Deployable Heat Shield Assembly With Solar Panels for Re-Entry Trim
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Aerospace vehicles face challenges in managing compactness, weight, power supply, and trim stability during re-entry, particularly for missions exceeding battery power capacity, with existing deployable heat shields and photovoltaic devices occupying valuable space and weight.
Innovation Solution
A containment assembly for the heat shield with a flange system, elastic means, hinges, and photovoltaic elements that allows the heat shield to deploy automatically while providing power and trim management, using minimal space and weight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a deployable heat shield is used to protect the vehicle during re-entry, then thermal protection is improved, but the device occupies valuable space and adds weight in its folded configuration
Solution Approach 1:
The heat shield is divided into multiple detachable panels that can be individually managed. Each panel can be independently deployed or stowed, allowing the system to occupy minimal volume when folded while providing complete thermal protection when deployed. The panels are connected through a containment assembly that facilitates compact storage.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat shield panels are designed to nest within each other or within the vehicle body when not in use. The containment assembly allows panels to be stored in a compact, nested configuration that minimizes the volume occupied during the mission, while enabling full deployment when thermal protection is required.
2Power
If photovoltaic devices are added to produce energy for long-duration missions, then power supply is improved, but the devices occupy additional space and add weight
Solution Approach 1:
The photovoltaic devices are integrated with the heat shield panels, combining two functions into a single structure. The same panels that provide thermal protection also generate electrical energy when exposed to sunlight, eliminating the need for separate photovoltaic arrays and reducing overall space and weight requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat shield panels serve multiple functions: thermal protection during re-entry, structural support, and electrical energy generation through integrated photovoltaic cells. This multi-functionality reduces the total number of components needed on the vehicle, thereby reducing space and weight.
3Stability of the object's composition
If trim management devices are added to handle complex rotations during re-entry, then vehicle stability is improved, but the devices occupy additional space and add weight
Solution Approach 1:
The trim management functionality is integrated into the heat shield panel system. The same panels and their deployment mechanisms provide both thermal protection and trim control, allowing the vehicle to manage complex rotations during re-entry without requiring separate trim devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat shield panels serve multiple functions including thermal protection, structural support, energy generation, and trim management. By making the panels multi-functional, the system reduces the need for additional dedicated trim devices, thereby minimizing space and weight requirements while maintaining vehicle stability.
4Volume of moving object
If the heat shield is made compact for space-constrained vehicles, then volume is reduced, but deployment complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heat shield is segmented into multiple panels that can be independently deployed through a contained deployment mechanism. This segmentation allows for compact storage while simplifying the deployment process, as each panel can be deployed independently through a standardized mechanism rather than requiring a complex single-piece deployment system.
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 solution ensures efficient deployment of the heat shield, power production, and trim management during re-entry, meeting space and weight requirements while maintaining vehicle stability.
Implementation Method 1
a mobile flange connected by means of elastic means to said rear flange on the opposite side with respect to said aerospace vehicle, a release device suitable for releasing the compression of said elastic means
Implementation Method 2
each of said hinges is fixed to a lower edge of a respective containment panel and is suitable for rotating the same around a first rotation axis
Implementation Method 3
a plurality of photovoltaic elements fixed to an external surface of at least part of said containment panels
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A containment assembly (1) of a heat shield (2) of an aerospace vehicle comprising a front flange (4) and a rear flange (5) fixed respectively to a first (3a) and a second (3b) end of a CubeSat (3), a mobile flange (6) connected by means of elastic means (10) to the rear flange (5) on the opposite side with respect to the CubeSat (3), a release device (11) suitable for releasing the compression of the elastic means (10), a plurality of containment panels (7) connected by means of respective hinges (8) and at a lower edge (7a) to the mobile flange (6), a plurality of photovoltaic elements (13) fixed to an external surface (7c) of at least part of the containment panels (7). The plurality of containment panels (7) is suitable for being arranged (a) in a closed configuration, to conjointly create a containment wall of a head shield (2), and (b) in an open configuration, in which the containment panels (7) are arranged radially.