Leaf Blower Modification for Balloon Deflation

In high altitude zero pressure/solar balloon manufacturing it is sometimes necessary to observe the shape of the balloon once it is fully inflated. This is normally achieved utilizing a leaf blower and can be accomplished over the course of several tens of minutes in a full-size gymnasium. After sufficient observation, it comes time to deflate the balloon this can be problematic due to the balloon’s size (upwards of 100 cubic meters) and how fragile the material is. This project added a rigid duct attachment point to the rear end of a leaf blower. This attachment point was 3D printed out of PLA and secured to the rear of the leaf blower utilizing its normal mounting points.

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Project Description

This project sought to create an attachable housing to a leaf blower that would enable the accelerated deflation of large plastic type balloons after they have been inflated to full volume for demonstrational or observational reasons.

Details

  • Client:Montana Space Grant Consortium BOREALIS
  • Categories:
  • Skills:
    • Autodesk Inventor
    • FDM 3D Printing
    • Fluids Design
    • Mechanical Design
    • Reverse Engineering
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