Universitéde Liége

Cockerill Maintenance & Ingéniérie S.a.

Serge Habraken

Jean-Paul Collette

Yvon Renotte

Jean-Marc Defise

Karl Fleury-Frenette

Pascal Blain

Pascal Waroux

Jurij Hastanin

Vincent Ruelle

The present invention relates to a portable industrial instrument for performing, in an integrated and two-way manner, an interferometric fringe projection and shearography, on a object to be tested, so that, when the two-way interferometer () is associated with the coherent or quasi-coherent projection device (), the instrument is able to measure the 3D shape of the object by interferometric fringe projection, also known as moir&#xe9; method, and, when the two-way interferometer () is associated with the recording or imaging device (), the instrument is able to perform shearographic measurements on the object, the direction of the traversing light beam in the interferometer () being reversed when shifting from one measurement configuration to the other one.

Low coherence interferometric system for phase stepping shearography combined with 3D profilometry

A first object of the invention is a radiation detector comprising an energy absorber (), for absorbing incident radiation (RAD) and thus undergoing a temperature increase; and optical readout means, for detecting said temperature increase; wherein said optical readout means comprises input coupling means () for coupling a light beam () to said energy absorber () by exciting surface plasmons resonance, a surface plasmons resonance condition being dependent on the energy absorber () temperature, and wherein said energy absorber () is separated from said input coupling means () by a dielectric layer (). A second object of the invention is a micromechanical sensor comprising: a micromechanical oscillator and optical readout means () for detecting a displacement of said micromechanical oscillator; wherein said optical readout means comprise input coupling means () for coupling a light beam () to a conductive surface () by exciting surface plasmons resonance, a surface plasmons resonance condition being dependent on the displacement of said micromechanical oscillator.

Thermal detector

A space solar concentrator based on deployable reflectors attached to a panel base is described. Each of the reflectors includes sides coated with reflective coating on surfaces facing away from the base. In one embodiment, the sides of the reflector have thicker portion to provide stiffness for deployment absent compressive force, and thinner portion to reduce weight and storage energy. In another embodiment, both reflective sides are unfolded when the reflectors are in stowed position. During deployment, a stop side will limit the deployment of both reflective sides and ensure the proper reflecting position. In addition, these embodiments reduce the storage energy.

Solar concentrator

A solar concentrator module comprising a front lens on its front face, a receiver cell on its rear face and a reflector between the front lens and the receiver cell, said reflector having inclined sidewalls along at least two opposite sides of the receiver cell characterised in that the reflectors are truncated and in that the sidewalls of the reflectors are inclined in such a way that, for a 0[deg] off-pointing, solar rays are reflected on the inclined side walls of the reflectors before impinging on the receiver cell, to produce a relatively uniform illumination on the receiver cell for a range of off pointing acceptance angle superior to zero degree.

An illumination device comprising a plate provided for guiding light there through, having an input for receiving an input light beam to be injected into said plate and an array of N micro-prisms for receiving the input light beam and producing an output light beam from the input light beam. The array of micro-prisms is located inside the plate.

Light guiding plate with internal micro-prisms

A space solar concentrator based on light-weight reflectors ( ) attached to a honeycomb panel ( ) is described. The integration of the reflectors ( ) allows for a high modularity. Solar panel deployment is not perturbed by the reflectors ( ) even with two-dimensional deployment concept. Each reflector ( ) consists in small saw tooth aligned as rows ( ) with solar cell rows in between. Low concentration is achieved with a high level of thermal control and a high optical efficiency. When small off-pointing occurs, the solar flux distribution is still the same on each cells. It guarantees a good electrical control and management on the whole panel. The reflectors ( ) are preferably made of a thin film tight on a light-weight rigid frame deployed after launch. In another embodiment, the reflector is not deployable and is part of the panel substrate. A stowed configuration allows for superimposition of the solar panel. High reflectivity of the reflectors results from the use of vacuum deposited aluminum or preferentially over-protected silver.

Growing community of inventors

Comblain-au-Pont, Belgium

Serge Habraken