Can we achieve high-payload thermal lift without fossil fuels or Helium?

Michele Lorenzi wrote 04/29/2026 at 16:52 • 0 points

I’m working on a thing I called NIMBUS, an aerostat that replaces passive absorption with an internal 2-axis solar concentrator and a ceramic receiver. Think of it as a concentrated solar power plant inside a balloon. I’ve validated the focal point temperatures and the kinematics with a scale model, but I’m hitting the "weight vs. thermal resistance" wall for the 2-meter prototype.

I’m looking for a critique of the thermodynamic efficiency of an internal reactor versus a standard solar balloon. Is active concentration the key to fuel-free heavy lifting?

https://hackaday.io/project/205609-nimbus-concentrated-solar-thermal-flight

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