The present invention discloses a large-scale semi-rigid structure airship, relating to the technical field of aerostats, which comprises a ship body, vector side thrusters, a vector tail thruster, an X-shaped inflatable tail fin, air cushions, and a pod, wherein the ship body comprises a pretensioned capsule and a tensegrity keel; the pretensioned capsule is sleeved onto an outer surface of the tensegrity keel in a pretensioning mode; the vector side thrusters are provided at lower-side portions of the ship body; the vector tail thruster is provided at the tail of the ship body; the X-shaped inflatable tail fin is arranged at the tail of the ship body in an X shape; the air cushions are provided at lower portions of the ship body; and the pod is provided at a lower portion of the ship body. The airship of the present invention uses a structure of integrated and synergistic force bearing by an integral keel of a tension-compression self-balancing system and the pretensioned capsule, and has characteristics of integral conformity of the capsule under a zero pressure, an integral rigidity under a low pressure, high load bearing, a flexible load arrangement, and high-efficiency transfer.

The present invention discloses a large-scale semi-rigid structure airship, relating to the technical field of aerostats, which comprises a ship body, vector side thrusters, a vector tail thruster, an X-shaped inflatable tail fin, air cushions, and a pod, wherein the ship body comprises a pretensioned capsule and a tensegrity keel; the pretensioned capsule is sleeved onto an outer surface of the tensegrity keel in a pretensioning mode; the vector side thrusters are provided at lower-side portions of the ship body; the vector tail thruster is provided at the tail of the ship body; the X-shaped inflatable tail fin is arranged at the tail of the ship body in an X shape; the air cushions are provided at lower portions of the ship body; and the pod is provided at a lower portion of the ship body. The airship of the present invention uses a structure of integrated and synergistic force bearing by an integral keel of a tension-compression self-balancing system and the pretensioned capsule, and has characteristics of integral conformity of the capsule under a zero pressure, an integral rigidity under a low pressure, high load bearing, a flexible load arrangement, and high-efficiency transfer.

An apparatus for an airship, including: a spacer ring adapted to couple to a joint opening of a joint, the spacer ring having multiple internal protruding portions adapted to form a gap between the spacer ring and a connector inserted into the joint; an injecting clamp adapted to clamp around a first portion of the spacer ring, the injecting clamp having an injecting hole for receiving an adhesive and an outlet for injecting the adhesive to fill a space formed between the joint and a portion of the connector inserted into the joint; and a heating clamp adapted to clamp around a portion of the joint that surrounds the portion of the connector inserted into the joint, the heating clamp including a heat source adapted to heat the adhesive in the space formed between the joint and the portion of the connector during a curing process.

An apparatus for an airship, including: a spacer ring adapted to couple to a joint opening of a joint, the spacer ring having multiple internal protruding portions adapted to form a gap between the spacer ring and a connector inserted into the joint; an injecting clamp adapted to clamp around a first portion of the spacer ring, the injecting clamp having an injecting hole for receiving an adhesive and an outlet for injecting the adhesive to fill a space formed between the joint and a portion of the connector inserted into the joint; and a heating clamp adapted to clamp around a portion of the joint that surrounds the portion of the connector inserted into the joint, the heating clamp including a heat source adapted to heat the adhesive in the space formed between the joint and the portion of the connector during a curing process.

A lighter-than-air airship has an exoskeleton constructed of spokes and hubs to create a set of connected hexagrams comprised of isosceles triangles wherein the spokes flex and vary in length to produce the slope of said airship's surface. In one embodiment, the exoskeleton connects to a nose cone that includes a cockpit cabin for controlling the airship's operation from a single location that can be physically separated from the exoskeleton in response to catastrophic events and for autonomous and/or remotely piloted operation. An improved means is also provided for landing and unloading cargo, and through use of unmanned aerial vehicles in another embodiment, the airship is configured for remote pickup, transport, delivery and return of payloads such as packages. In yet another embodiment, the airship provides a communications platform for beam form transmission and satellite signal relay, including in combination with the foregoing disclosed attributes.

A lighter-than-air airship has an exoskeleton constructed of spokes and hubs to create a set of connected hexagrams comprised of isosceles triangles wherein the spokes flex and vary in length to produce the slope of said airship's surface. In one embodiment, the exoskeleton connects to a nose cone that includes a cockpit cabin for controlling the airship's operation from a single location that can be physically separated from the exoskeleton in response to catastrophic events and for autonomous and/or remotely piloted operation. An improved means is also provided for landing and unloading cargo, and through use of unmanned aerial vehicles in another embodiment, the airship is configured for remote pickup, transport, delivery and return of payloads such as packages. In yet another embodiment, the airship provides a communications platform for beam form transmission and satellite signal relay, including in combination with the foregoing disclosed attributes.

A structural system for lifting cells, constructed of modular, lightweight framing supporting thin, lightweight, single-ply or laminated, air-impermeable membranes, that maintain near constant-volume under low pressure for aerostatic lift in lighter-than-air aircraft; a system for controlling that aerostatic lift in a single or a plurality of such lifting cells, using electrically-powered vacuum pumps and valves; and a system for recovering electrical energy expended during ascent by using the inflow of air into the lifting cells during descent to generate electricity.

A structural system for lifting cells, constructed of modular, lightweight framing supporting thin, lightweight, single-ply or laminated, air-impermeable membranes, that maintain near constant-volume under low pressure for aerostatic lift in lighter-than-air aircraft; a system for controlling that aerostatic lift in a single or a plurality of such lifting cells, using electrically-powered vacuum pumps and valves; and a system for recovering electrical energy expended during ascent by using the inflow of air into the lifting cells during descent to generate electricity.

A lighter-than-air airship has an exoskeleton constructed of spokes and hubs to create a set of connected hexagrams comprised of isosceles triangles wherein the spokes flex and vary in length to produce the slope of said airship's surface. In one embodiment, the exoskeleton connects to a nose cone that includes a cockpit cabin for controlling the airship's operation from a single location that can be physically separated from the exoskeleton in response to catastrophic events and for autonomous and/or remotely piloted operation. An improved means is also provided for landing and unloading cargo, and through use of unmanned aerial vehicles in another embodiment, the airship is configured for remote pickup, transport, delivery and return of payloads such as packages. In yet another embodiment, the airship provides a communications platform for beam form transmission and satellite signal relay, including in combination with the foregoing disclosed attributes.

A lighter-than-air airship has an exoskeleton constructed of spokes and hubs to create a set of connected hexagrams comprised of isosceles triangles wherein the spokes flex and vary in length to produce the slope of said airship's surface. In one embodiment, the exoskeleton connects to a nose cone that includes a cockpit cabin for controlling the airship's operation from a single location that can be physically separated from the exoskeleton in response to catastrophic events and for autonomous and/or remotely piloted operation. An improved means is also provided for landing and unloading cargo, and through use of unmanned aerial vehicles in another embodiment, the airship is configured for remote pickup, transport, delivery and return of payloads such as packages. In yet another embodiment, the airship provides a communications platform for beam form transmission and satellite signal relay, including in combination with the foregoing disclosed attributes.