Maria Ruthdel Angeles

STEM 17

Principle behind Modern Airship

What is an Airship?

An airship, also known as a dirigible, is a powered lighter-than-air craft. It is called lighter-than-air (LTA)
craft because to generate lift, they use gases that are lighter than air. The most common gas in use
today is helium, which has a lifting capacity of 0.064 lb/ft3 (1.02 kg/m3). In other words, an airship is an
aircraft that derives its lift from a lifting gas while it is propelled forward by an engine.

The three primary types of airships are non-rigid, semi-rigid, and rigid airships. These three types are
determined by the internal structure of the airship. Non-rigid airships are what we typically see today in
the form of blimps. They are non-rigid because they hold their shape from the pressure of the lifting gas
alone. Semi-rigid airships like the new Zeppelin NT derive their shape in part from an internal structure
while the rest of the shape is filled out by the pressure of the lifting gas. Rigid airships such as zeppelins
like the Hindenburg have their distinct shape solely due to the internal structure of the dirigible.

Why do Airships Fly?

Why airships fly is explained by the Principle of Archimedes: "Bodies submerged into a fluid receive from
it a lifting force which is equal to the mass of the displaced fluid." This is the same principle that explains
why boats float on water. That is, an airship operates more like a submarine than an airplane or a
helicopter. An airship employs a lighter-than-air nonflammable gas such as helium to give it buoyancy.
The atmospheric air has a higher specific weight than the lifting gas. The airship envelope filled with the
light gas generates a lift that is equal to the weight of the displaced air and the airship floats in the
heavier air. That resultant lift is what’s known as the airship’s static buoyancy.

Modern airships make use of what are called ballonets or internal gas compartments that can suck in air
from the outside in order to increase the overall weight of the airship as well as diminish the
effectiveness of the lifting gas. This combined with aerodynamic control surfaces and propellers enables
modern airships to change altitude and fly with greater efficiency and at a lower cost than historical
ballast systems.
As the airship rises, outside air pressure decreases and the helium in the envelope expands. The pilots
then pump air into the ballonets to maintain pressure against the helium. Adding air makes the airship
heavier, so to maintain a steady cruising altitude, the pilots must balance the air-pressure with the
helium-pressure to create neutral buoyancy. To level the airship in flight, the air pressures between the
fore and aft ballonets are adjusted.

To descend, the pilots fill the ballonets with air. This increases the density of the airship, making it
negatively buoyant so that it descends. Again, the elevators are adjusted to control the angle of descent.
Maria Ruthdel Angeles

STEM 17

Reflection Paper

I chose the Chemistry Magic of the last group which is entitled Ping Pong Ball
Experiment. The dented Ping pong ball was placed in a boiling beaker with water. As what I observed as
the temperature increases the size of the ping pong ball expands. They explained why it happens. They
said that Ping Pong balls are made of celluloid which is made from camphor and nitrocellulose. The
camphor is sublimatory substances which convert directly into gas when heated. The Camphor present
in the Ping Pong ball gets heated up and converts itself into gas and this gas expands on heating. They
based their experiment with Charles’ Law. Charles’ Law states that “"at constant pressure, the volume of
a given mass of gas is directly proportional to the temperature.” Charles law can mathematically
represented with the equation V ∝ T. As the temperature increase the volume of gas pushed the
crushed part out getting the ball back into shape. Their experiment is not only helpful for those persons
who play table tennis but for everyone.

This experiment is very helpful because if ever you have a dented Ping pong ball rather
than discard it, you can restore it by placing it into a saucepan half filled with water. The gas inside will
expand as the heat increases, pushing out the dent and restoring the ball to its original shape.

It can also be applied in terms of Turkey Syringe Thermometer. Prior to the digital age,
some thermometers used Charles' law quite directly. Air within the thermometer placed deep within the
turkey would expand as the temperature rises. The thermometer was calibrated so that when the
correct internal temperature was reached within the turkey; a cap affixed to the thermometer would
pop off, providing a clear visual indication that the turkey was done cooking.

Another relevance of it was in automobile tires. Typical manufacturers recommend

that automobile tire pressures vary between around 25 to 35 pounds per square inch. But if you read
your owner's manual carefully, it will mention that tire pressure should always be measured cold. That's
because driving around heats up tires. Charles' law states that the gas should occupy more space when
heated, but a tire does not expand very much. This causes the tire pressure to be higher when warm.
Consequently, measuring tire pressure when the tire is warm will give you the false impression that you
have filled your tires with too much air.