Smart Structures

Self-Healing Technology for Space Structures

This newly developed technology under the Canadian Space Agency’s (CSA) contract is an innovative healing method.

The self-healing material system is based on the use of a developed monomer and a catalyst. As a crack propagates through the material, the healing agent is released, and flows down through the crack and inevitably comes into contact with the catalyst, which initiates the polymerization process.

This process bonds the crack closed.

In tests, the self-healed composite material regained as much as 90 percent of its original strength.

The autonomous healing technology developed is applicable to harsh environment (thermal shock). Healing in vacuum as well as in air was confirmed at various temperatures between –20ºC and +60ºC, with practically similar healing efficiency at all tested temperatures.

This project was carried out in cooperation with a team at Montreal’s Concordia University.

US Patent Application No.: 60/829, 869 (October 17, 2006)

above left- standard sample
above right – standard sample after thermal   shock testing

above left- a sample with the developed healing agent
above right – a sample with the developed healing agent after thermal shock testing

This project, funded by CSA, was focused on developing innovative concepts to apply the characteristics observed for VO₂ coatings to provide preliminary passive and active smart radiator devices.

Preliminary experimental breadboards provided initial verification of the basic concept, and showed a significant improvement over competitive technologies in terms of performance, weight, mechanical simplicity, integration with the satellite system, and cost.

The results obtained experimentally were a key factor that allowed the MPB team to win a contract from ESA for the development of “Tunable Emittance Thermal Coating for Space Systems”.

Within the scope of this ESA contract, a new and up-graded laser based deposition station has been installed at MPB’s labs. This station has been used for fabrication of the Smart Thermal Radiator tiles.

This development was carried out in partnership with a team at INRS.

US Patent Application No.: 11/530,086 (September 8, 2006)

MPB’s STR installed on a honeycomb panel.

The new VO₂-based sunshield coatings were developed by MPB under the contract with CSA. These new coatings show a much higher peak reflectance in the visible (i.e. up to 93% of the commercially available Ge-Kapton sunshield) as compared to the previously obtained coatings. At the same time its sheet resistance performance is superior to the commercially available materials.

Significantly improved Electrostatic Discharge Protection (EDP) over an extended temperature range was achieved during the early stages of the project. The improved performance, i.e., with the required sheet resistivity <109 [Ohm/] at –150°C, was achieved for doped VO₂ coatings.

New results that have been achieved within the Sunshield Project show further and dramatic improvements of the sunshield coatings performance. These results have been obtained for the coatings that have been manufactured with the advanced laser-ablation deposition system that was recently installed at MPB. This advanced laser deposition system has been MPB’s investment into the very promising development of smart materials for space applications.

The recently manufactured VO₂ coatings exhibit better solar reflectance in the visible and NIR spectral ranges than the previously available materials.

MPB’s Sun-Shield Film

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