Aeronautics and astronautics – Spacecraft – With payload accommodation
Patent
1997-07-21
2000-01-25
Poon, Peter M.
Aeronautics and astronautics
Spacecraft
With payload accommodation
136245, 136292, B64G 144
Patent
active
060170026
ABSTRACT:
Flexible, lightweight reflective sheets are positioned to concentrate solar radiation upon spacecraft solar panels. The sheets are held with inner and outer spring members which urge each sheet from a gathered edge-stowed configuration towards a deployed, planar configuration. The outer spring members further urge each fully extended sheet to rotate about an axis along the panel's edge in a direction away from the solar panel's face. Restraint members in the form of tethers limit this rotation to place the sheet in a stable deployed position and orientation chosen by design to reflect solar radiation onto the panel face. The increased incident radiation permits a reduction of the number of solar cells needed to satisfy a power requirement, and allows consequent savings in spacecraft cost and weight. The outer spring members are resilient, elongate members which flex to a stowed position behind a respective panel or inerleavably gather with the flexible sheet into a compact stowed configuration adjacent a panel edge.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3232795 (1966-02-01), Gillette et al.
patent: 3473758 (1969-10-01), Webb
patent: 3690080 (1972-09-01), Dillard
patent: 3735943 (1973-05-01), Fayet
patent: 3778312 (1973-12-01), Karius
patent: 4014617 (1977-03-01), Meston
patent: 4236280 (1980-12-01), Kreiseder
patent: 4282394 (1981-08-01), Lackey et al.
patent: 4513734 (1985-04-01), Butler
patent: 4636579 (1987-01-01), Hanak et al.
patent: 5131955 (1992-07-01), Stern et al.
patent: 5520747 (1996-05-01), Marks
Sokolsky, Ilene, et al., "Thin Film Solar Concentrator", Naval Research Laboratory, thin flim pp. 1-8.
Burke Stephen D.
Stribling, Jr. Ray A.
Grunebach Georgann S.
Hughes Electronics Corporation
Palo Frank
Poon Peter M.
Sales M. W.
LandOfFree
Thin-film solar reflectors deployable from an edge-stowed config does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Thin-film solar reflectors deployable from an edge-stowed config, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Thin-film solar reflectors deployable from an edge-stowed config will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2311038