SPART ASSIGNMENT - FABRICATION AND MATERIALS ENGINEER

DHRUVA REDDY N
MEMS – FIRST YEAR
24B2433

1. Airships can be divided into three categories:

Non-Rigid (Blimps) –
Non-rigid airships or blimps are like a balloon, they are over-pressurized
to maintain their shape, they lack an internal framework or keel
structure unlike semi-rigid and rigid airships.
Blimps are best suited for short-range, low payload applications. They
have limited payload capacity and may face reduced stability in strong
winds. There is constant tension on the skin of the blimp due to the
internal pressure of the lifting gas and external atmospheric pressure.
As the blimp becomes larger the tension increases. Also, it becomes
harder for larger blimps to maintain its shape, so you can’t scale blimps
forever.
Semi-Rigid –
Semi-rigid airships are part blimp, part rigid aircraft. Semi-rigid airships
have an internal structure supporting the gas envelope and it extends
along the base of the envelope supporting other components such as
the gondola and the engines. However, the envelope maintains its
shape using the internal pressure of the lifting gas under pressure,
unlike the rigid airships they lack the separate gas bags.
Semi-rigid airships have reduced drag compared to rigid airships and
have more load bearing capacity and stability compared to blimps.
They are suitable for medium range operations with moderate
payloads.
Rigid (Dirigibles) –
Dirigibles have a rigid internal framework usually made from
aluminium, but more modern dirigibles are more likely to use
composites. The internal structure provides the shape and rigidity of
the airship, but the outer covering or envelope is unpressurized. Inside
the fabric-wrapped hull are a series of gas-filled balloons that store and
distribute the lifting gas throughout the ship. Because of its skeletal
structure, rigids maintain their shape regardless of gas levels.
Dirigibles can carry heavier payloads due to the ability to distribute
weight along the rigid frame and are known for their safety and ability
to scale, making them best suited for the cargo market.

Sources - https://eaglepubs.erau.edu/introductiontoaerospaceflightvehicles/chapter/lth/
https://builtin.com/articles/airships#:~:text=An%20airship%20is%20a%20steerable,as
%20zeppelins%2C%20dirigibles%20and%20aerostats.
2.
 3 (Bonus Question). Ballonets are the gaseous equivalent of the water
ballast tanks used on submarines. They are used in airships and blimps
to control buoyancy and the centre of buoyancy of the lifting gas. As
shown in the figure below, the ballonets consist of internal gas bags or
chambers within the airship’s envelope that can be inflated or deflated
with air to control the volume of the buoyant gas.

As the airship climbs or descends, the surrounding atmospheric

pressure changes. Without ballonets, the lifting gas would expand or
contract uncontrollably. When the lifting gas expands, air is vented out
of the ballonets, allowing the gas to occupy more volume. Conversely,
when the gas contracts, air is pumped back into the ballonets to reduce
the volume of the lifting gas. Another purpose of the ballonets on
blimps is to maintain the buoyant gas’s net positive differential pressure
so that the envelope retains its shape.
Sources-https://eaglepubs.erau.edu/introductiontoaerospaceflightvehicles/chapter/lth/

4. a. The fabric choice affects the airship’s strength, durability, gas

containment capability, and overall weight. Therefore, it is utmost
crucial we pick the best fabric for the envelope, here are few properties
we should look at:
The primary requirements for airship fabrics are:
1. Good strength-to-weight ratios, i.e., light and structurally strong.
2. High puncture and tear resistance, such as from accidental
damage.
3. Resistance to environmental factors such as rain, cold, heat, and
UV exposure.
4. Low permeability to prevent gas leakage and loss of pressure.
5. High durability and ability to be taut under all conditions
Modern airships use polyester fabrics as these fabrics are lightweight,
strong, and resistant to stretching, tearing, and environmental
degradation. They can be coated or laminated with materials that
enhance gas containment properties and increase durability.

Sources- https://eaglepubs.erau.edu/introductiontoaerospaceflightvehicles/chapter/lth/
4.b.

Proportional Region –
The curve is a straight line. Stress and strain are directly proportional,
following Hooke’s Law. The material deforms elastically and returns to
its original shape when the stress is removed.

Elastic Limit (End of Elastic Region) –

This is the point where the material transitions from elastic to plastic
behaviour. Stress and strain cease to be proportional beyond this point,
but the material can still return to its original shape if the stress is
removed.

Yield Point –
The yield point marks the beginning of the plastic region. Beyond this
point, permanent deformation occurs even if the stress is removed.
Plastic Region –
The material undergoes plastic (permanent) deformation. Stress
increases more slowly with strain, and the curve becomes nonlinear.

Strain Hardening Region –

As the material undergoes plastic deformation, dislocations within its
structure increase, making it harder and stronger. The curve typically
rises until it reaches the highest point on the curve, represents the
ultimate tensile strength (UTS). Beyond this point, the material begins
to weaken.

Necking and Fracture –

After the UTS, the stress decreases as the material undergoes necking
(localized reduction in cross sectional area). The curve drops sharply
when the material fractures.
Soucres-https://byjus.com/physics/hookes-law-equation-experiment/

4. c. Yield Strength is the stress of the material at yield point, from the
given graph we can estimate the value to be 250 Mpa. It is hard to
determine yield strength using Ramberg-Osgood equation without
knowing at least one of the exact datapoints, using the 0.2% offset
method also fails here as it returns yield strength as zero. Therefore,
the best method I found was to approximate from the given graph.
Ultimate strength is the stress value of the material at ultimate tensile
strength (UTS), from the given graph the value appears to be 300 Mpa.

Stiffness is the resistance of a material to elastic deformation. Its value

is equal to the Young’s modulus, which is equal to 3500 Mpa.

Specific stiffness is Stiffness / Density. Density is given as 1400 kg/m^3

and Stiffness as 3500 Mpa. Therefore, specific stiffness is 2.5
Mpa*m^3/kg.

Toughness is the total energy per unit volume absorbed by a material

until fracture point, which is essentially the area under the curve.
Please refer to the image in the next page in which I have calculated
the value of toughness.
BONUS SECTION
1.

2. Irrespective of time and era it must have been an absolutely

breathtaking experience to travel in the floating giants that are airships.
Some luxuries people experienced aboard the airship were their own
private rooms, might have been small but just perfect and cozy, an
exclusive lounge, to build camaraderie and have a good chat, flawless
meal service and entertainment in forms of newspapers and
magazines, but the top of them all, the Pièce de resistance, must have
been the amazing views of scenic beauty and serene nature of our
beautiful planet- crossing oceans, mountains, forests, and cities from
an altitude of about 600-800 meters just high enough to make feel like
you’re floating above the world.

3. The key achievements of historic airships were:

First Transatlantic Passenger Flight: They unlocked a new era of air
travel with the first commercial transatlantic passenger flight.
Round-the-World Journey: Completed the first circumnavigation of the
globe by airship, a monumental feat of aviation.
Scientific Exploration: Conducted scientific research missions, including
a historic flight over the North Pole.
Modern airships are a new era, with never-before-seen technologies,
collaborations and advancements. Few of them are:
Hybrid Design: Combines elements of both blimps (non-rigid) and rigid
airships, offering greater stability and control. In some cases, combining
both aerodynamic and aerostatic features.
Helium Lifted: Uses helium, a safer and more environmentally friendly
lifting gas than hydrogen.
Advanced Materials: Incorporates modern materials like composites
and alloys for improved strength and durability.
Versatility: Designed for diverse applications, including cargo transport,
surveillance, and tourism.