glider via power provided by the surface sled (108) or using stored electrical power, etc.

[00228] Figure 2 is a detail of the surface sled apparatus (100) cited in Figure 1.

The surface sled (100) floats on the surface of the water (216) having pontoons (202) for floatation and it is pulled through the water by the sea glider (not shown) of Figure 1.

[00229] A wind turbine (206) is coupled to the surface sled (200) to harness a portion of the kinetic energy of motion of the wind turbine's (206) movement through the air. An air compressor (212) is coupled to the shaft (222) of the wind turbine (206) and a supply of compressed air is produced by the air compressor (212) and the compressed air is stored in the pontoons (202). Compressed air is supplied to the sea glider (not shown) by a line (214) that is connected to the sea glider as shown in Figure 1.

[00230] The line (214) is a hollow tube that contains a bundle of individual lines: fiber optic cable (224), electrical supply line (226), radar communication line (228), GPS communication line (230), high pressure air supply line (232), low pressure return air line (234). The length of the line (214) between the surface sled (200) and the sea glider of Figure 1 (not shown) is controlled by a line reel (218) onto which the line (214) is wound.

Compressed air lines (204) supply compressed air from the compressor (212) to the pontoons (202) and to the line (214) via the line reel (218) to supply air to the sea glider of Figure 1. Stored compressed air is supplied to the line (214) from the pontoons (202) via the line reel (218) to supply air the sea glider of Figure 1 as well.

[00231] Additional power is generated on the surface sled (200) by solar cells (220) that are mounted on the upper surfaces of the surface sled (200) and are mounted on the upper surfaces of the disk shaped wind turbine (206).

[00232] A telescopic camera (208) that has a fiber optic cable (not shown) connected to the sea glider (not shown) of Figure 1 by the line (214) is mounted on the surface sled (200) for visual communication of the surface of the water (216) by occupants of the sea glider of Figure 1. A radar unit (210) that has a communication line (not shown) connected to the sea glider of Figure 1 by the line (214) is mounted on the surface sled (200) so that occupants of the sea glider of Figure 1 are provided radar (210) surveillance of the surface of the water (216).

[00233] Figure 3 provides a detail of the lifting body pontoons (304) of the sea glider (300) that has long narrow, high aspect ratio wings (302) connected to the pontoons (304). Ailerons (332) and rudders (330) provide control for the sea glider (300) to glide through the water. A cabin area (310) for the crew and passengers is located in a Delta wing section of the sea glider (300) positioned between the two lifting body pontoons (304).

Hydro-turbines (328) are coupled to the sea glider (300) to produce power from the motion of the sea glider (300) through the water or the tidal flow of water over the sea glider (300) when it is stationery. The sea glider (300) is held in the stationery position by an anchor counterweight system (336) mounted underneath the lifting pontoons (304). Cargo (not shown) is stored underneath the cabin area (310).

[00234] Thrusters (334) provide thrust for propulsion of the sea glider (300) and the surface sled (not shown) coupled to the sea glider (300). Power is produced by the hydro-turbines (328) and a portion of the power may be used for guidance control via the thrusters (334). Power may be stored in storage batteries (not shown) or may be supplied by the surface sled (not shown) via wind its wind turbines (not shown) or via compressed air stored on the surface sled within its pontoons (not shown).

[00235] The lifting body pontoons (304) provide ballast for the sea glider (300) and can be changed from the heavier-than-water mode of operation to the lighter-than-water mode using compressed air (314) that is supplied by the surface sled of Figure 2 that is not shown. The compressed air (314) flows through control valve and line (306) into a cylinder (312) on one side of a piston (316), causing the piston (316) to move backward in response to the pressure applied by the compressed air (314) displacing water (320) from the pontoon (304) through control valve (326) in order to make the lifting body pontoon (304) lighter- than-water in order to provide an upward motive force via the principal of buoyancy.

Thrust (324) is provided by this process via Newton's Third Law as the pressurized water (320) flows through jet propulsion nozzle (322). The thrust (324) provides propulsion for the sea glider (300).

[00236] The propulsion produced by the thrust (324) of the jet propulsion nozzle (322) maintains the velocity of the sea glider (300) as it changes ballast. Otherwise, the sea glider (300) would lose velocity at it makes the transition from being heavier-than-water to being lighter-than-water and neutral buoyancy is attained that does not provide buoyancy acceleration via positive buoyancy, creating an upward motive force, nor does it provide gravity acceleration via negative buoyancy to create a downward motive force for the sea glider (300) to sea glide.

[00237] In order to change ballast to the heavier-than-water mode, the compressed air (314) is released from the pontoon (304) through control valve and line (308). The piston (316) moves forward in response to hydro-static pressure applied against the piston (316) by the water (320) on the backside of the piston (316) and water that flows through control valve (326) to fill the pontoon (304) in order to make it heavier-than-water.

