{"id":38102,"date":"2024-02-06T20:38:02","date_gmt":"2024-02-06T20:38:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.alicat.com\/?post_type=article&p=38102"},"modified":"2026-02-16T20:52:43","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T20:52:43","slug":"schnelles-erreichen-der-ziele-fur-hohenballonfahrten-mit-tragbaren-massendurchflussmessern","status":"publish","type":"support","link":"https:\/\/www.alicat.com\/de\/support\/fast-achieves-high-altitude-ballooning-goals-using-portable-mass-flow-meters\/","title":{"rendered":"FAST erreicht mit tragbaren Massedurchflussmessern die Ziele f\u00fcr H\u00f6henballonfahrten"},"content":{"rendered":"\n[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.23.1″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”|0px|10px|0px|false|false” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.23.1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.23.1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]

FAST achieves high-altitude ballooning goals using portable mass flow meters<\/strong><\/h1>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.23.1″ _module_preset=”default” width=”70%” min_height=”501.5px” custom_padding=”3px||0px|||” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.23.1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”80%” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”20px|20px|20px|20px|false|false” custom_padding=”20px|20px|20px|20px|false|false” border_width_all=”1px” border_color_all=”#EAEAEA” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]

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Southern Nevada from about 100,000 feet during the flight of FAST-4<\/span><\/p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.23.1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”80%” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”20px|20px|20px|20px|false|false” custom_padding=”20px|20px|20px|20px|false|false” border_width_all=”1px” border_color_all=”#EAEAEA” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]

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A panorama of images taken by the FAST-7 high-altitude balloon in near space<\/span><\/p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.23.1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.23.1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” sticky_enabled=”0″]In 2011, Dr. Amanda Maxham established Flying Apple Space Technologies (FAST), a program that uses high-altitude ballooning (HAB) to inspire involvement in science, engineering, technology, and mathematics.\n\nFAST teams are encouraged to find creative solutions to the challenges associated with the launching of latex weather balloons into the atmosphere. Each balloon is fitted with scientific packages for tracking, imaging, and experimenting at target altitudes, and it is the team\u2019s job to make sure it gets where it needs to go.\n\nWith over 17 launches in a two-year span, the team has had all sorts of opportunities to exercise their scientific creativity \u2013 and one such venture led them to Alicat!\n

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Newton\u2019s apple fell. Our apples fly!<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 FAST team<\/h4>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

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Sending a balloon across the Atlantic<\/h1>\nThe FAST team had an ambitious goal: send a weather balloon across the Atlantic Ocean. This feat requires the balloon to both achieve and maintain a precise altitude long enough to ride the stratospheric winds from southern Nevada to Africa or Europe, a distance of approximately 6000 miles.\n

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Challenge:<\/strong> Filling balloons with the right amount of gas in the field<\/h3>\nA common obstacle in HAB is determining the correct amount of helium or hydrogen gas to add to the balloon. Due to the compressibility of gas, the balloon\u2019s volume can expand to roughly 128x its original volume as atmospheric pressure decreases! It is therefore important to fill the balloon with just the right amount of gas, where it is full enough to generate lift but not so full that it bursts before reaching altitude.\n
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Gas facts:<\/strong><\/span> Helium is safer, but is also much more expensive. Hydrogen is inexpensive and produces greater lift for a given volume. Each gas has different properties that affect its volumetric expansion as the balloon gains altitude, as well as its reaction to changing conditions at the launch site.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Previous solution:<\/strong> Weight stacks<\/h3>\nIt is common for HAB teams to measure the lifting force of the gas within the balloon by using weights. First, the balloon is filled with gas. It is then brought indoors for measurement, to minimize effects from external forces such as wind. Previously, the FAST team performed measurements by stacking 0.5 and 1 kg weights onto a weight stack while watching for signs of lift-off.\n\nMeasuring in this way was effective to an extent, but left the team with an accuracy of 0.5 kg at best. This wasn\u2019t satisfactory for Dr. Maxham and her team, so they sought a novel approach with higher accuracy.\n

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New & improved solution:<\/strong> Portable mass flow meter with totalizer<\/h3>\nFAST\u2019s Edward Giandomenico reached out to Alicat looking for a way to measure helium and hydrogen flow into the balloon with high accuracy. Alicat provided the team with a 1500 SLPM portable mass flow meter<\/a> with a totalizer<\/a>.[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.23.1″ _module_preset=”default” width=”70%” module_alignment=”center” min_height=”501.5px” custom_margin=”20px|20px|20px|20px|false|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px|20px|false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.23.1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”80%” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”20px|20px|-2px|20px|false|false” custom_padding=”20px|20px|20px|20px|false|false” border_width_all=”1px” border_color_all=”#EAEAEA” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]

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The FAST team filling the balloon prior to the launch of FAST-6<\/span><\/p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.23.1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”80%” custom_margin=”20px|20px|20px|20px|false|false” custom_padding=”20px|20px|20px|20px|false|false” border_width_all=”1px” border_color_all=”#EAEAEA” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]

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Mass flow meter totalizing gas flow into the high-altitude balloon<\/span><\/p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.23.1″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”5px||0px|||” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.23.1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23.1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]

The FAST team was able to overcome several of their challenges with this device:<\/h3>\n