Dome coating for countermeasure anti-icing functionality

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9683885-B2
Application number	US-201514942199-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 16, 2015
Priority date	Nov 17, 2014
Publication date	Jun 20, 2017
Grant date	Jun 20, 2017

Abstract

An infrared countermeasure system comprises a transparent infrared camera dome with an anti-icing surface coating.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An infrared countermeasure system comprising:
a transparent infrared camera dome having an outer surface; and
an anti-icing surface coating on the outer surface comprising carbon nanocomposites, wherein the dome is fabricated from a single piece of material with no seams, and wherein the surface coating has a structure of a matrix of nanocrystalline diamond and amorphous carbon bonds comprising grain sizes from 10 to 100 nanometers.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the dome is fabricated from one of aluminum oxynitride, magnesium aluminate, and sapphire.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the surface coating has a thickness of 50 to 1000 nanometers.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the surface coating has a transmission loss of less than 2 percent over mid-infrared wavelength ranges of 2 to 5 micrometers.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the surface coating has a transmission loss of less than 25 percent over visible wavelength ranges of 0.4 to 0.7 micrometer.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the surface coating has a contact angle hysteresis of 10 to 12 degrees.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the outer surface is partially covered by the surface coating.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the outer surface is fully covered by the surface coating.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the dome has an optical field of view of 180 degrees.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the dome has an optical field of view of over 180 degrees.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the surface coating has ultra-low surface energy.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the surface coating has hydrophobic properties which minimize and limit ice and water formation on the dome.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the surface coating has a transmission loss of less than 1 percent over mid-infrared wavelength ranges of 2 to 5 micrometers.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the surface coating has a transmission loss of less than 10 percent over visible wavelength ranges of 0.4 to 0.7 micrometer.

15. An infrared countermeasure system comprising:
a transparent infrared camera dome having an outer surface; and
an anti-icing surface coating on at least some portion of the outer surface, said surface coating comprising carbon nanocomposites, wherein the dome is fabricated from a single piece of material with substantially no seam and the surface coating has a transmission loss of less than 2 percent over mid-infrared wavelength ranges of 2 to 5 micrometers.

Assignees

• Bae Sys Inf & Elect Sys Integ

Inventors

• Powers Michael J
• Smith Donald K

Classifications

• F41H5/263

  Mounting of transparent armoured panels, e.g. bulletproof windows on vehicles · CPC title

• B64D15/00

  De-icing or preventing icing on exterior surfaces of aircraft · CPC title

• G01J1/0271

  Housings; Attachments or accessories for photometers · CPC title

• B64D7/00

  Arrangement of military equipment, e.g. armaments, armament accessories or military shielding, in aircraft; Adaptations of armament mountings for aircraft (dropping bombs or the like B64D1/00) · CPC title

• G01J1/0407

  Optical elements not provided otherwise, e.g. manifolds, windows, holograms, gratings · CPC title