Deployable Origami Heat Shield for Spacecraft Atmospheric Entry
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing spacecraft heat shields are bulky and limited in volume, requiring exotic materials due to high temperatures and heat flux during atmospheric entry, and lack efficient deceleration mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A deployable spacecraft heat shield using a transformable polyhedral-surface with an origami-like pattern, such as a flasher pattern, that unfolds from a compact stowed configuration to a deployed configuration, providing thermal protection and deceleration, with a large differential in diameter between stowed and deployed states, and utilizing materials like metals and ceramics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a traditional fixed heat shield is used, then thermal protection is provided, but the spacecraft requires separate bulky deceleration devices and uses exotic materials due to high ballistic coefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The heat shield is designed to combine thermal protection and deceleration functions into a single integrated structure. The deployable configuration creates a large surface area that provides both heat shielding and aerodynamic drag, eliminating the need for separate deceleration devices like parachutes or umbrellas.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat shield transitions from a compact stowed configuration to a large deployed configuration during atmospheric entry. This dynamic transformation allows the structure to optimize its surface area for both thermal protection and deceleration only when needed, reducing the spacecraft's volume requirements during launch.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the heat shield is made larger to reduce ballistic coefficient, then peak heat flux and equilibrium temperature decrease, but the volume required for launch increases
Solution Approach 1:
The large deployable heat shield structure is nested within a compact configuration during launch, similar to a nested doll. The structure folds or collapses into a small volume that fits within the spacecraft's launch constraints, then deploys to its full large size during atmospheric entry to reduce ballistic coefficient and heat flux.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat shield utilizes spatial transformation by changing its dimensional configuration. During launch, it occupies a compact three-dimensional space; during entry, it expands into a large two-dimensional surface area, effectively using the transition from volume to surface area to reduce heat flux without permanently increasing launch volume.
3Temperature
If exotic materials are used to withstand high temperatures, then thermal protection is improved, but material costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the key parameter from material composition to geometric configuration. Instead of relying on expensive exotic materials to withstand high temperatures, the solution uses a deployable structure that reduces the equilibrium temperature through increased surface area, allowing the use of cheaper, more easily manufactured materials.
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 heat shield achieves efficient heat dissipation and deceleration with a lower ballistic coefficient, reducing peak heat flux and equilibrium temperature, allowing the use of less exotic materials and eliminating the need for separate deceleration devices, while enhancing aerostability and reducing material costs.
Implementation Method 1
An ablative heat shield relies on ablation: the vaporisation of the surface material of the heat shield in order to enable heat to be carried away in the escaping gas
Implementation Method 2
A radiative heat shield relies on electromagnetic radiation, especially in the infrared range (i.e. thermal radiation), to carry heat away from the heat shield
Implementation Method 3
A deployable spacecraft heat shield using a transformable polyhedral-surface with an origami-like pattern, such as a flasher pattern, that unfolds from a compact stowed configuration to a deployed configuration
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A~3C
AI summary
Spacecraft Heat Shield A deployable spacecraft atmospheric-entry heat shield (30, 40, 50, 60) is configured in a flasher pattern with a transformable polyhedral-surface. The transformable polyhedral-surface has a plurality of sectors (2, see Fig. 1a), each sector (2) having a plurality of mountain fold lines (4, 5), a plurality of valley fold lines (6, 7), a plurality of facets (8) lying between the fold lines (4, 5, 6, 7) and an outside edge (12). The heat shield (30, 40, 50, 60) is configured to unfold from a stowed configuration to a deployed configuration.