Thermal Performance and Energy Systems of Stratospheric Airships

Stratospheric airships operate at altitudes between 18 km and 25 km, where they encounter extreme thermal fluctuations, low ambient pressure and high solar irradiance. Thermal management is critical to maintain envelope integrity, protect onboard electronics and optimise energy generation. Convective and radiative heat transfer govern the temperature of the gondola and solar arrays, while diurnal cycles impose large temperature swings. Photovoltaic systems supply primary power, often augmented by batteries or fuel cells, and must be integrated with insulating materials to minimise heat loss or gain. Advanced envelope materials and multilayer insulation reduce thermal stress on lifting gas and structural components. Predictive models, including computational fluid dynamics and machine-learning algorithms, are increasingly employed to simulate fluid–structure–thermal interactions and forecast operating temperatures. Together, these developments enhance mission endurance for Earth observation, telecommunications relay and environmental monitoring, underscoring the global importance of thermal-energy optimisation in stratospheric platforms.

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Thermal Performance and Energy Systems of Stratospheric Airships publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in thermal performance and energy systems of stratospheric airships across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Photovoltaic system: A collection of solar cells and associated components that convert sunlight directly into electrical energy.

Multilayer insulation (MLI): A thermal barrier composed of alternating low-emissivity films and spacer materials to minimise radiative and conductive heat transfer.

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD): A numerical technique for simulating fluid flow and heat transfer around structures, enabling detailed thermal prediction.

Fluid–structure–thermal coupling: An integrated modelling approach that simultaneously considers aerodynamic loads, structural deformation and heat transfer phenomena.

References

1. Multidisciplinary Optimization and Analysis of Stratospheric Airships Powered by Solar Arrays. Aerospace (2023).
2. Simulation and Analysis of Fluid–Solid–Thermal Unidirectional Coupling of Near-Space Airship. Aerospace (2022).
3. Multidisciplinary Optimization of Thermal Insulation Layer for Stratospheric Airship with a Solar Array. Aerospace (2022).
4. Model for Predicting the Operating Temperature of Stratospheric Airship Solar Cells with a Support Vector Machine. Energies (2021).