Folded Beam Spectroheliograph for Compact High-Resolution Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Spectroheliographs face challenges in achieving high image quality with a small space requirement and low production costs, due to the difficulties in manufacturing narrow entrance slits and the inherent curvature of field images from refractor or Gregory telescope designs, which are sensitive to contamination and heat-related disturbances.
Innovation Solution
A spectroheliograph design featuring an image generating device with a first and second reflection element having optical axes with translational and/or angular offsets, allowing for a folded beam path and the use of oblique mirrors to achieve a long focal length in a compact space, along with a collimation objective and diffraction grating for spectral line decomposition, and an electronic image sensor for efficient data processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a narrow entrance slit is used to achieve high image quality, then image quality is improved, but manufacturing difficulty and susceptibility to contamination increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the narrow slit from a 2D planar feature into a 3D volumetric structure by folding the beam path multiple times within a compact entrance region. This allows the effective optical path length to be extended without increasing the physical aperture size, achieving high resolution while maintaining ease of manufacture with standard optical components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a nested beam path configuration where multiple reflections occur within a compact entrance slit region. The beam path is folded back on itself multiple times, creating a nested structure that achieves the equivalent optical path of a much longer slit while maintaining a small physical footprint and standard manufacturing requirements.
2Manufacturing precision
If a narrow entrance slit is used to achieve high image quality, then image quality is improved, but susceptibility to contamination and heat-related disturbances increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses multiple reflections within a compact entrance region to extend the effective optical path without requiring a physically long and narrow slit. This dimensional transformation allows the system to achieve high resolution while maintaining a larger effective aperture that is less susceptible to contamination and heat-related atmospheric turbulence.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces multiple intermediate reflection surfaces within the entrance slit region that act as mediators to extend the optical path. These intermediate reflections allow the light to traverse a longer effective path while passing through a larger physical aperture, reducing sensitivity to contamination and thermal disturbances.
3Manufacturing precision
If cooling measures and heat shields are used to reduce heat-related disturbances, then image quality is improved, but space requirements and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent achieves heat mitigation through the geometric configuration of multiple reflections within a compact entrance region rather than through additional cooling subsystems. By folding the beam path through multiple reflections, the system achieves the equivalent thermal management of a much longer optical path without requiring proportional space for cooling infrastructure.
4Manufacturing precision
If refractor or Gregory telescope designs are used in spectroheliographs, then image quality is achieved, but field curvature is inherent and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a folded beam path configuration with multiple reflections to achieve a long effective focal length within a compact space. This geometric approach to extending the optical path allows the system to achieve high image quality without the field curvature inherent in traditional refractor or Gregory telescope designs.
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
This design enables high-quality celestial body imaging with minimal space and production costs, avoiding image curvature and heat-related issues, while allowing for portability and efficient data capture through electronic image processing.
Implementation Method 1
The image-generating device comprises a first reflecting element with a first optical axis, and a second reflecting element with a second optical axis, wherein the first reflecting element is optically connected to the second reflecting element
Implementation Method 2
a spectrograph for decomposing light incident through the input slit into spectral lines
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
Observation instrument (12) for observing a celestial body (14) comprising: • an input plane (18) with an input slit (20) for the inlet of at least a part of an image of the celestial body, • a spectrograph (22) for decomposing light (24) incident through the input slit (20) into spectral lines (26), • an image-forming device (28) for generating the image of the celestial body on the input plane (18), comprising: o a first reflection element (30) with a first optical axis (32), o a second reflection element (34) with a second optical axis (36), wherein the first reflection element (30) is optically connected to the second reflection element (34), and wherein the second optical axis (36) has a translational and/or angular offset relative to the first optical axis (32).