The Boeing Company

Devin W Hersey

Julio A Navarro

Gordon D Osterhues

Michael H Florian

Percy Yen

A compact, low profile electronically scanned antenna module is provided. The antenna module includes a multi-layer antenna integrated printed wiring board (AiPWB) that includes a radiator layer on a front surface. The radiator layer includes a plurality of RF radiating elements. The antenna module additionally includes a plurality of radiator electronics modules orthogonally connected to a back surface of the AiPWB. The electronics modules are interconnected with radiating elements through the AiPWB and include a plurality of beam steering electronic elements mounted to a multi layer conformable substrate. The orthogonal connections allow the antenna module to have outer dimensions that are substantially equal to the dimensions of a perimeter of the AiPWB. Additionally, frequency and scanning angle requirements of the antenna module can be increased by merely increasing the length of the electronics modules in the orthogonal direction to allow for additional beam steering electronic elements needed to accommodate the increased frequency and scanning requirements.

Compact, low profile electronically scanned antenna

A cryogenic compressor for compressing hydrogen and oxygen and method for compressing these two gases. In a first preferred embodiment, an electrochemical compressor (12) is operative to compress hydrogen and oxygen gas. These two gases separately enter chamber (120 and 132) in an enclosure (118). Between the two chambers is disposed a catalytic membrane (124), sandwiched between a porous cathode (122) and a porous anode (126). A catalytic reaction combines the gases to form water, producing an electrical current as a byproduct. Adjacent chamber 132 are disposed a porous anode (134) and a porous cathode (138), sandwiched on each side of a catalytic membrane (136). An electric potential applied to porous anode (134) and porous cathode (138) transports water molecules and hydrogen from chamber (132) through catalytic membrane (136) into a chamber (140). The pressure in chamber (140) is substantially greater than the pressure in chamber (132). Yet another porous anode (142) and a porous cathode (146), sandwiched on each side of a catalytic membrane (144), are operative to dissociate the pressurized water into oxygen molecules, hydrogen ions, and free electrons in response to an applied electrical potential. The free electrons combine with the hydrogen ions to form hydrogen molecules. Both the oxygen and hydrogen gas streams produced by the latter catalytic reaction are at a substantially higher pressure than the gases entering the compressor. A second preferred embodiment uses a mechanical water pump (74) to pressurize water instead of the second catalytic reaction.

Cryogenic cooling system with precooling stage

A cryogenic cooling system using hydrogen as a primary refrigerant fluid and oxygen as a secondary refrigerant fluid to precool the hydrogen gas below its inversion temperature. In a first embodiment, the cryogenic cooling system (10) includes an electrochemical compressor (12) operative to compress hydrogen and oxygen gas without any moving parts. Compressed oxygen from the electrochemical compressor passes through a regenerative heat exchanger (24) in heat transfer relationship with low pressure oxygen, and expands through a Joule-Thomson expansion valve (28) absorbing heat from a compressed hydrogen gas stream in a precooler heat exchange (30). The low pressure oxygen provides additional cooling in a parasitic heat exchangeer (36), returning to the electrochemical compressor through the regenerative heat exchanger (24). Compressed hydrogen flows through a regenerative heat exchange (44) in heat transfer relationship with low pressure hydrogen, and is precooled as it passes through the precooler heat exchanger. A second regenerative heat exchaner (50) provides additional heat transfer with the low pressure hydrogen gas stream prior to expansion of the compressed hydrogen in a Joule-Thomson expansion valve (54). The expanding hydrogen cools a load in heat exchanger (58), returning to the electrochemical compressor through regenerative heat exchangers 44 to 50. In the second embodiment, a mechanical water pump is provided to compress water, which is used as an intermediate media between the low pressure and high pressure hydrogen and oxygen gas streams. In both embodiments, the hydrogen and oxygen gas are electrochemically combined into water using a catalytic membrane (124) and then disassociated by electrolysis into their respective oxygen and hydrogen gas streams using another catalytic membrane (144).

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Renton, WA, United States of America

Devin W Hersey