Active thermal control of surfaces by steering heating beam in response to sensed thermal radiation
AssigneeMassachusetts Institute of Technology
InventorsIan W. Hunter, Colin J. H. Brenan, Serge R. Lafontaine
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for controlling the temperature profile of the surface of a medium such as a solid or a liquid. The surface is imaged onto an array of detectors which generate an electronic output indicative of the temperature profile of the surface. A heating beam provided by a laser is scanned across the surface, providing radiation which heats the surface locally in a pattern based upon the detected temperature profile and the desired temperature profile.
Claims10
An apparatus for maintaining detailed control of the temperature profile of a boundary between a medium and an ambient environment, the apparatus comprising:
- a. a radiation detector for sensing radiation emitted by the medium, the radiation detector having an electrical output;
- b. a source for emitting a beam of heating radiation having an intensity and a wavelength distribution directed to a specified location on the boundary between the medium and the ambient environment;
- c. a pointing arrangement for orienting the beam of heating radiation toward a specified position on the boundary between the medium and the ambient environment;
- and
- d. a controller for directing the pointing arrangement to orient the beam toward a specified position and for modulating the intensity of the beam of heating radiation based at least on the electrical output of the radiation detector.
A method of maintaining a desired thermal profile across a surface of a medium, the method comprising:
- a. sensing radiation emitted by the medium;
- b. creating an electrical output corresponding to the sensed radiation;
- c. directing a beam of heating radiation to the surface of the medium;
- d. orienting the beam of heating radiation toward a specified position on the surface of the medium;
- and
- e. heating the specified position on the surface of the medium in response to at least the electrical output corresponding to the sensed radiation so as to maintain a desired thermal profile across the surface of the medium.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.