Evaluating critical design parameters of small airships through analytical tools

Abstract

Airships are versatile lighter-than-air aerial vehicles suitable for applications ranging from aerial observation to cargo transport. Unlike rigid airships, non-rigid airships or blimps rely solely on the internal gas pressure (commonly helium, hydrogen or a mixture of both) to maintain their shape, offering simplicity and adaptability at the cost of increased sensitivity to stress-induced deformations. This tradeoff ultimately affects other critical aspects of performance, including aerostatics, aerodynamics, inertia and structural rigidity. This study addresses these challenges by developing a comprehensive parametric framework to evaluate buoyancy, permeability, aerodynamic drag, added mass, rigidity, and aesthetics. Four geometries sphere, oblate ellipsoid, prolate ellipsoid, and elliptical cylinder are analyzed using custom and general analytical tools, with results validated through numerical and an- alytical methods. The available results are presented into a collective use cases along with several use cases utilizing the data, particularly relevant for small or indoor operations, which must operate efficiently with safety in confined spaces and can often house minimal infrastructure. Key findings reveal that, among the geometries studied, spherical shapes excel in buoyancy, prolate ellipsoids offer superior aerodynamic drag and added mass characteristics, elliptical cylinders possess favorable structural rigidity and added mass properties, and oblate ellipsoids exhibit minimal wrinkling. By incorporating less-explored factors such as material permeability and visual appeal, this work expands traditional airship design considerations. The proposed framework supports tailored solutions for small indoor and other specific applications, enabling new designers to balance trade offs among competing performance metrics.

Date	31 Mar 2025
Original language	American English
Awarding Institution	École de technologie supérieure
Supervisor	David St-Onge (Supervisor)