DESIGN AND STRUCTURAL

MATERIALS
envelope:
Envelope is the major part of the airship in
which the ballonets are present to which
the required lifting gas is filled (Helium),
which expands on filling and represents a
balloon. Since it’s a hybrid model the semi
rigid structure along with the ballonets are
to be made with special sheet materials, as
the envelope protects the internal
ballonets, and also help in maintaining the Figure 1
malleability and elastic property of the
Gondola, nose, fins and frame work:
envelope in high and extreme conditions of
the exposed weather and climatic changes. The gondola is the main part of the hybrid
airship which contains various control
The main envelope body of this hybrid
systems and functioning units, including
airship consists of inner and outer layer,
the required payload. Hence it is mostly
along with catenery curtains (Which
made up of light weighted carbon material
consist of cable systems attached to the
or metal monocoque design. The gondola
car, which terminate in the fabric curtains).
is attached to the blimp by either an
internal load curtain or externally, by
The envelope is usually made of a being attached to envelope sides.
combination of man-made materials:
Dacron, polyester, Mylar, and/or Tedlar The nose section is made up of
bonded with Hytrel. The high-tech, plastic/wood tied to the envelope after
weather-resistant plastic film is laminated inflating as its function is for mast
to a rip-stop polyester fabric. The mooring and resisting aerodynamic
envelope's fabric also protects against pressure forces.
ultraviolet light. The fins are of different configuration, the
cruciform (+), the X, and the inverted Y.
Ballonets: These tails are made up of a fixed main
Ballonets are the small sized surface and a controllable smaller surface
balloons/bladder, with a lesser thickness on the aft end. These surfaces weigh only
compared to the envelope, made of a thin 0.9 lb per sq. ft (4.4 kg per sq. m). Tail fins
leak-resistant polyurethane plastic film. In control flight direction. They are anchored
these are the lifting gases filled which can at the rear of the ship and are supported by
be regulated and adjusted using valves guide wires. It always or mostly uses the
during manoeuvring operations needed. same material of gondola.

The figure 1 will give the required details And the frame work for the internal
of the parts and the materials. envelope structure are the riveted
Aluminium which give the structural shape
also resisting bending moments.

Figure 2
Materials:
As mentioned earlier the sheet materials
involved in envelope throughout generally
are “Polyester fabric materials, Polyvinyl
film, Thermoplastic polyester elastomer”.
These are the technical names of
Dacron/Mylar, Tedlar and Hytrel. So,
airship envelopes are normally made from
Dacron and Mylar or other polyester fabric
materials. They are sometimes made of
Tedlar, a polyvinyl film, which is bonded
with Hytrel, a thermoplastic polyester
elastomer which provides the flexibility of
rubber and the strength of plastic. These
fabrics help protect the envelope from
ultraviolet light. The ballonets are
normally made from leak resistant
polyurethane plastic.
Kang et al. studied the material
characterization of a film-fabric laminate
developed for a stratospheric airship
envelope consisting of a single plain-
woven fabric layer impregnated in a
polymer matrix laminated with thin films.
They performed uniaxial tests to obtain
tensile properties and finite element
analyses to obtain effective tensile
properties. Mc Daniels et al. [68] of the
Cubic Tech Corporation examined the use
and development of nonwoven flexible
laminates for lighter-than-air vehicles.
They concluded that the use of these
flexible laminates achieved a significant
weight savings over woven fabrics of
similar strengths by eliminating strength
and modulus loss and other structural
deficiencies caused by crimping of yarns
during the weaving process. The absence
of crimp in non-woven fabrics results in a
linear elastic response that allows for ease
in predicting material properties and
simplification of structural models for
betterment.
Important material manufacturers for
envelope construction worth taking note of
are ILC Dover and Contitech. ILC Dover
is the world’s largest producer of modern
airship envelopes. The below table 1
produces the examples of the recent
projects and the materials used.
In the below pages we would see the
properties of the individual material and
the usage of them in various parts of the
airship and how they are joined and
bonded together. Before going into what
are the materials used, we have to look
into the basic properties with which the
material is chosen and they are:
1. Stress strain properties
2. Shear properties
3. Permeability
4. Elasticity/malleability
Vectran:
There is the special case of use of Vectran,
it is a manufactured fibre, spun from
a liquid-crystal polymer (LCP) created
by Celanese Corporation and now
manufactured by Kuraray. Chemically it is
an aromatic polyester produced by
the polycondensation of 4-hydroxybenzoic
acid and 6-hydroxynaphthalene-2-
carboxylic acid.
Advantage:
Vectran golden fibres are noted for
their thermal stability at high temperatures,
high strength and modulus, low creep, and
good chemical stability. They are
moisture-resistant and generally stable in
hostile environments. Polyester coating is
often used around a Vectran
core; polyurethane coating can
improve abrasion resistance and act as a
water barrier. Vectran has a melting point
of 330 °C, with progressive strength loss
from 220 °C. As it has low resistance to
ultraviolet radiation, it should not be used
long-term in outdoor environments.
Disadvantage:
Although the tensile strength is similar
to Kevlar, Vectran still tends to experience
tensile fractures when exposed to
Table 1
DACRON:
Dacron is a condensation colourless
polymer obtained from ethylene glycol and
terephthalic acid. Its properties include
high tensile strength, high resistance to
stretching, both wet and dry, and good
resistance to degradation by chemical
significant stress. The wispy, hair-like
fibres tend to fray, to easily acquire dirt,
and to readily entangle in hook-and-loop
fasteners, from which they must
sometimes then be cut or (when possible)
torn.[2] If used without protective coatings,
Vectran has low resistance to UV
degradation.
So thus Vectran can either be used as
envelope or as the catenery curtain mostly.
bleaches and to abrasion. It is also called s
Terylene and Lavson.
Properties:
The intrinsic viscosity range of PET:
Fibre grade:
0.40–0.70 Textile
0.72–0.98 Technical, tire cord
Film grade: Strength Elo 15,000 psi ASTM-
ngation MD D882
0.60–0.70 (biaxially oriented PET
film) Strength F-5 14,000 psi ASTM-
0.70–1.00 for thermoforming TD D882
Modulus 7,10,000 psi ASTM-
Monofilament: MD D882
Modulus TD 7,40,000 psi ASTM-
1.00–2.00 D882
Elongation 115 % ASTM-
MD D882
Dacron is also hygroscopic that it can
Elongation 92 % ASTM-
absorb water moisture but it may result in TD D882
slight gradual reduction of resilience. Surface 38 nm Optical
Roughness Profilome
ter
Density 1.39 g/cc ASTM-
Advantages: D1505
Better stability, lower permeability and Viscosity 0.56 dL/ ASTM-
g D4603
less bleeding Yield 21,000 in2/l n/a
b
Disadvantages:
Reduced compliance and tissue Properties: Thermal
incorporation, low porosity, fraying at
edges, infection risk Properties Typical Units Test
Value Method
Melting 254 ºC n/a
Point
MYLAR:
Dimensional n/a n/a n/a
The word “mylar” generically to refer to Stability
polyester film or plastic sheet. Types of
Mylar brand Sheets at 105º C 0.6 % n/a
MD
 Anti-static
at 105º C 0.3 % n/a
 Adhesion treated TD
 Metallized at 150º C 1.8 % n/a
 Barrier coated MD
at 150º C 1 % n/a
The general properties are electric TD
Specific 0.28 cal/g/º n/a
insulator, transparent, high tensile Heat C
strength, chemical stability, reflective, Thermal 1.7 x in/in/º ASTM-
gas barrier, odour barrier. Expansion 10-5 C D696

