Importance

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Abstract

An elastomeric enclosure is initially inflated to a desired pressure by a gas having large molecules incapable of diffusing outwardly from the enclosure, except at a relatively slow rate. When the enclosure is surrounded by ambient air at atmospheric pressure, such air passes into the enclosures by reverse diffusion, thus extracting energy from the ambient sea of air to progressively increase the total pressure in the enclosure to a substantial extent over a period of several months, the pressure then decreasing very slowly over an extended period to its initial inflation pressure, such extended period being as much as about two years or more. This added energy may be used to perform useful work or used in various pneumatic devices to achieve essentially permanent inflation. Decrease in pressure below the initial inflation value continues at a very slow rate over an additional period of many months, and, in fact, several years, with the inflation pressure still remaining at a sufficiently high value which enables the inflated enclosures to still possess a useful life.

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First Claim