Apparatus and method for deploying a hypervelocity shield

• US 6,647,855 B1
• Filed: 09/30/2002
• Issued: 11/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National Aeronautics and Space Administration US Government As Represented By The Administrator of The, US Government As Represented By The Director National Security Agency
• Original Assignee: United States Administrator of National Aeronautics and Space Administration
• Inventors: Christiansen, Eric L., Kerr, Justin H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jordan, Charles T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lofdahl, Jordan M
• Application Number:
  US10/263,293
• Time in Patent Office: 414 Days
• Field of Search: 89/360.1, 89/360.2, 139/425.R, 343/915, 343/705, 244/173, 136/292
• US Class Current: 89/36.01
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/56 Protection against meteoroids or space debris

Abstract

Provided herein are apparatuses for deployment of at least one hypervelocity shield on a structure in exoatmospheric space. The apparatuses comprise a means of attaching to the structure at least at one place on the structure and further comprise at least one of the hypervelocity shields and a means of deploying said shields. Also provided are methods of deploying the hypervelocity shields using said apparatuses.

Claims

1. An apparatus for deploying a hypervelocity shield on a structure in exoatmospheric space comprising:

a hypervelocity shield comprising;

a mesh formed of wires of a ductile material, at least one of said wires optionally comprising a shape-memory alloy; and

a supporting matrix formed of strands of a material having a density less than that of said ductile material;

said strands interwoven with said mesh and comprising means for supporting the mesh in a predetermined configuration;

a frame structure attached to at least one edge of said hypervelocity shield further comprising an insulated electric cable to deploy said hypervelocity shield, said frame structure supports said hypervelocity shield; and

a means of operably attaching said hypervelocity shield to the structure.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said ductile material consists essentially of a material selected from the group consisting of cadmium, zinc, tin, lead, tantalum, copper, steel and an alloy of said material.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said ductile material has a density at least as great as the density of particles from which the structure is to be shielded.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the density of said ductile material is about 2.3 grams per cubic centimeter to about 14 grams per cubic centimeter.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said ductile material has a melting point of about 430°

C.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said supporting matrix is formed of strands of a ceramic cloth.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said shape-memory alloy is a martensitic alloy comprising at least two elements selected from the group consisting of nickel, titanium, aluminum, silicon, manganese, iron, copper, zinc, silver, cadmium, indium, tin, platinum, gold and thallium.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said shape-memory alloy is nickel-titanium.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said hypervelocity shield is attached to said frame structure via clips and brackets, releasable fabric fasteners, sewing or a combination thereof.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said electric cables are routed adjacent to and internal to said frame structure.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said means of operably attaching said hypervelocity shield to said structure comprises:

an attachment fitting connected to said structure;

a power and data channel connection;

a boom connecting said attachment fitting to said power and data channel connection; and

an electronic assembly and controller component connected to said power and data channel, said component electrically connected to and controlling power to said electric cable to deploy said hypervelocity shield.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said boom is about four inches to about twelve inches long.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus comprises:

the hypervelocity shield formed of a plurality of panels having a rectangular shape and further comprising a hinging means to connect said panels, said panels hinged so as to extend linearly one from the other when said panels are fully deployed; and

the frame structure disposed around at least two outer edges of each of said panels;

said frame structure further comprising;

straps formed of a shape-memory alloy, said straps operably attached externally to said frame structure;

wherein a first of said straps connects a first of said panels to said attaching means, said attaching means further comprising a second insulated electric cable controlled by said controller and activating said first strap; and

wherein a second set of said straps connects said panels one to the other, said first strap and said second set of straps deploying said panels upon activation of the shape-memory alloy by said first insulated electric cable adjacent to said frame structure.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein if said frame structure comprises said shape-memory alloy, said attaching means further comprises a third insulated electric cable controlled by said controller and activating said shape-memory frame to conform to a predetermined configuration.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus comprises:

the hypervelocity shield formed of a continuous sheet of said mesh and said support matrix, said sheet having a length greater than its width, further comprising a plurality of wires formed of said shape-memory alloy disposed along the length of said sheet;

the frame structure disposed across the width of a first end of said sheet, said sheet rolled up and adjacent to said frame structure, wherein said insulated electric cable controlled by said controller activates said length-wise shape-memory wires to conform to a predetermined configuration thereby unrolling and deploying said continuous sheet.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, said apparatus further comprising:

a plurality of wires formed of said shape-memory alloy disposed along the width of said sheet; and

a second insulated electric cable controlled by said controller to activate said width-wise shape-memory wires to conform said deployed continuous sheet to a second predetermined configuration.

17. A method of deploying a hypervelocity shield on a structure in exoatmospheric space comprising the steps of:

attaching the apparatus of claim 1 to the structure via said attachment means;

routing power to said insulated electric cable via said controller; and

deploying the hypervelocity shield.

18. A method of deploying a hypervelocity shield on a structure in exoatmospheric space comprising the steps of:

attaching the apparatus of claim 13 to the structure via said attachment means, wherein said plurality of panels comprising said apparatus are in a stowed position of 0°

relative to the structure;

routing power to said first shape-memory strap via said second insulated electric cable to partially deploy said first panel 90°

relative to the structure;

wherein the remaining panels are still in the stowed position relative to said first panel;

disconnecting power to said second insulated electric cable to stop deployment of said first panel; and

routing power to said first insulated electric cable to activate the second set of shape memory straps thereby fully deploying all of said plurality of panels.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said apparatus is attached such that said partial deployment of said first panel to an angle of 90°

relative to said structure is incorporated into said attaching step, the method comprising a step alternative to the step of routing power to said first insulated electric cable, said step comprising;

simultaneously routing power to said first cable and said second cable wherein said first shape memory strap is activated by said second cable to deploy said first panel at a rate that is half the rate of deployment of the remaining panels thereby fully deploying all of said plurality of panels.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein if said frame structure is insulated and formed of a shape-memory alloy, the method further comprises the step of:

routing power to a third cable to activate the insulated shape-memory frame to conform to a predetermined configuration after deployment of said plurality of panels.

