Optical window system with aero-optical conductive blades
AssigneeRaytheon Company
InventorsDavid A. Vasquez, Michael Ushinsky, Joseph J. Ichkhan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of improving optical characteristics of an optical window operating in a flow of fluid and having first and second panes of optically transmissive material—each having an edge adjacent to, parallel with, and at least partially coextensive with each other—is described herein. The method includes inserting a thermally conductive blade between two adjacent edges of the first and second panes of optically transmissive material; and lifting an adverse flow stagnation zone forward of the optical window by protruding the thermally conductive blade into the flow of fluid from an outer surface of the panes of the optical window.
Claims20
A method of using an optical window, the method comprising:
- exposing the optical window to an air flow, wherein the optical window has thermally conductive blades between adjacent edges of panes of optically transmissive material of the optical window, and wherein the air flow flows past heads of the blades and outer surfaces of the panes;
- and
- viewing with a sensor through the optical window, into the air flow;
- wherein the panes are made of a crystal or ceramic material selected from the group consisting of polycrystalline ZnS, ZnSe, sapphire, and spinel;
- wherein heads of the thermally conductive blades protrude into the air flow so as to move an adverse flow stagnation zone forward of the outer surfaces of the panes;
- and
- wherein the heads of the blades have backward-swept arms, spaced away from the panes, that cause, during the exposing of the optical window to the air flow, enhanced mixing between relatively hot air of the air flow near the panes, and relatively cold air of the air flow further from the panes.
A method of improving optical characteristics of a multi-segmented infrared window of an infrared sensor system of an aircraft, the window having at least four panes, the method comprising:
- providing conductive blades between the panes, with the blades made of a thermally conductive material that is more thermally conductive than the panes, wherein the blades are each positioned between adjacent edges of adjacent of the panes, the adjacent edges being adjacent to, parallel with, and at least partially coextensive with each other, with edges of the blades parallel to and in contact with the adjacent edges of the adjacent of the panes, and wherein the blades each have a head that extends beyond outer surfaces of the panes, into an air flow past the windows while the aircraft is in flight;
- and
- modifying turbulent flow in the air flow past the windows while the aircraft is in flight, using the heads of the blades, wherein the modifying the turbulent flow produces more regular flow attachment to the window than in the absence of the blades, reducing thermal gradients and optical distortion occurring from variable refractivity of air in a boundary layer of the flow along the window.
A method of improving optical characteristics of a multi-segmented infrared window of an infrared sensor system of an aircraft, the window having at least four panes, the method comprising:
- providing conductive blades between the panes, with the blades made of a thermally conductive material that is more thermally conductive than the panes, wherein the blades are each positioned between adjacent edges of adjacent of the panes, the adjacent edges being adjacent to, parallel with, and at least partially coextensive with each other, with edges of the blades parallel to and in contact with the adjacent edges of the adjacent of the panes, and wherein the blades each have a head that extends beyond outer surfaces of the panes, into an air flow past the windows while the aircraft is in flight;
- and
- lifting an adverse flow stagnation zone forward of the optical window away from the panes, by protruding the head on one of the blades into the air flow forward of the window.
A method of using an optical window, the method comprising:
- exposing the optical window to an air flow that is supersonic or hypersonic, wherein the optical window has thermally conductive blades between adjacent edges of panes of optically transmissive material of the optical window, and wherein the air flow flows past heads of the blades and outer surfaces of the panes;
- and
- viewing with a sensor through the optical window, into the air flow;
- wherein the panes are made of a material selected from the group consisting of polycrystalline ZnS, ZnSe, sapphire, and spinel;
- wherein heads of the thermally conductive blades protrude into the air flow so as to cause mixing in the air flow that mitigate thermal gradients within the panes;
- and
- wherein the heads of the blades have backward-swept arms, spaced away from the panes, that cause, during the exposing of the optical window to the air flow, enhanced mixing between relatively hot air of the air flow near the panes, and relatively cold air of the air flow further from the panes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.