Untitled record

Lightning protection for airships. The invention aims maximum lightning protection of airships, which are filled with a combustible light gas. In itself devices are known in which the lightning protection is to be achieved by collecting devices (lightning conductors) in connection with the metal chamber enclosing the gas space.

However, these devices do not achieve their purpose completely, since experience shows the lightning strikes the metal. is heated at the point of impact until it melts, so that there is a great risk that the outflowing metal drops burn through the gas envelope underneath and cause the escaping gas to ignite.

This danger seeks to eliminate the present invention in that once a sufficiently large conductive cross-section is created for the incident lightning, on the other hand between the metallic lightning protection and the gas envelope an air gap is arranged to be prevented by the impact point in direct contact with the gas envelope is.

It can then blow through the gas envelope not simultaneously with the outer shell or burn through a lightning bolt, and the gas envelope receives as a third securing member also a special protection against melting metal drops.

This protection consists either of one or more special, arranged outside the gas envelope protective blankets, z. B. asbestos fabric, or impregnated from a flameproof. Fabric or metal mesh (wire gauze), or it consists in a fire-proof impregnation of the outside of the gas envelope itself. As impregnation can already proven chemicals such as tungsten salts, water glass, acetic alumina u. Like., to be used with ..

While the individual application of a metallic protective body or an air gap or a fireproof envelope does not provide sufficient lightning protection, the inventive combination of said, three means is suitable to prevent any firing effect of a lightning strike on a combustible gas filling.

Finally, in order to save weight, the protective devices can also be used for strength purposes in the airship frame according to the invention; in that the outer metal protective body, consisting of wires, rods or sheet metal, at the same time performs the function of otherwise used in rigid airships (diagonal) Feldverspannungsdrähte, while arranged between the protective body and the gas jacket fireproof protective blanket to the. Place the otherwise usual network for receiving the gas pressure from the cell walls-step. Also, the metallic protection body can be made of full sheet metal, and then replace the usual outer shell at the same time. Furthermore, it can be formed by a sufficient metallization of the outer shell.

In airships which do not have scaffolding constructions (rigid or impact airships), the Blitzschutzanordntmg invention can be achieved in that the metal protective body is formed by suitable shaping as a distance-maintaining means between gas cell and a special outer shell; this can be z. B. done by wave-shaped or mattress-like training of the protection network.

In the accompanying drawings, several embodiments of the inventions are shown on a rigid airship and a blimp airship in a partial cross section of the ship.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. I, a two adjacent side members of a rigid airship, b the outer shell, c the gas cell wall. Between the outer shell b and the gas cell wall c is an air gap. Within the outer shell, a metallic mesh d is arranged, which can also be replaced by a closed metal sheet or by metallization of the substance. This network d can simultaneously serve for diagonal bracing of the fields located between two adjacent ring carriers, while the closed metal sheet can be used as an outer shell. In the space between the outer shell and the gas cell wall, a flame-proof protective cover e is arranged, which consists of asbestos fabric .oder fireproof impregnated fabric.

The application form shown in Fig. Z differs from the just described in that the flameproof ceiling e tight. the gas cell wall is applied and can be dimensioned so that it simultaneously receives the pressure prevailing in the interior of the gas cell gas pressure.

Fig. 3 shows an embodiment of the invention in a rigid or blimp airship. Between the gas cell wall c and the outer shell b, there is arranged the metallic protective body d "which can be waved for the purpose of keeping the gas cell wall and outer shell at a distance." On the gas cell there is also the fire-proof ceiling e, in its place both in this application form and. at the in Fig. i and 2 shown can enter a gas cell wall whose surface is flameproof impregnated.