Tiled array reconfigurable sun-like spectrum simulation device and simulation method

Abstract

The application provides a spliced array reconfigurable sun-like spectrum simulation device and a simulation method, which comprises one or more simulation modules, and the simulation modules can be reconfigured to form an array; the simulation module comprises a light source, a mirror (2), a lampshade (3), a shell (4) and a refrigeration channel; a refrigeration air circulation loop formed by the refrigeration channel comprises an air outlet (6) and an air inlet (5) formed on the shell (4); light emitted from the light source is collected and reflected by the mirror (2) to form a uniform light spot. The application can be used for large-area sun light simulation test of a spacecraft, is a splicable sun radiation simulation device which can be used under normal temperature and pressure and in a space environment, and a method for simulating external heat flow is developed according to the device, so that the special requirements of complex configurations and new spacecraft on the simulation of sun spectrum external heat flow are solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of high-intensity solar spectral irradiance simulation technology, specifically to a modular array reconfigurable solar spectral simulation device and method. Background Technology

[0002] In spacecraft vacuum thermal tests, heating elements, lamp arrays, heating cages, and solar simulators are mainly used to simulate external space heat flow. Among them, solar simulators are widely used in space thermal balance tests of spacecraft due to their uniformity, collimation, and spectral distribution, and are the closest simulation method to solar irradiation.

[0003] While the widely used off-axis collimated solar simulators currently offer the closest performance to sunlight, patent document CN102421220A discloses a solar simulator with an ultra-large irradiance area. This simulator consists of a box-type light source system, a large-area optical homogenization system, an intelligent control system, and an output light signal measurement system. The area of ​​the area array composite light source in the box-type light source system can be determined according to actual needs, and the output light irradiance area can reach over 500mm*1000mm. However, its cost is extremely high, increasing exponentially with the increase in irradiance area. Furthermore, once built, the optical path cannot be changed, making it difficult to meet the experimental requirements of some spacecraft with high requirements for the directionality of incident light. For example, a certain type of optical satellite cannot complete horizontal experiments due to the installation distance being less than 10cm, requiring the light to be incident perpendicularly. In addition, many spacecraft thermal experiments require verification of the thermal conductivity of heat pipes, but heat pipes have high requirements for installation directionality, making horizontal experiments impossible.

[0004] In summary, a solution is needed for a large-area solar illumination simulation device capable of simulating perpendicularly incident light. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, the purpose of this invention is to provide a reconfigurable solar spectrum simulation device and method using a spliced ​​array.

[0006] A modular array reconfigurable solar spectrum simulation device according to the present invention includes: a simulation module;

[0007] The simulation module includes: a light source, a reflector 2, a lampshade 3, a housing 4, and a cooling channel;

[0008] The light source and reflector 2 are located in the installation space formed by the lampshade 3 and the housing 4; the installation space has a cooling channel, and the cooling air circulation loop formed by the cooling channel includes an air outlet 6 and an air inlet 5 opened on the housing 4.

[0009] The light emitted from the light source is collected and reflected by the reflector 2 to form a uniform light spot;

[0010] The number of simulation modules can be one or more, and multiple simulation modules can be reconstructed and spliced ​​to form an array.

[0011] Preferably, the light source is a short-arc xenon lamp 1 with a color temperature of 6000K, and the irradiance is selected from 1000W to 10000W. The center point of the cathode of the xenon lamp 1 is adjusted to the focal point of the reflector 2, and the defocusing amount of the xenon lamp 1 is adjusted according to the uniformity of the emitted light spot.

[0012] Preferably, the reflector 2 is a parabolic mirror, and the combination of three parameters of the reflector 2—the parabolic curvature coefficient, the radius of curvature, and the defocus distance of the xenon lamp 1—determines the intensity and uniformity of the irradiated surface; wherein, the parabolic curvature coefficient is -0.7035, the radius of curvature is 98.75 mm, and the defocus distance of the xenon lamp 1 is 14 mm; the transmittance of the lamp cover 3 in the visible and near-infrared spectral bands of 300 nm to 1200 nm is not less than 90%.

