Concentrated solar irradiation of targets in plasmas

DWPI Title: Solar furnace system for thermal ablation testing, has chamber, optically transparent window, sample holder, test sample, number of bare-wire thermocouples, where thermocouples generate temperature data in form of voltage, mass balance, external radiant heat source, plasma source, and pyrometer
Abstract: An apparatus for thermal ablation testing is provided. The apparatus comprises a chamber; an optically transparent window in the chamber; a sample holder inside the chamber; a test sample in the sample holder; a number of bare-wire thermocouples connected to the test sample, wherein the thermocouples generate temperature data in the form of voltage; a mass balance inside the chamber, wherein the mass balance is configured to hold the sample holder and dynamically detect changes in mass of the test sample; an external radiant heat source configured to heat the test sample through the window; a plasma source configured to generate a number of atomic species in the chamber; and a pyrometer directed at the test sample.
Use: Solar furnace system used for thermal ablation testing (claimed).
Advantage: The system enables evaluation of material performance under extreme conditions representative of re-entry and can separately control heat flux, pressure, and oxidant concentration.
Novelty: A solar furnace system for thermal ablation testing, has a chamber (202), an optically transparent window (212) in the chamber, a sample holder (206) inside the chamber, a test sample (204) in the sample holder, a number of bare-wire thermocouples connected to the test sample, where the thermocouples generate temperature data in the form of voltage, a mass balance (208) inside the chamber, where the mass balance is configured to hold the sample holder and dynamically detect changes in mass of the test sample, an external radiant heat source configured to heat the test sample through the window, a plasma source configured to generate a number of atomic species in the chamber, and a pyrometer directed at the test sample.
Filed: 4/27/2023
Application Number: US18139999A
Tech ID: SD 16267.0
This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-NA0003525 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention.
Data from Derwent World Patents Index, provided by Clarivate
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