Comment QC9W Re: Could you use hydrogen for permanent-installation balloons?

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Aeroscraft shows off its giant airship

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Could you use hydrogen for permanent-installation balloons? (Score: 1)

by wootery@pipedot.org on 2015-10-13 15:02 (#QBMZ)

As I understand it, the high price of helium is one of the major issues with airships. Could you use (yes, flammable) hydrogen instead, especially for unmanned floating-installation type applications?

If you want to bounce radio signals off something a mile up in the sky, would a hydrogen-filled balloon do the job? The safety issue is surely not a big one if it's not designed to regularly land: a Hindenburg situation seems unlikely if it's neither carrying people nor intended to land.

Re: Could you use hydrogen for permanent-installation balloons? (Score: 1)

by evilviper@pipedot.org on 2015-10-13 18:14 (#QC9W)

Actually, natural gas is cheap, highly buoyant, and not as escape prone as helium or hydrogen... Still highly flammable, and could be used to run the engines as well.

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