[0013] Preferably, forced air convection is used to cool the xenon lamp 1, reflector 2, and lamp cover 3. There is a gap between the reflector 2 and the lamp cover 3, and convection heat dissipation is formed on the inner and outer surfaces of the reflector 2. The part of the outer shell 4 corresponding to the anode of the xenon lamp 1 serves as the air outlet 6. Multiple air inlets 5 are symmetrically arranged on the side of the air outlet 6, and forced airflow is achieved by exhausting air outwards. Each xenon lamp 1 has an independent control unit containing a control circuit. The control circuit adjusts the air speed according to the selected power of the xenon lamp 1 and controls the activation of the xenon lamp 1 under the premise of air cooling.

[0014] Preferably, the reflector 2 is made by splicing four parabolic mirrors into a square, with two opposing mirrors forming a parabola.

[0015] Preferably, the reflector 2 is made of six parabolic mirrors spliced ​​together to form a hexagon, and the shape of the light spot formed is consistent with the shape of the reflector opening, with the two opposing mirrors forming a parabola.

[0016] According to the present invention, a simulation method based on the aforementioned reconfigurable solar spectrum simulation device using a spliced ​​array is provided, wherein a corresponding number of simulation modules are selected and spliced ​​together according to the size of the required irradiated surface to obtain the required irradiated area.

[0017] Preferably, during the splicing of multiple simulation modules, the distance between adjacent simulation modules is adjusted according to the actual uniformity of the irradiated surface to avoid the appearance of enhancement points on the irradiated surface.

[0018] Preferably, the irradiation power of the N-2 simulation modules in the middle position is reduced to between 85% and 95% of the power of the simulation modules in the edge position, where N>2;

[0019] Alternatively, the irradiation power of the 2×N-2 simulation modules in the middle position is reduced to between 80% and 90% of the power of the simulation modules at the edge position, where N>2;

[0020] Alternatively, the M-2×(N-2) simulation modules in the middle position are superimposed by the simulation modules in the four directions, reducing the power to 80% of the power of the simulation modules in the four corners; the 2N-2 and 2M-2 simulation modules parallel to the four sides of the central module are superimposed on three sides, reducing the power to 90%, M>2, N>2.

[0021] Preferably, based on the structure of the three-row, three-column simulation module, the number of rows and columns is expanded. The expansion method is to copy the middle row as a whole and insert it between the copied center row and the edge row 16 to become the new row 15, while the edge row 16 always remains at the edge position.

[0022] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0023] 1. This invention can be used for large-area solar illumination simulation experiments on spacecraft. The xenon lamp forms a uniform light spot on the effective irradiation surface through a reflector, which can simulate solar irradiation and has the simulation of solar irradiation intensity, uniformity, collimation and spectral distribution.

[0024] 2. This invention provides a simulation scheme for splicing and reconstruction, allowing for the reconstruction and adjustment of the equipment to meet the irradiation requirements of different shapes. The invention is lightweight, relatively inexpensive, and can be used at room temperature and pressure, and with extensions, also at vacuum and cryogenic conditions. Compared to collimated solar simulators, its cost is significantly reduced, almost 1 / 10 of the cost of a typical off-axis collimated solar simulator.

[0025] 3. This invention uses a transparent lampshade and outer shell to form a closed space for nitrogen circulation and convection cooling. The switching and power of the xenon lamp are controlled by a control circuit, thereby adjusting the uniformity and irradiance of the target radiation surface, which is close to the solar spectrum distribution and has good collimation. It has unparalleled advantages over traditional external heat flow simulation methods in coating aging tests.

[0026] 4. Traditional solar simulators cannot change their optical path once built. This invention, however, allows for arbitrary changes to the incident direction and radiation area of ​​light, providing great flexibility. It is a modular solar irradiation simulation device that can be used under normal temperature and pressure conditions as well as in space environments. Based on this device, an external heat flow simulation method has been developed to address the special requirements of complex configurations and new spacecraft for simulating external heat flow in the solar spectrum. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Other features, objects, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0028] Figure 1 This is a side view of the single solar spectrum simulation module of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 2 This is a front view of the single solar spectrum simulation module of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 3 This is a power adjustment layout diagram for an M-row N-column spliced ​​array.

[0031] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the array expansion method.

