Raytheon Company

Aspen Aerogels, Inc.

David M La Komski

James R Chow

Carl W Townsend

Andrew Lyle Bullard

Wilfried Krone-Schmidt

Kurt S Ketola

Shannon Olga White

Jimmy Lee Clark

William E Elias

Alberto E Schroth

Stuart J Marble

Bruce Hirano

Michael Doan

Stephen E Smith

Christopher M Shaffer

An apparatus, method and thin-film structure for producing a blackbody spectrum is disclosed. A first layer of the apparatus is configured to generate heat in response to an applied voltage. A second layer is configured to emit the blackbody radiation spectrum in response to the heat from the first layer. A thermal spreading layer is disposed between the first layer and the second layer. The thermal spreading layer includes a graphene sheet for reducing a spatial variation of the heat in a plane of the thermal spreading layer.

Multi-layer advanced carbon nanotube blackbody for compact, lightweight, and on-demand infrared calibration

According to one embodiment, an apparatus includes an optical sensor having one or more thermally sensitive components. The sensor is gimbal mounted on a space or air-borne vehicle and includes a heat sink component thermally coupled to the one or more thermally sensitive components via at least one heat strap and configured to at least passively receive and store thermal energy from the one or more thermally sensitive components without use of a motorized thermal energy transfer device. The apparatus also includes a radiator configured to receive thermal energy from the heat sink component and to dissipate thermal energy to an ambient environment. The radiator is disposed on a first side of an optical path of the sensor opposite a second side of the optical path on which the heat sink component is disposed. The heat sink component is configured to at least partially balance a center-of-gravity of the sensor.

Thermal management system and method for space and air-borne sensors

An apparatus and method of calibrating a sensor. A voltage is applied to a first carbon nanotube layer to obtain a first temperature of the first carbon nanotube layer. A thermally conductive layer is used to provide a substantially uniform temperature related to the first temperature of the first carbon nanotube layer by smoothing a spatial variation of the first temperature. A second carbon nanotube layer receives the substantially uniform temperature and emits a first blackbody radiation spectrum to calibrate the sensor. The apparatus may be used to emit a second black body radiation spectrum by altering the applied voltage.

Carbon nanotube blackbody film for compact, lightweight, and on-demand infrared calibration

An article includes a piece of encapsulated insulation including an envelope having at least two vents therethrough, a particulate insulation within the envelope, and a porous filter overlying each vent of the envelope. The porous filter has a mesh size no larger that the minimum size of the particles. The article may further include a structure having a structure surface, and the piece of encapsulated insulation overlies and covers at least a portion of the structure surface.

Encapsulated and vented particulate thermal insulation

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Long Beach, CA, United States of America

David M La Komski