h a l f b a k e r yMy hatstand runneth over
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Yes clouds are a little lighter than air. Light enough to lift it's own weight to some height, but helium is WAY lighter than air, light enough to lift itself and other stuff. That is what you need, not clouds. Sorry,(-). |
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As a glider pilot, I get pretty up close and personal with clouds! So here's the biography of your average Cumulus Humilis: |
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Formed by rising currents of air (thermals), the cloud is merely the moisture in the upwards going air condenses when it cools to it's 'dew point' temperature. At the edges of the cloud, the water is re-absorbed into the air, and as the thermal dies, the whole cloud eventually dissipates. |
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The cloud has no lift, because it's density is exactly the same as the surrounding air; however the moisture is only in a different form. |
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Rain occurs when you get a big enough cloud that the water droplets start sticking and, circulating up and down, gather enough weight to sink faster than the thermal column. |
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So sucking up a cloud wouldn't help you any more than sucking in air- in other words, your blimp would plummet!! |
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HOWEVER, another idea- get a solar airship (link), but many times usual size, and attach a man-capsule. Difficult to control, but lots of fun (as long as the sun shines...). |
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Sorry, blimp warfare would certainly result as large blimps seek out and engulf smaller blimps in an attempt to become lighter, until the entire airspace is populated by only one, tremendous humongous blimp that's unable to land. |
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To sum up: clouds are not lighter than air; they are falling, it's the air under and through them that is rising. |
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That air is rising because it's hot. Encapsulate that in your envelope and drag it away, and it will soon equalise in temperature with the air around it. At which point you have no lift at all, unless you supply heat with, say, LPG burners. |
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So you've invented a soggy hot air balloon, or a very inefficient glider, or a whimsical image to delight the heart. Pick one. |
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I bun this because clouds have been accumulating for eons up there like dog poop mounds in my lazy neighbors lawn, and only Sunstone has mustered up the gumption to do something about it. It is about time someone did a little clean up. If the clouds can be put to good use, all the better. |
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