[0032] The diagram shows:

[0033]

[0034]

[0035] P represents the vertex of the ellipse.

[0036] F1 represents the first focus of the ellipse.

[0037] F2 represents the second focus of the ellipse.

[0038] x, y, and z represent the horizontal, vertical, and system depth directions, respectively. Detailed Implementation

[0039] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to specific embodiments. These embodiments will help those skilled in the art to further understand the present invention, but do not limit the invention in any way. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make several changes and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention. These all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0040] According to the present invention, a modular array reconfigurable solar spectrum simulation device includes multiple simulation modules. Each simulation module includes a light source, a reflector 2, a lampshade 3, a housing 4, a cooling channel, and a control unit. Each simulation module includes a xenon lamp 1, a set of modular four-sided square reflectors 2, a housing 4 and a transparent lampshade 3, a cooling air circulation loop, and a xenon lamp controller. The cooling air circulation loop includes an air outlet 6 and two air inlets 5. The light source can be a xenon lamp 1. The light emitted from the light source is collected and reflected by the reflectors 2, forming a uniform light spot at a position of 1000 mm. The uniformity of the light spot is better than ±15%. The irradiation area of ​​the target radiation surface can be modularized, and the uniformity and irradiation intensity are adjustable. Nitrogen gas is circulated and convectively cooled in a closed space formed by the transparent lampshade 3 and the housing 4.

[0041] The light source is a short-arc xenon lamp 1, with selectable power and a color temperature of 6000K, close to the characteristics of the solar spectrum to simulate sunlight. The wattage can be selected from 1000W to 10000W depending on the required irradiance. The simulation module uses a 3000W xenon lamp, which can meet the irradiance requirements of one solar constant for a 500mm × 500mm irradiation surface. After selecting xenon lamp 1, depending on its size, the center point of the cathode of xenon lamp 1 is adjusted to be near the focal point of reflector 2, and the defocusing amount (i.e., the distance from the focal point of the reflector) of xenon lamp 1 is adjusted according to the uniformity of the emitted light spot.

[0042] Reflector 2 uses a simplified, machined parabolic mirror. Four parabolic mirror surfaces are pieced together to form a square, facilitating the formation of an array. Opposing mirrors form a parabola. Other even-numbered polygons, such as hexagons, can also be used, but the resulting light spot shape will match the shape of the mirror opening. In this case, the corresponding array formation needs to be modified. Quadrilaterals are the easiest to assemble and fabricate. Hexagons are more suitable for targets with large, circular light spots, reducing energy waste at the edges.

[0043] A xenon lamp 1 and a corresponding square reflector 2 form a combination. The combination of three parameters—the parabolic curvature coefficient and radius of curvature of the reflector 2, and the defocus distance of the xenon lamp 1—determines the intensity and uniformity of the irradiated surface. Optimization of these three parameters can form a uniform light spot. For example, a parameter combination obtained through manual or automatic software optimization can form a uniform light spot on the target irradiated surface. In a preferred embodiment, this invention provides a preferred combination of parameters: a parabolic curvature coefficient of -0.7035, a radius of curvature of 98.75 mm, and a xenon lamp defocus distance of 14 mm. Simulation results show that using a 50 mm × 50 mm grid receiver at a position 1000 mm in front of the lens, a light spot with a uniformity of 15% is obtained.

[0044] A transparent lampshade 3 is installed at the outlet of the reflector 2. The lampshade 3 forms a sealed connection with the outer casing 4, with a leakage rate of no more than 1×10⁻⁶. -6 The pressure of Pa·L / s allows the xenon lamp array to be used in a vacuum at low temperatures, and the lamp cover 3 has a certain rigidity to withstand one atmosphere of pressure, protecting surrounding equipment and personnel from injury in the event of an explosion or shattering of the xenon lamp 1. The transmittance of the lamp cover 3 in the visible and near-infrared spectral bands of 300nm to 1200nm is not less than 90%.

