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Autonomous laser-powered vehicle

  • US 9,850,711 B2
  • Filed: 07/18/2014
  • Issued: 12/26/2017
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2011
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. An autonomous laser-powered vehicle for penetrating through ice, said vehicle comprising:

  • a laser power source;

    a housing;

    a fiber spooler mounted within said housing;

    a fiber for transmitting a laser beam, said fiber having a first end and a second end, said first end of said fiber connected to said laser power source and said second end of said fiber wound about said fiber spooler;

    a fiber connector having a first end and a second end, wherein said fiber is optically connected to said first end of said fiber connector;

    a beam dispersion optics for receiving said laser beam, said beam dispersion optics optically connected to said second end of said fiber connector and wherein at least one beam dispersion lens expands said laser beam into a cone configuration;

    a beam dump heat exchanger having a first end and a second end, said first end of said beam dump heat exchanger optically connected to said beam dispersion optics to receive said expanded laser beam;

    a mirror connected to said second end of said beam dump heat exchanger, said mirror reflecting said expanded laser beam onto a side wall of said beam dump heat exchanger;

    a nose heat exchanger having a first end and a second end, said first end of said nose heat exchanger connected to said mirror and said second end of said nose heat exchanger having a recessed portion containing a plurality of planar heat exchanger channels for cooling the temperature of said mirror;

    an end plate connected to said recessed portion of said nose heat exchanger and having a forward melt jet for melting ice, said end plate having a plurality of melt water return channels drawing water back through said beam dump heat exchanger;

    a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) antenna mounted on said beam dump heat exchanger for avoiding obstacles as said vehicle descends through ice;

    a hot water jet pump assembly for pulling meltwater from said end plate as said vehicle descends through ice; and

    an onboard power generation assembly electrically connected to electronics, sensors, pumps and other actuators onboard said vehicle.

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