Project loon.ppt
- 2. ◊ In 2008, Google considered contracting Space Data Corp, but didn't do so ◊ 2011, the unofficial development of the project began under Google X Labs ◊ 14 June 2013, Google announced this as an official project ◊ 16 June 2013, A pilot experiment happened in New Zealand and about 30 balloons were launched History of Project Loon
- 3. Many of us think of the Internet as a global community. But two-thirds of the world’s population does not yet have Internet access. Project Loon is a network of balloons traveling on the edge of space, designed to connect people in rural and remote areas, help fill coverage gaps, and bring people back online after disasters. What is Project Loon?
- 4. Two out of three people on earth do not have internet access
- 5. Project loon Baloon-powered internet for all Connect people who have no Internet access at all Connect people after disaster
- 6. How it works? Project loon floats in the stratosphere, Twice as the airplanes and the weather. Balloons travel around the Earth using The wind and can reach many places by Rising or descending o an altitude with Winds moving in the desired direction Unlike weather balloons, they are superpressure balloons designed to stay up for 100+ days
- 7. How it works? People Connect to the network using special internet antenna attached to their building. The signal bounces from balloon to balloon, then to the global internet back to Earth • Each balloon can provide connectivity to a ground area about 40 km In diameter at speeds comparable to 3G • For balloon to balloon and balloon to ground communications, the balloons Use antennas equipped with specialized radio frequency technology. • Project loon currently uses ism bands(specifically 2.4 and 5.8 Ghz bands) That are available for anyone to use.
- 8. Antennas attached to the buildings.
- 9. Pilot Test, June 2013 Project Loon started with an experimental pilot: • 50+ testers in Christchurch/Canterbury area of NewZeland connected to the balloon- powered internet from special internet antennas attached at their homes. • The results are helping them plan for the next phase of this project.
- 10. The technology The first person to connect to the "Google Balloon Internet" after the initial test balloons were launched into the stratosphere was a farmer in the town of Leeston, New Zealand, who was one of 50 people in the area around Christchurch who agreed to be a pilot tester for Project Loon. The New Zealand farmer lived in a rural location that couldn't get broadband access to the Internet, and had used a satellite Internet service in 2009, but found that he sometimes had to pay over $1000 per month for the service. The locals knew nothing about the secret project other than its ability to deliver Internet connectivity; but allowed project workers to attach a basketball-sized receiver resembling a giant bright-red party balloon to an outside wall of their property in order to connect to the network
- 11. How Loon connects ? The first person to connect to the "Google Balloon Internet" after the initial test balloons were launched into the stratosphere was a farmer in the town of Leeston, New Zealand, who was one of 50 people in the area around Christchurch who agreed to be a pilot tester for Project Loon. The New Zealand farmer lived in a rural location that couldn't get broadband access to the Internet, and had used a satellite Internet service in 2009, but found that he sometimes had to pay over $1000 per month for the service. The locals knew nothing about the secret project other than its ability to deliver Internet connectivity; but allowed project workers to attach a basketball-sized receiver resembling a giant bright-red party balloon to an outside wall of their property in order to connect to the network
- 12. Where Loon is going? Project Loon began with a pilot test in June 2013, when thirty balloons were launched from New Zealand’s South Island and beamed Internet to a small group of pilot testers. The pilot test has since expanded to include a greater number of people over a wider area. Project Loon will continue to expand the pilot through 2014, with the goal of establishing a ring of uninterrupted connectivity around the 40th southern parallel, so that pilot testers at this latitude can receive continuous service via balloon-powered Internet.
- 13. Google's Project Loon balloon goes around the world in just 22 days
- 14. How Loon Moves ? ◊ Project loon balloons travel around 20 km above the earth’s surface in the stratosphere. ◊ Winds in the stratosphere are generally steady and slow- moving at between 5 and 20 mph, and each layer of wind varies in direction and magnitude. ◊ The set-up uses software algorithms to determine where its balloons need to go, then moves each one into a layer of wind blowing in the right direction. 14
- 15. How loon is designed. Envelop The inflatable part of the balloon is called a balloon envelope. A well-made balloon envelope is critical for allowing a balloon to last around 100 days in the stratosphere. Loon’s balloon envelopes are made from sheets of polyethylene plastic, and they measure fifteen meters wide by twelve meters tall when fully inflated. When a balloon is ready to be taken out of service, gas is released from the envelope to bring the balloon down to earth in a controlled descent. In the unlikely event that a balloon drops too quickly, a parachute attached to the top of the envelope is deployed.
- 16. Why Stratosphere ? ◊ The stratosphere ranges between 10 km and 60 km altitude on the edge of space. ◊ The extreme altitude of the stratosphere presents unique engineering challenges: - Air pressure is 1% of that at sea level - Temperatures hover around -50°c - A thinner atmosphere - Less protection from the UV radiation ◊ Suitable because this sphere is having steady stratospheric winds.
- 17. Each balloon’s electronics are powered by an array of solar panels. The solar array is a flexible plastic laminate supported by a light-weight aluminum frame. It uses high efficiency monocrystalline solar cells. The solar array is mounted at a steep angle to effectively capture sunlight on short winter days at higher latitudes. The array is divided into two sections facing in opposite directions, allowing us to capture energy in any orientation as the balloons spin slowly in the wind. The panels produce approximately 100 Watts of power in full sun, which is enough to keep Loon’s electronics running while also charging a battery for use at night. By moving with the wind and charging in the sun, Project Loon is able to power itself using entirely renewable energy sources.
- 18. Electronics A small box containing the balloon’s electronics hangs underneath the inflated envelope, like the basket carried by a hot air balloon. This box contains circuit boards that control the system, radio antennas to communicate with other balloons and with Internet antennas on the ground, and lithium ion batteries to store solar power so the balloons can operate throughout the night.
- 19. Thank you.