Cold Sprayed Radiation Shielding Composite Layers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current radiation shielding technologies are inadequate for effectively protecting space vehicles from galactic cosmic radiation (GCR), which causes significant damage to mission-critical components, leading to costly failures and anomalies in aerospace missions.
Innovation Solution
A lightweight radiation shield is developed using cold spray additive manufacturing (CSAM) to create a layered structure with a refractory metal and an absorbing material, where the refractory layer decelerates high-energy particles, and the absorbing layer retains them, providing enhanced shielding capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional radiation shielding materials are used, then radiation protection is provided, but the shield becomes heavier and thicker
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies composite materials by combining multiple layers of different materials (e.g., aluminum, polyethylene, boron nitride, tungsten carbide) to create a radiation shield that provides superior protection per unit weight. The composite structure allows each layer to contribute specific properties: aluminum provides structural integrity and basic shielding, polyethylene offers hydrogen-rich radiation absorption, boron nitride provides neutron capture capability, and tungsten carbide adds high-density radiation blocking. This multi-material approach resolves the contradiction by achieving enhanced radiation protection without proportionally increasing weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the radiation shield into multiple functional layers, each designed to address specific types of radiation or provide specific protective functions. The layered structure includes outer structural layers, intermediate radiation-absorbing layers, and inner functional layers with specialized materials. This segmentation allows optimization of each layer's thickness and material composition to maximize protection efficiency while minimizing overall weight, directly resolving the contradiction between protection and weight.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional radiation shielding materials are used, then radiation protection is provided, but the shield becomes thicker
Solution Approach 1:
The use of composite materials with high radiation attenuation coefficients (such as tungsten carbide and boron nitride) allows the shield to achieve the required protection level in a thinner configuration. These materials provide superior radiation blocking capability per unit thickness compared to conventional single-material shields, enabling reduced overall thickness while maintaining or enhancing protection effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by varying the material composition and thickness of different layers based on the specific radiation threats they face. Each layer is locally optimized with materials and dimensions tailored to its position and function within the shield assembly, allowing the overall structure to be thinner while providing adequate protection throughout. This localized optimization prevents the need for uniform thickness increases across the entire shield.
3Weight of stationary object
If cold spray additive manufacturing is used, then lightweight and effective shielding is achieved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cold spray additive manufacturing process utilizes parameter changes by controlling particle velocity, temperature, and deposition conditions to achieve dense, adherent coatings of radiation shielding materials. By adjusting process parameters such as gas pressure, particle acceleration velocity, and substrate temperature, the manufacturing system can produce complex lightweight structures with controlled material properties, resolving the contradiction between achieving lightweight design and maintaining manufacturing feasibility.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The CSAM-based radiation shield is thinner, lighter, and more effective than conventional shields, offering a significant increase in radiation protection while maintaining structural integrity, as demonstrated by Monte Carlo simulations and nanomechanical characterization.
Implementation Method 1
propelling a particulate form of the refractory metal onto a substrate at a velocity resulting in adherence of the propelled metal to the substrate
Implementation Method 2
the refractory layer decelerates high-energy particles
Implementation Method 3
the absorbing layer retains them
Data Source
AI summary
Radiation shield and methods for manufacturing a radiation shield are provided herein, the method includes identifying a substrate for the radiation shield; identifying at least one material for cold spraying on the substrate; applying by cold spray a coating of the at least one material on the substrate thereby obtaining a radiation shield. The radiation shield is lighter, thinner, and more efficient compared to conventional radiation shields.