Mcdonnell Douglas Corporation

Mcdonnell Dougal Corporation

Stephen Mark Kusek

James B Blackmon, Jr

Kenneth W Stone

Francis Christopher Wessling, Iii

Walter Thomas Baugh

Donald Charles Barnes

Dennis Anthony Lascola

A multilayer circuit board and an associated heating apparatus is provided for heating electrical components. The multilayer circuit board includes a trace layer having at least one electrical trace terminating with a contact pad that is positioned to electrically contact a respective lead of an electrical component mounted upon the multilayer circuit board. The multilayer circuit board also includes a heating layer disposed in thermal contact with the electrical component mounted upon the multilayer circuit board. The heating layer includes a first electrically resistive heating element disposed upon an insulating substrate in general alignment with the electrical component mounted upon the multilayer circuit board. The electrically resistive heating element provides heat to maintain the operating temperature of the electrical component within a desired range. By increasing the operating temperature of the electrical component, the multilayer circuit board allows less expensive, commercial grade electronics to be utilized which would otherwise have been susceptible to failure at lower temperatures.

Multilayer circuit board with electrically resistive heating element

A quasi-isotropic composite structure includes a multi-sheet rib projecting generally perpendicular to a multi-sheet body with at least one of the body face sheets being bent and attached in a parallel manner to the rib sheet or sheets. The sheet or sheets that are part of both the body and rib are unsevered and integrally contiguous.

Quasi-isotropic composite isogrid structure and method of making same

A light weight arcuate reflector facet, for a solar concentrator is disclosed, which comprises a thin mirrored glass sheet such as a microsheet, and a backing sheet or substrate, the glass sheet being bonded to the backing sheet, with the backing sheet providing a smooth surface to the glass sheet. A support member or support structure is attached to the backing sheet and maintains the mirrored glass sheet at a desired radius of curvature. The backing sheet is preferably a composite, and according to one embodiment of a fixed focal length light weight reflector facet, the support member is a resin-impregnated fiberglass sheet having a rib structure. In another embodiment of a variable focal length light weight reflector facet, the support member is a mechanical structure comprising a circular support structure having intersecting center support beams positioned diagonally across the circular support structure. An actuator rod is mounted at the center of the support beams and attached to the backing sheet, and is effective when actuated, to deflect the mirrored glass sheet to a desired curvature, and including corner supports for the circular support structure.

Light weight reflector facet

A light weight arcuate reflector facet, for a solar concentrator comprises a thin mirrored glass sheet such as a microsheet, and a backing sheet or substrate, the glass sheet being bonded to the backing sheet, with the backing sheet providing a smooth surface to the glass sheet. A support member or support structure is attached to the backing sheet and maintains the mirrored glass sheet at a desired radius of curvature. The backing sheet is preferably a composite, and according to one embodiment of a fixed focal length light weight reflector facet, the support member is a resin-impregnated fiberglass sheet having a rib structure. In another embodiment of a variable focal length light weight reflector facet, the support member is a mechanical structure comprising a circular support structure having intersecting center support beams positioned diagonally across the circular support structure. An actuator rod is mounted at the center of the support beams and attached to the backing sheet, and is effective when actuated, to deflect the mirrored glass sheet to a desired curvature, and including corner supports for the circular support structure.

Growing community of inventors

Owens Cross Roads, AL, United States of America

Stephen Mark Kusek