Hot Air Balloon and How it Works
Today looks like a good day to take to the sky, so a look at the hot air balloon seems fitting.
What is a hot air balloon?
A hot air balloon is a type of aircraft that utilizes hot air in other to move up the atmosphere; usually with people inside a basket attached to the balloon.
Components of a Hot Air Balloon
A hot air balloon is made of three main parts
- Envelope or ballon: This is the fabric which traps the hot air.
- Burner: This produces and forces the hot air into the envelope.
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3. The basket: Container or space where pilot and passenger(s) stays.
How it works
The principle of how hot air balloon work is from the basic thermodynamic principle that warm air rises in the cold air.
When an object is hot, its molecules are wider apart than it would be when cold. This principle is applicable to air. Hot air is lighter than cold air since cold air has more molecules in the same volume.
If you could remember the saying, the higher you go the cooler it becomes. This is simply because air near Earth is warmer than air higher up because Earth's atmosphere feels less pressure the higher up you go. As air rises, it feels less pressure which makes it expand. This expansion is a form of work. When it stops expanding (working) the air temperature drops making it colder. Remember that temperature is the average energy of the particles.
The Control
Upward move
The pilot goes upwards by opening the valves of the propane gas which feeds propane to the burner which fires hot air into the envelope. The valve is similar to the gas cooker, the more it is open the higher the amount of gas released and the higher the balloon rises.
Downwards
There is a long cord which opens a circular hole at the top of the envelope. This cord could be pulled to open the circular hole and let off hot air which decreases the inner temperature and causes a downward descent of the balloon.
How about directional movement?
You'll find you can move sideways (very crudely) by making the balloon rise or fall so it catches air currents (light winds or breezes) blowing in the direction in which you want to travel. But this is not an exact science so one of the joys of hot-air ballooning as you may just go any other location.
Ready now to go on such an adventure?
@greenrun ...still running :)
All images in this article were gotten from the free images sites: pixabay.com and unsplash.com
Hello @greenrun
Although I'm into the construction stuff (being an urban planner) than all this science stuff but i must confess that this hot air balloon of a thing make me feel like am really missing many things and i would like to go more deeper into the science world because i feel there is much to learn and be amaze of in this world.
Thanks for this eye opening post boss, looking forward to more from you.
@nuges
Hi @nuges this life could be mighty interesting if we just open our eyes a little. Thanks for visiting my blog and for being awesome!
Amazing post that makes me want to fly
Thanks, you can fly if you put your mind to it.
Very informative and educative........ Do you by any chance know how much it cost to make or buy a hot air balloon
From Google search it costs between $40k to $400k depending on the size, type and passenger-carrying capacity.
But a ride costs between $200 to $300 per person.
👍
Does it ever catches fire and burn down from the sky?
Like all things that fly in the air, there is always a risk of accident or mishap. Most notable is the balloon running into a power line. But the chances of it occurring is very low as the people who fly it are well trained and have a lot of experience.
@greenrun, one of my secret fantasies is to be able to fly in the air with the winds ruffling my hair and my lungs taking in the cool and unpolluted atmospheric oxygen (not by a plane but an open air sort-of-thing). With this post, you are reliving that fantasy. I wish to fly one day. A nice one.
Don't we all yearn for such freedom? I believe every one of us wants to fly, being in the air is being free. Who doesn't want one? Thank you, for visiting my blog, and do have a wonderful day.