[0045] The method of forced air convection is adopted to cool the xenon lamp 1, the reflector 2 and the lamp cover 3. There is a gap between the reflector 2 and the lamp cover 3, and convective heat dissipation can be formed on the inner and outer surfaces of the reflector 2 in the enclosed space formed by the outer shell 4 and the lamp cover 3. The anode vicinity of the xenon lamp 1 serves as the air outlet 6, and two air inlets 5 are symmetrically arranged near the air outlet 6 to make the wind speed uniform and avoid dead corners with low wind speed; the method of exhausting air outward is adopted to force the air to flow. The wind speed can be adjusted, and different lamps with different powers require different wind speeds, and the wind speed is adjusted according to the power of the selected xenon lamp 1. Each xenon lamp 1 has an independent control unit containing a control circuit, and the xenon lamp 1 must be triggered to turn on on the premise that the air cooling is turned on. A temperature measurement point and a wind speed detection sensor are arranged at the air outlet 6 to ensure the normal operation of the xenon lamp 1.

[0046] The following specifically describes the splicing and adjustment methods between the simulation modules in the present invention.

[0047] Case 1: For the requirement with an irradiation surface smaller than 500mm×500mm, a single simulation module can be adopted. Select a 3000W xenon lamp 1, and a solar constant can be achieved. For the irradiation area requirement with an irradiation surface larger than 500mm×500mm, the required irradiation area is obtained by splicing simulation modules.

[0048] Case 2: For the case where the required radiation area is within 500mm×1000mm, the splicing of two simulation modules is adopted, and the distance between the two simulation modules is controlled between 630mm - 670mm, and fine adjustment can be made according to the actual uniformity of the irradiation surface. Prevent the appearance of prominent strengthening points in the middle.

[0049] Case 3: For the case where the required radiation area is within 1000mm×1000mm, a "field" - shaped basic splicing structure of two rows and two columns is adopted, and the row spacing and column spacing are kept in neat queue, and the row spacing and column spacing are controlled between 630mm - 670mm. It should be noted that when the row spacing and column spacing are both the smallest and both the largest, the intensity of the irradiation surface center point should be considered to prevent the appearance of super - strong points or super - weak points at the center.

[0050] Case 4: For the case where the required radiation area is within 500mm×(500mm×N) (N>2), the splicing of three or more consecutive simulation modules is adopted. N simulation modules arranged in a straight line are symmetrically distributed, and the distance between any two simulation modules is controlled between 630mm - 670mm. The N - 2 simulation modules in the middle position will have power strengthening points due to the superposition of marginal stray light from the two simulation modules on both sides, and the power of the N - 2 modules in the middle position needs to be adjusted to between 85% - 95% of the power of the modules at the edge position. The specific power needs to refer to the actual uniformity of the irradiation surface.

[0051] Scenario 5: For areas requiring radiation coverage within 1000mm × (500mm × N) (N>2), a "two"-shaped arrangement is used, with two rows of N consecutive simulation modules in each row (two rows and N columns). Row and column spacing is maintained to ensure neat alignment. If adjustments are needed, either two modules in a column or all N modules in a row are adjusted simultaneously. The 2 × (N-2) modules in the middle position, due to the superposition of the surrounding three modules, require adjustment of their irradiation power to between 80% and 90% of the power of the modules at the edges.

[0052] Scenario 6: For cases where the required radiation area is within (500mm×M)×(500mm×N) (M>2, N>2), a basic M-row N-column stacking structure is adopted. Row and column spacing should be kept aligned. While row and column spacing can be adjusted uniformly, maintaining a symmetrical distribution ensures uniform and symmetrical light spots. The analog modules at the four corners of the rectangular array are stacked in only two directions, maintaining maximum power. The (M-2)×(N-2) modules in the center are stacked from modules in four directions, requiring power reduction to approximately 80% of the corner modules' power. The 2(N-2) and 2(M-2) modules parallel to the four sides of the central module are stacked from three sides, requiring power reduction to approximately 90%.

[0053] Case 7: For complex array structures, the number of rows and columns can be expanded based on the typical three-row, three-column structure. The expansion method is to copy the middle row (or column) as a whole and insert it between the copied center row (or column) and edge row 16 (or edge column 14), becoming the new row 15 (or new column 13), while edge row 16 (or edge column 14) always remains at the edge position.

