On-demand multi-layer insulation, radiator panels including same, and space vehicles including such radiator panels

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12384564-B2
Application number	US-202318489428-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 18, 2023
Priority date	Oct 18, 2023
Publication date	Aug 12, 2025
Grant date	Aug 12, 2025

Abstract

A Multi-Layer Insulation includes a fixed membrane, a flexible membrane, and at least one electrical insulating layer. The fixed membrane adjoins a substrate. The fixed membrane includes a fixed electrical conducting layer. The flexible membrane includes a thermal insulator and a flexible electrical conducting layer. The flexible membrane is configured to furl into a rolled condition absent application of a voltage across the fixed electrical conducting layer and the flexible electrical conducting layer and is configured to unfurl over the fixed membrane responsive to application of a voltage across the fixed electrical conducting layer and the flexible electrical conducting layer. The at least one electrical insulating layer is located between the fixed electrical conducting layer and the flexible conducting layer. The at least one electrical insulating layer is chosen from a fixed electrical insulating layer of the fixed membrane and an inner electrical insulating layer of the flexible membrane.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A Multi-Layer Insulation, comprising:
a fixed membrane adjoining a substrate, the fixed membrane including a fixed electrical conducting layer;
a flexible membrane including a thermal insulator and a flexible electrical conducting layer, the thermal insulator comprising at least one layer of thermal insulation, the flexible membrane configured to furl into a rolled condition absent application of a voltage across the fixed electrical conducting layer and the flexible electrical conducting layer and to unfurl over the fixed membrane responsive to application of a voltage across the fixed electrical conducting layer and the flexible electrical conducting layer; and
at least one electrical insulating layer between the fixed electrical conducting layer and the flexible electrical conducting layer, the at least one electrical insulating layer chosen from a fixed electrical insulating layer of the fixed membrane and an inner electrical insulating layer of the flexible membrane,
the thermal insulator forming an outer layer of the flexible membrane on a side opposite the fixed membrane.

2. The Multi-Layer Insulation of claim 1 , wherein the flexible membrane includes an outer electrical insulating layer fixed to the flexible electrical conducting layer between the flexible electrical conducting layer and the thermal insulator.

3. The Multi-Layer Insulation of claim 1 , wherein the at least one layer of thermal insulation comprises a thermal coating.

4. The Multi-Layer Insulation of claim 3 , wherein the thermal coating includes a polyimide film.

5. The Multi-Layer Insulation of claim 4 , wherein the polyimide film includes a vapor deposited aluminum coating applied to an outer surface thereof.

6. The Multi-Layer Insulation of claim 1 , wherein the substrate defines at least a portion of a radiator.

7. A radiator panel for a space vehicle, comprising:
a substrate of a radiator configured to facilitate emissivity of heat into and out of the space vehicle;
a Multi-Layer Insulation including,
a fixed membrane adjoining the substrate and configured to facilitate the emissivity of the heat into and out of the space vehicle, the fixed membrane including a fixed electrical conducting layer,
a flexible membrane including a thermal insulator and a flexible electrical conducting layer, the thermal insulator comprising at least one layer of thermal insulation, the flexible membrane configured to furl to an undeployed state responsive to a stress gradient between layers thereof and to unfurl to a deployed state positioning the thermal insulator over the fixed membrane responsive to application of a voltage across the fixed electrical conducting layer and the flexible electrical conducting layer, the flexible membrane configured to reduce the emissivity of the radiator panel while in the deployed state relative to the emissivity of the radiator panel while in the undeployed state, and
at least one electrical insulating layer between the fixed electrical conducting layer and the flexible electrical conducting layer, the at least one electrical insulating layer chosen from a fixed electrical insulating layer of the fixed membrane positioned on a side of the fixed electrical conducting layer opposite the substrate and an inner electrical insulating layer of the flexible membrane positioned on an inner side of the flexible membrane adjacent to the fixed membrane; and

a compartment positioned adjacent to and longitudinally coextensive with an edge of the fixed membrane and open in an opposing direction from the edge, the compartment sized and configured to receive the flexible membrane in an undeployed and furled condition adjacent to the edge.

8. The radiator panel of claim 7 , comprising a plurality of the Multi-Layer Insulations.

9. The radiator panel of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of the Multi-Layer Insulations is configured for individual control of each of the plurality of the Multi-Layer Insulation with each of the plurality of the Multi-Layer Insulation being configured to independently receive application of the voltage across a respective pair of the fixed electrical conducting layer and the flexible electrical conducting layer.

10. The radiator panel of claim 7 , wherein the compartment is sized to present a low-profile relative to the fixed membrane.

11. The radiator panel of claim 7 , wherein the thermal insulator forms an outer layer of the flexible membrane on a side opposite the fixed membrane.

12. The radiator panel of claim 11 , wherein the flexible membrane includes an outer electrical insulating layer fixed to the flexible electrical conducting layer between the flexible electrical conducting layer and the thermal insulator.

13. The radiator panel of claim 7 , wherein the at least one layer of thermal insulation comprises a thermal coating.

14. The radiator panel of claim 13 , wherein the thermal coating includes a polyimide film.

15. A space vehicle, comprising:
a plurality of radiator panels, each of the plurality of radiator panels including,
a substrate of a radiator configured to facilitate emissivity of heat into and out of the space vehicle, and
a Multi-Layer Insulation comprising:
a fixed membrane adjoining the substrate and configured to facilitate the emissivity of the heat into and out of the space vehicle, the fixed membrane including a fixed electrical conducting layer;
a flexible membrane including a thermal insulator and a flexible electrical conducting layer, the thermal insulator comprising at least one layer of thermal insulation, the flexible membrane configured to furl to an undeployed state responsive to a stress gradient between layers thereof and to unfurl to a deployed state positioning the thermal insulator over the fixed membrane responsive to application of a voltage across the fixed electrical conducting layer and the flexible electrical conducting layer, the flexible membrane configured to reduce the emissivity of the radiator panel while in the deployed state relative to the emissivity of the radiator panel while in the undeployed state; and
at least one electrical insulating layer between the fixed electrical conducting layer and the flexible electrical conducting layer, the at least one electrical insulating layer chosen from a fixed electrical insulating layer of the fixed membrane positioned on a side of the fixed electrical conducting layer opposite the substrate and an inner electrical insulating layer of the flexible membrane positioned on an inner side of the flexible membrane adjacent to the fixed membrane; and

a controller operatively coupled to the Multi-Layer Insulation of each of the plurality of radiator panels and configured to cause the voltage to be applied across the fixed electrical conducting layer and the flexible electrical conducting layer to deploy the flexible membrane over the fixed membrane, the controller configured to control each of the plurality of radiator panels individually and independently cause the voltage to be applied across each respective pair of the fixed electrical conducting layer and the flexible electrical conducting layer.

16. The space vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the at least one radiator panel comprises a plurality of the Multi-Layer Insulations, each of the plurality of the Multi-Layer Insulations being configured to independently receive the voltage applied across a respective pair of the fixed electrical conducting layer and the flexible electrical conducting layer, and wherein the controller is configured to control each of the plurality of the Multi-Layer Insulations individually and

Assignees

• Northrop Grumman Systems Corp

Inventors

• Baird Lance M
• Minnichelli Deborah
• Ritums Dwight L
• Tice Jesse B
• Decino Nadine Y

Classifications

• B32B2307/304

  Insulating · CPC title

• B32B2255/26

  Polymeric coating · CPC title

• B32B2307/206

  Insulating · CPC title

• B32B2255/205

  Metallic coating · CPC title

• B32B2307/202

  Conductive · CPC title