Spectrally selective coatings and associated methods for minimizing the effects of lightning strikes
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorMichael M. Ladd
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for reducing structural damage to a substrate resulting from interaction between the substrate and a plasma, the method including the steps of identifying a wavelength at which a spectral radiance of the plasma is at a peak, the wavelength being a function of a temperature of the plasma, preparing a coating capable of imparting to the substrate a threshold electromagnetic reflectivity over a spectral band about the wavelength, and applying the coating to the substrate.
Claims15
A method for reducing structural damage to a composite substrate resulting from interaction between said composite substrate and a plasma, said method comprising the steps of:
- identifying a wavelength at which a spectral radiance of said plasma is at a peak, said wavelength being a function of a temperature of said plasma;
- providing a plurality of pigment particles having a size distribution comprising a first portion of pigment particles that are relatively large compared to ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths thereby backscattering UV energy and a second portion of pigment particles that are relatively small compared to infrared (IR) wavelengths thereby forward scattering IR energy;
- preparing a spectrally selective coating comprising said plurality of said pigment particles in a binder;
- and
- applying said spectrally selective coating to said composite substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.