The great American balloonist and inventor Dr. Robert H. Boyle, Jr. is best known for the Boyle and Embalming patent (patent number 964,023) for a method of controlling the altitude of hot air balloons.
While the patent was initially issued in 1908, the basic principles of the patent were first published in a pamphlet in 1912, “Hot Air Balloons”, by Dr. Boyle himself.
Boyle’s Law states that the rate of temperature increase with altitude is proportional to the square root of the atmospheric pressure. This law is not an absolute, but a general function that works for most atmospheric conditions.
As a result, hot air balloons do not experience any huge changes in temperature with altitude. This is because hot air balloons only ascend to a few miles above the earth before the pressure starts to rise and lift them back to the surface.
This means that in a hot air balloon it’s important for the air to flow at a consistent speed so that it won’t fly off in different directions when the balloon is in the air. If you have ever been in a hot air balloon crossing the sky, I guarantee you that the balloon’s speed is consistent and consistent with Boyles Law.
Dr. Robert H. Boyle, Jr
Dr. Robert H. Boyle Jr. is one of the great iconoclasts of the hot air ballooning world. Born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in 1934, he is the son of a James “Mr. Boyle” Boyle, who was a well known balloonist in the 1920’s and 1930’s.
Dr. Boyle was educated at the University of Pennsylvania, where he earned his B.S. and M.D. degrees. He also holds a Masters in Public Health from the University of North Carolina.
Then He currently resides in Fort Worth with his wife, Nancy, and their youngest daughter, Tonya. Robert is a retired veterinarian, but his passion is flying hot air balloons. He also enjoys travel and photography.
The Gas Laws
What are the gas laws? The simplest answer is that they are some rules that govern the amount of air you can get from a given volume of gas. The problem is that there are so many different gases that there has never been a consensus about what exactly the laws should be.
These laws were first put forth by scientist in the 1700’s, and it is still uncertain exactly what they should be.
In physics, gas laws set the limits for how much heat a gas can absorb or how much pressure it can withstand (at the same temperature). These laws are based on how much heat a gas can absorb, but are also important in other fields such as heat transfer and fluid flow.
Related topics
- Charles’s Law
Charles’s Law (or Charles’s Principle) states: “When the pressure in a hot air balloon is greater than the air pressure outside the balloon, the balloon will rise.” This law is an important part of the study of air pressure and the mechanics of a hot air balloon.
Charles’s Law is a mathematical formula that states that the volume of a gas in a closed system remains constant, regardless of the pressure applied to the system. This means that when the air inside a hot air balloon is compressed, the balloon will always expand to fill it back up.
To demonstrate the law in action, Charles used a hot air balloon and a small weight. The balloon was filled with air and then attached to the weight with a piece on a string.
Charles then pumped the balloon full of air using a pump. After a short time, he released the balloon and the amount of air released was proportional to the weight of the balloon.
- Gay-Lussac’s law
Gay-Lussac’s Law states that air pressure in a closed chamber is directly proportional to the absolute temperature and inversely proportional to the absolute volume. This suggests that air pressure in air-based balloons is directly related to the temperature of the air inside the balloon.
For instance, if the temperature of the air inside the balloon is 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit), then the air pressure will be 30 degrees Celsius and the balloon will be at its maximum lifting capacity.
If the temperature of the air inside the balloon is 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), then the air pressure will be 40 degrees Celsius and the balloon will be at its minimum lifting capacity.
I’m Annie, a twenty-something year old girl who loves hot air balloons. So much so, that I have a full time job as a Flight Instructor and it is all I love talking about. Something about being up there in the elevated altitudes helps all my stresses float away!