Properties: Physical UL94 Flame 94VTM- n/a Slow to self

Class 2
Properties Typical Uni Test
Value ts Method extinguishing
Tensile 28,000 psi ASTM-
Strength D882
(MD)
Tensile 34,000 psi ASTM-
Strength D882
(TD) Tedlar with Hytrel:
Tedlar:
Tedlar is a highly versatile, polyvinyl
fluoride film that provides a long-lasting
finish to a wide variety of surfaces
exposed to harsh environments while its
inert, non-stick properties make it an
excellent release film for parts processed
under high temperature and pressure.
Thickness varies from 12.5 to 100
microns.
PVF has low permeability for vapours,
burns very slowly, and has excellent
resistance to weathering and staining. It is
also resistant to most chemicals,
except ketones and esters. It is available as
a film in a variety of colours and
formulations for various end uses, and as a
resin for specialty coatings. It has
insufficient thermal stability for injection
moulding and thus it is usually available
commercially as a film product.
The general properties are UV resistant,
moisture and chemical resistant, wide
processing temperature range, good
electrical properties, highly transparent
and flame resistant. Also, Tedlar PVF film
is strong, flexible and fatigue-resistant.
Its resistance to failure by flexing is
outstanding. Tedlar performs well in
temperatures ranging from approximately
-72 to 107°C (-98 to 225°F), with
intermittent short-term peaking up to
204°C (400°F).
Main properties:
Advantages:
 Thermal dimensional stability
 Better homogeneity
 Excellent bonding to encapsulation
polymer films
 2000h damp heat test
Disadvantage:
 Lower tensile strength
 Low availability
Hytrel:
It is a thermo plastic elastomer. The
polyether-ester block copolymers combine
many of the most desirable characteristics
of high-performance elastomers and
flexible plastics. Hytrel offers a unique
combination of mechanical, physical, and
chemical properties that qualifies it for
demanding applications. The various
grades of Hytrel exhibit a wide range of
flexibility/stiffness and processing
capabilities.
Hytrel is a thermoplastic polyester
elastomer that combines many of the most
desirable characteristics of high-
performance elastomers and flexible
plastics. It features exceptional toughness
and resilience; high resistance to creep,
impact, and flex fatigue; flexibility at low
temperatures; and good retention of
properties at elevated temperatures. In
addition, it resists deterioration from many
industrial chemicals, oils, and solvents.
Properties:

Thus, the above-mentioned materials are

the ones which are used in the latest
models and also are going to be used in
our hybrid model. These four materials are
going to be used at the inner and outer
envelope including the cartnery curtain
and ballonets.
The above-mentioned material when
engaged together to form the true airship,
these are stitched are bonded together with
the process called Heat sealing.
Heat sealing:
Heat sealing is the process of sealing one
thermoplastic to another similar
thermoplastic using heat and pressure. The
direct contact method of heat
sealing utilizes a constantly heated die
or sealing bar to apply heat to a specific
contact area or path to seal or weld the
thermoplastics together.