Non-contacting thermal energy transfer assembly
AssigneeFord Aerospace & Communications Corporation
InventorsElias Reisman, David S. Goodsell, Fred S. Masino
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Abstract
A thermal conducting path between a relatively movable heat source and a relatively fixed heat sink element, defined as a relatively narrow non-contacting conducting gap between opposing conducting surfaces. In an embodiment where the heat source is gimbal mounted, for movement with respect to two orthogonal axes, its conductive surface has a convex partial spherical shape while the relatively fixed surface of the heat sink element has a concave partial spherical shape. In order to maintain a constant gap, the opposing surfaces have a common spherical center located at the crossover of said orthogonal axes and the spherical radii dimensions differ by the distance of said relatively narrow non-contacting gap therebetween.
Claims5
A radiation detector assembly comprising:
- a relatively fixed body;
- a thermoelectric cooler having defined hot and cold conductors;
- a gimbal assembly attached to said fixed body for mounting said thermoelectric cooler and detector element to provide relative movement about two orthogonal axes;
- a heat sink mounted within said relatively fixed body;
- means for transferring heat from said relatively movable hot conductor to said heat sink, which includes:
- a first low thermal resistivity element mounted on said hot conductor;
- a second low thermal resistivity element mounted within said body in contact with said heat sink;
- and
- a gaseous fluid medium having a low thermal resistivity located between said first and second elements to provide a non-contacting thermal conducting path therebetween.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.