[00238] Alternately, in order to change ballast to the heavier-than-water mode, the compressed air (314) is not released from the pontoon (304), but is compressed within the pontoon (304) to a much smaller volume and to a much higher pressure. Control valve (326) is closed and high pressure water (320), having a much higher pressure than the hydro-static pressure of the surrounding water (320), is supplied by a hydraulic pump (not shown) connected to the shaft (not shown) coupled to the hydro-turbines (328) on the sea glider (300) to the cylinder (312) within the pontoon (304) through line and control valve (318) on the side of the piston (316) opposite the compressed air (314) side of the piston (316). The piston (316) moves forward in response to pressure applied against the piston (316) by the incoming high pressure water (320) in order to make the lifting body pontoon (304) heavier-than-water as the compressed air (314) undergoes a higher level of compression and its physical volume undergoes a dramatic reduction in cubic area.

[00239] The advantage gained by this alternate method of operation is that greater depth may be gained by the sea glider (300). The very high pressure compressed air (314) is used later to provide lift at greater depth by opening control valve (326) allowing the compressed air (314), having far greater pressure than the hydro-static pressure of the surrounding water (320), to expand to a greater volume, which causes the piston (316) to move backward in response to the extreme high pressure compressed air (314). The piston (316) displaces water from the lifting body pontoon (304) through control valve 326) and thrust (324) is provided as the pontoon (304) becomes lighter-than-water to provide buoyancy for the sea glider (300).

[00240] Propulsion may also be provided by compressed air (314) stored in the pontoons of the surface sled (not shown) of Figure 2. The compressed air (314) powers pneumatic motors (not shown) that power the thrusters (328).

[00241] Figure 4 describes an alternative embodiment that uses phase change as a method of operation of the sea glider (not shown) to provide buoyancy. A high vapor pressure low-boiling-point-liquid (426) is vaporized by a resistance heating element coil (404) and by RF frequency microwave heating (402) to create buoyancy in lifting body pontoon (406). As the liquid (426) becomes high pressure vapor (410), the high pressure vapor (426) forces piston (412) backward within cylinder (408), which in turn forces a jet propulsion (420) flow of pressurized water (416) through control valve (422) and through jet propulsion nozzle (418) out of the pontoon (406) to cause the sea glider (not shown) to become lighter-than-water as jet propulsion thrust (420) is obtained to provide propulsion for the sea glider.

[00242] A liquid low-boiling-point-liquid (426) pump (424) pressurizes liquid (426) through the resistance heating element coil (404).

[00243] The sea glider (not shown) becomes heavier-than-water as the vapor (410) is circulated through heat exchange coils (not shown) that reject heat to the water (416) that surrounds the pontoons (406), which causes the vapor (410) to phase change to the liquid (426) state as the temperature drops. A phase change is facilitated by a drop in temperature and an increase in pressure. The pressure of the vapor (410) may be increased by pumping high pressure water (416) into the area on the opposite side of the piston (412) within cylinder (408) through control valve and high pressure water supply line (414). The increase in pressure helps to cause the vapor (410) to change phase to the liquid (426) state as the vapor (410) is rejecting heat to the environment, [00244] Figure 5 describes an alternative embodiment that forms a vacuum (526) as a method of operation of the sea glider (not shown) to provide a buoyancy-lift apparatus (500). Buoyancy to make the sea glider lighter-than-water is created as a vacuum (526) is formed as piston (512) is forced backward within cylinder (524) by pressurized hydraulic fluid (522) that flows into the cylinder through control valve and supply line (510) applying a force against piston (512). Piston (512) is coupled to piston (504) by a rod (506) so that piston (512) and piston (504) move in concert. As piston (504) moves backward in concert with piston (512), a vacuum (526) is formed within cylinder (524) forward of piston (504); and, water (514) is forced through jet propulsion nozzle (516) and out of pontoon (502) to create thrust (528) for propulsion of the sea glider (not shown).

[00245) Hydraulic fluid (522) is withdrawn via a hydraulic pump (not shown) through line (508) from the left side of a wall and rod seal (520), which prevents the flow of hydraulic fluid (522) from flowing from one side of the wall and rod seal (520) to the other side of the wall and seal (520) along the rod (506), and is pressurized into the right side of the wall and rod seal (520) that causes piston (512) to move backward as described above to form the vacuum (526).

[00246] The heavier-than-water mode of operation is established by releasing the vacuum (526) and allowing the piston (504) to move forward and piston (512) moves forward in concert with piston (504) and hydraulic fluid (522) flows from the right side of wall and seal (520) through control valve and line (510) to the left side of wall and seal (520) through line (508) until no vacuum (526) remains and the vacuum-lift is lost.

[00247] Figure 6. describes the preferred embodiment of the present invention, which form a gravity powered airship. A lightweight frame is used to couple two wind turbines to an upper airfoil and to a lower airfoil. Guidance is provided by a forward elevator and a rear elevator to control the elevation of the airship and a rudder is provided to control the yaw of the airship.

[00248] As the airship glides toward earth, the force of the wind is applied against the blades of the dual wind turbines, which rotates the shafts of the two wind turbines. The turbines counter-rotate each other for smooth operation and to reduce vibration. The shafts of the dual wind turbines are attached to air compressors located in the lower airfoil that compress high pressure air into high pressure compressed air storage tanks located in the lower airfoil. The compressed air provides pneumatic power to drive other devices on the airship, such as the electrical generator. (The necessary air lines, solenoid valves, etc. and other control features are not shown on the Figure 6.).

