Shielded System with a Housing Having a High Atomic Number Metal Coating Applied By Thermal Spray Technique

Abstract

A radiation-shielded system and method of producing a radiation-shielded system having at least one component susceptible to disruption upon exposure to ionizing radiation, wherein the susceptible component is protected by a rigid housing having a metallic layer of high atomic number that is deposited on the surface of the housing using a thermal spray technique.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 10 / 325,989, filed Dec. 19, 2002, which is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The invention relates to a system and method for shielding components that are susceptible to damage from external ionizing radiation. Particularly, the invention provides a system and method of shielding an electronic, organic, or micro-mechanical component from external ionizing radiation with a housing where the housing is coated with a metal layer of high atomic number. Further, the invention relates to a radiation-shielded system with a housing having a high atomic number metal layer deposited by a thermal spray technique. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Many of today's military, space, and commercial electronics designs are required to operate in hostile man-made or natural radiation environments, and in certain extreme cases, a combination ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The invention is a system and method of making a system that is susceptible to damage or disruption from exposure to ionizing radiation. The system includes a rigid housing that contains the susceptible components and is coated with a high atomic number metal layer deposited by a thermal spray deposition technique. The high atomic number metal layer attenuates external ionizing radiation to protect the internal components. The invention allows for the modification of pre-existing unhardened housings, which may be coated with the required high atomic number metal material without the need for fabricating a new housing. The high atomic number metal coating provides excellent attenuation of ionizing radiation, is economical, and may be applied to the housing regardless of shape, size, or orientation. The invention creates systems that are effectively shielded from external ionizing radiation.

Problems solved by technology

Exposure of electronics to ionizing radiation environments can result in catastrophic damage, reduced operating lifetimes, and loss of critical data unless physical protection is utilized to protect the circuitry.

Like electronics, other components that may be maintained onboard vehicles or housed in stationary locations are subject to damage or disruption by ionizing radiation.

Because housings for electronics and other components that may be susceptible to damage from ionizing radiation are not are typically designed with weight and size considerations in mind, they are not often well suited to provide protection from external ionizing radiation.

Not only do the radiation attenuating properties of the enclosures require relatively heavy and dense materials, but the enclosures must often allow for design margins due to the lack of availability of precisely sized metal materials with which to construct the enclosures.

What is needed is a method of hardening a system against external ionizing radiation without the need to fabricate dedicated external radiation shields, a process which is both expensive and time consuming.

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