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Build a blimp with a huge black air chamber on top. The chamber should cover the entire upper area of the envelope and have valves at the front (spring loaded, so air can get in but not out) and at the rear (also spring loaded, so it opens when chamber pressure rises above a certain level and closes
when the chamber is empty.
As soon as the blimp is in motion, air enters the chamber through the front valve until the chamber is full. The trapped air heats up in the sun until the rear valve opens, propelling the blimp forward slowly. When the chamber is empty again, the whole process is repeated. (Several chambers could be used to give a smoother ride)
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The blimp is in motion when the rear valve opens, but that very motion causes the front valve to open, hence both valves are open at the same time?
If the valves were motorised, then it would work better, I think. Gulp, heat, fart. |
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I´m not sure if both valves need to be motorised. The front valve won´t open during the power stroke, because the chamber pressure is above atmospheric pressure. |
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Not exactly a stirling engine, because the air is not cooled inside the engine. More like a solar heated pulse jet engine. I think the intake should be at the bottom of the blimp, so rising hot air will make the engine self-starting. |
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//pulse jet// ... er, more like "peristalsis". Very nice, bun for you. Get there before sundown! |
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Assuming you have a destination in
mind, how you gonna steer this thing? |
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Don't care where you're going? Then
why
worry about making a little extra
groundspeed? |
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Pretty interesting, though. |
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The blimp has a rudder and an elevator. Maybe the exhaust valve should be at the end of the rudder for faster turns. The whole thing could be made from a flexible material like a paraglider. |
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You'll not get anywhere fast, but for the idea of pootling around under the power of solar farts, bun. |
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