[00249] Electrical power generated by the electrical generator is stored in a battery.

The power is used for airship startup and as reserve power. Additionally, electrical power is used to power electrolysis of water into hydrogen and oxygen via a reversible fuel cell.

The hydrogen and oxygen are separated via a hydrogen membrane (not shown). The hydrogen is stored in a high pressure hydrogen storage tank and the oxygen is stored in a high pressure oxygen supply tank for later use by the crew at high altitudes. Water for electrolysis is supplied by a water storage tank.

[00250] Water used for electrolysis may be recovered by powering the fuel cell with stored hydrogen and stored oxygen (if necessary at high altitudes containing no oxygen). The result of the chemical reaction of hydrogen with oxygen within the fuel cell is water vapor that may be cooled and condensed into water. Water may be obtained during flight of the airship from water accumulated from the compressed air. As the compressed air cools within the storage tanks, the high pressure along with the lower temperature will cause water vapor contained within the compressed air to condense. The water produced via condensation within the compressed air tanks may be removed for use for electrolysis or use by the crew.

[00251] Also attached to the shaft of the turbine is a low density gas compressor located within the upper airfoil. The low density gas within the upper airfoil may be compressed into a high pressure low density gas storage tank via the low density gas compressor in order to reduce the gas pressure of balloons (not shown) filled with low density gas within the upper airfoil for safety reasons and also may be used to lower the lifting capacity of the upper airfoil by reducing the volume of low density gas that is expanded to perform lift.

[00252] Compressed air may be supplied from the high pressure compressed air storage tanks to the compressed air driven turbine engine to create thrust. The flow of compressed air to the compressed air driven turbine engine also reduces the overall weight of the airship as the compressed air is substantially heavy.

[00253] Hydrogen may be supplied to the hydrogen combustion powered turbine engine from the high pressure hydrogen storage tanks in order to power propulsion. Heat from the combustion of the hydrogen is transferred to the lower airfoil via heat pipes (not shown) that extend from the engine to the airfoil, having an air blower (not shown) within the airfoil to distribute the heat evenly through out the lower airfoil.

[00254] Hydrogen may also be supplied to the reversible fuel cell from the high pressure hydrogen storage tanks in order to power the fuel cell for the generation of electrical power. Heat from the chemical reaction within the fuel cell may be used within the lower airfoil to heat air for hot air lift capability.

[00255] The airship is provided with a retractable landing gear capable of a heavy landing configuration so that the airship lands like a glider and does not experience the problems that may be associated with landing a hot air balloon or blimp, such as sensitivity to moderate winds.

[00256] The pilot and his passengers may remain in a pressurized cabin at the forward leading edge of the upper air foil. Pressurization and heating of the cabin allow comfortable flights to great heights where there is no oxygen, the pressure is low, and the temperatures are very low.

[00257] The leading edge of the upper and lower airfoils are provided with a rigid forward leading edge to withstand the dive stresses that may be experienced by the airship.

[00258] Figure 7. is a cross sectional side view of an airfoil shaped lighter-than-air wing that consists of a series of various sized spherical balloons that are attached to the top side of a lightweight frame. Each of the balloons are individually attached to the lightweight frame, such that all of the balloons essentially cover a single plane.

[00259] Smaller balloons form the outer circumference of the airfoil and progressively become larger in diameter balloons until the desired thickness for the airfoil is obtained. After all of the individual balloons are placed on the frame to establish the shape of the airfoil, an outer skin material covers the balloon. The airfoil outer skin material is also attached to the lightweight frame. The airfoil outer skin material would be attached (not shown) to the lightweight frame in between rows of balloons.

[00260] The void space within the area covered by the airfoil outer skin material that surrounds the balloons may potentially be used to hold low density gases in order to increase the lift of the airship and if so used the proper material for that purpose would be chosen for the airfoil outer skin layer.

[00261] Additionally, hot air could be applied into the void space, which would have two positive lifting effects: (1) direct lifting capability of the hot air ; and, (2) the hot air would heat the gases within the balloons and cause them to expand to displace additional volume of atmosphere and thus create additional lift as a result of their expansion.

[00262] Figure 8. is a block diagram of an airfoil consisting a series of individual sealed cells that are coupled together to form a rigid airfoil according to one embodiment of the present invention, which is the preferred embodiment of the invention ; Each cell contains a gas bag that may be filled with a lifting gas, such as helium, as a backup lift measure. In normal operation, lift is provided by creating a vacuum within the cells. The materials from which the cells are constructed are lightweight high strength materials, such a carbon fiber, Kevlar, and epoxy resins. The top of each cell creates a portion of the top the airfoil's skin and the bottom of each cell forms a part of the airfoil's bottom skin. All the tops of the cells form the top of the airfoil and all of the bottoms of the cells form the bottom of the airfoil.