21. A method of deploying a hypervelocity shield on a structure in exoatmospheric space comprising the steps of:

attaching the apparatus of claim 15 to the structure via said attachment means;

routing power to an insulated electric cable to activate the plurality of length-wise shape-memory wires to conform to a predetermined configuration; and

deploying the continuous sheet comprising the hypervelocity shield.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein if said continuous sheet further comprises a plurality of shape-memory wires disposed along the width of the sheet, said method further comprises the step of:

routing power to a second electric cable to activate the plurality of widthwise shape-memory wires to conform to a predetermined configuration after deployment of said continuous sheet.

39. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said frame structure is insulated and formed of said shape memory alloy.

40. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said electric cables are routed adjacent to and external to said frame structure.

23. An apparatus to deploy at least one hypervelocity shield on a structure in exoatmospheric space comprising:

at least one hypervelocity shield, each of said attached to and wound on a roll, said shield comprising;

a mesh formed of wires of a ductile material; and

a supporting matrix formed of strands of a material having a density less than that of said ductile material;

said strands interwoven with said mesh and comprising means for supporting the mesh in a predetermined configuration;

a shield storage cassette, said storage cassette containing at least one of said rolls of shielding, said rolls of shielding individually stored one on the other, said storage cassette comprising;

a shield storage cassette cover, said cassette cover in covering relationship to an open end of said cassette when said roll(s) of shielding are stored therein, said cassette cover having a front side facing outwardly and a back side opposite said front side;

said back side comprising a means of individually attaching in parallel relationship a front edge of each of said rolls of shielding;

wherein said cover opens along a plane perpendicular to the face of said cover;

a mast storage canister having an open front end and a closed back end opposite said front end, said canister rotatably mounted to the top of said shield storage cassette, said storage canister adjacent to and parallel to a top side of said storage cassette wherein said plane or rotation is parallel to that of a subsequently deployed shield, said canister comprising;

an extendible/retractable mast disposed within said canister;

a circular mast cover disposed in covering relationship to said open front end of said canister when said mast is retracted therein, said mast cover having a front side facing outwardly and having two mounting attach points thereon comprising means to attach said deployed shields to said structure and a back side opposite said front side;

said back side comprising a means of attaching a front edge of said retractable mast;

two mounting attach points fastened external to and at the back of said mast storage canister, said mounting attach points comprising means to attach said apparatus to said structure; and

an extending means to simultaneously extend said mast and open said shield storage cassette cover comprising a hinging mechanism, a forward arm of said hinge attached to said front face of said mast cover and a rearward arm of said hinge attached to said front face of said cassette cover, wherein said forward arm of said hinge rotates in a plane parallel to said subsequently deployed shields.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said ductile material consists essentially of a material selected from the group consisting of cadmium, zinc, tin, lead, tantalum, copper, steel and an alloy of said material.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said ductile material has a density at least as great as the density of particles from which the structure is to be shielded.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the density of said ductile material is about 2.3 grams per cubic centimeter to about 14 grams per cubic centimeter.

27. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said ductile material has a melting point of about 430°

C.

28. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said supporting matrix is formed of strands of a ceramic cloth.

29. A method of deploying at least one hypervelocity shield on a structure in exoatmospheric space, comprising the steps of:

attaching the apparatus of claim 23 to said structure at said mounting attach points on said mast storage container;

rotating said mast storage container 90°

;

rotating said forward arm of said hinging means 90°

;

opening said mast storage cover to fully extend said mast; and

attaching the mast storage cover to said structure at said mounting attach points on the front face of said mast storage cover thereby deploying said at least one hypervelocity shields.

30. A method of deploying a hypervelocity shield on a structure in exoatmospheric space comprising the steps of:

attaching a canister to an outer surface of said structure, said canister containing said hypervelocity shield-rolled therein, wherein said hypervelocity shield is formed of;

a continuous sheet of mesh having a length greater than its width, said mesh formed of wires of a ductile material;

a supporting matrix formed of strands of a material having a density less than that of said ductile material; and

a plurality of wires formed of a shape-memory alloy disposed along the length of said sheet of mesh;

deploying said hypervelocity shield through an opening on a front face of said canister via a motor means; and

thermally activating said shape memory wires via an electrical means to conform said hypervelocity shield in protective relation to the outer surface of said structure.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein said canister is attached to the outer surface of said structure with releasable fabric fasteners.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein said ductile consists essentially of a material selected from the group consisting of cadmium, zinc, tin, lead, tantalum, copper, steel and an alloy of said material.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein said ductile material has a density at least as great as the density of particles from which the structure is to be shielded.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the density of said ductile material is about 2.3 grams per cubic centimeter to about 14 grams per cubic centimeter.

35. The method of claim 30, wherein said ductile material has a melting point of about 430°

C.

36. The method of claim 30, wherein said supporting matrix is formed of strands of a ceramic cloth.

37. The method of claim 30, wherein said shape-memory alloy is a martensitic alloy comprising at least two elements selected from the group consisting of nickel, titanium, aluminum, silicon, manganese, iron, copper, zinc, silver, cadmium, indium, tin, platinum, gold and thallium.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein said shape-memory alloy is nickel-titanium.