[0054] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0055] Specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and those skilled in the art can make various changes or modifications within the scope of the claims, which do not affect the essence of the present invention. Unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be arbitrarily combined with each other.

Claims

1. A modular array reconfigurable solar spectrum simulation device, characterized in that, include: Simulation module; The simulation module includes: a light source, a reflector (2), a lampshade (3), a housing (4), and a cooling channel; The light source and reflector (2) are located in the installation space formed by the lampshade (3) and the outer shell (4); the installation space has a cooling channel, and the cooling air circulation loop formed by the cooling channel includes an air outlet (6) and an air inlet (5) opened on the outer shell (4); The light emitted from the light source is collected and reflected by the reflector (2) to form a uniform light spot; The number of simulation modules can be one or more, and multiple simulation modules can be reconstructed and spliced ​​together to form an array; The light source is a short-arc xenon lamp (1) with a color temperature of 6000K. The irradiance is selected from 1000W to 10000W. The center point of the cathode of the xenon lamp (1) is adjusted to the focal point of the reflector (2), and the defocusing amount of the xenon lamp (1) is adjusted according to the uniformity of the emitted light spot. The reflector (2) is a parabolic mirror. The combination of three parameters of the reflector (2) – the parabolic curvature coefficient, the radius of curvature, and the defocus distance of the xenon lamp (1) – determines the intensity and uniformity of the irradiated surface. The parabolic curvature coefficient is -0.7035, the radius of curvature is 98.75 mm, and the defocus distance of the xenon lamp 1 is 14 mm. The transmittance of the lamp cover (3) in the visible and near-infrared spectral bands of 300 nm to 1200 nm is not less than 90%.

2. The modular array reconfigurable solar spectrum simulation device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Forced air convection is used to cool the xenon lamp (1), reflector (2), and lamp cover (3). There is a gap between the reflector (2) and the lamp cover (3), and convective heat dissipation is formed on the inner and outer surfaces of the reflector (2). The part of the outer shell (4) corresponding to the anode of the xenon lamp (1) is used as the air outlet (6). Multiple air inlets (5) are symmetrically arranged on the side of the air outlet (6), and forced air flow is achieved by drawing air outward. Each xenon lamp (1) has an independent control unit containing a control circuit. The control circuit adjusts the wind speed according to the power of the selected xenon lamp (1) and controls the activation of the xenon lamp (1) under the premise of air cooling.

3. The modular array reconfigurable solar spectrum simulation device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The reflector (2) is made by splicing four parabolic mirrors into a square, with two opposing mirrors forming a parabola.

4. The reconfigurable solar spectrum simulation device with a spliced ​​array according to claim 1, characterized in that, The reflector (2) is made of six parabolic mirrors spliced ​​together to form a hexagon. The shape of the light spot formed is consistent with the shape of the opening of the reflector, and the two opposing mirrors form a parabola.

5. A simulation method based on a reconfigurable solar spectrum simulation device with a spliced ​​array according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, Based on the required irradiation area size, select an appropriate number of simulation modules to splice together to obtain the required irradiation area.

6. The simulation method according to claim 5, characterized in that, During the assembly of multiple simulation modules, the distance between adjacent simulation modules is adjusted according to the actual uniformity of the irradiated surface to avoid the appearance of enhancement points on the irradiated surface.

7. The simulation method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The irradiation power of the N-2 simulation modules in the middle position is reduced to between 85% and 95% of the power of the simulation modules at the edge position, where N>2; Alternatively, the irradiation power of the 2×(N-2) simulation modules in the middle position is reduced to between 80% and 90% of the power of the simulation modules at the edge position, where N>2; Alternatively, the (M-2)×(N-2) simulation modules in the middle position are superimposed by the simulation modules in the four directions, reducing the power to 80% of the power of the simulation modules in the four corners; the 2(N-2) and 2(M-2) simulation modules parallel to the four sides of the central module are superimposed on three sides, reducing the power to 90%, M>2, N>2.

8. The simulation method according to claim 5, characterized in that, Based on the structure of the three-row, three-column simulation module, the number of rows and columns is expanded. The expansion method is to copy the middle row as a whole and insert it between the copied center row and the edge row (16) to become a new row (15), while the edge row (16) always maintains the edge position.

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