Recent advances in the state of the art of IR imaging have made it possible to provide ultra-long range detection, recognition, and identification performance with small, low cost, yet rugged camera systems. As the trend in IR technology has moved toward larger format uncooled microbolometers, BAE Systems has developed a PMC300TM camera system based on a 640x480 uncooled microbolometer detector. The system is capable of detecting humans at distances in excess of 4km, has a sensitivity of better than 50mK, is compact, has low power consumption, quick start times and can operate in desert and polar climates. This paper will discuss the PMCTM performance capabilities, design considerations, design improvements, and its varied applications.
Designed to fulfill a critical inspection need for the Space Shuttle Program, the Infrared On-orbit RCC Inspection System (IORIS) can detect crack and surface defects in the Reinforced Carbon-Carbon (RCC) sections of the Space Shuttle’s Thermal Protection System (TPS). IORIS performs this detection by taking advantage of the natural thermal gradients induced in the RCC by solar flux and thermal emission from the Earth. IORIS is a compact, low-mass, low-power solution (1.2cm3, 1.5kg, 5.0W) for TPS inspection that exceeds existing requirements for feature detection. Taking advantage of ground-based IR thermography techniques, IORIS provides the Space Shuttle program with a solution that can be accommodated by the existing inspection system. IORIS augments the visible and laser inspection systems and finds cracks that are not easily measurable by the other sensors, and thus fills a critical gap in the Space Shuttle’s inspection needs. Based on crack IR signature predictions and on-orbit gradient expectations, IORIS can achieve crack detection over approximately 96% of the wing-leading edge RCC (using multiple inspections in an orbit period). This paper discusses the on-orbit RCC inspection measurement concept and requirements, and then presents a detailed description of the IORIS design.
Roy Rumbaugh, Simon Pongratz, Tom Breen, Heather Wickman, Ron Klug, Aaron Gess, John Hays, Jonathan Bastian, Greg Hall, Tim Arion, John Owens, David Siviter
Since its introduction less than a year ago, many camera products and end-user applications have benefited from upgrading to the revolutionary BAE Systems MicroIRTM SCC500TM Standard Camera Core. This flexible, multi-resolution, uncooled, vanadium oxide (VOx) microbolometer based imaging engine is delivering higher performance at a lower price to diverse applications with more unique requirements than previous generations of engines. These applications include firefighting, surveillance, security, navigarion, weapon sight, missile, space, automotive and many others. This paper highlights several cameras, systems, and their applictiaons to illustrate some of the real-world uses and benefits of these products.
MicroIR uncooled infrared imaging modules (based on VOx microbolometers), developed and manufactured at BAE SYSTEMS,
are integrated into ruggedized, weatherproof camera systems
and are currently supporting numerous security and surveillance applications. The introduction of uncooled thermal imaging has
permitted the expansion of traditional surveillance and security
perimeters. MicroIR cameras go beyond the imagery limits of visible and low-light short wavelength infrared sensors, providing continual, uninterrupted, high quality imagery both day and night. Coupled with an appropriate lens assembly, MicroIR cameras offer exemplary imagery performance that lends itself to a more comprehensive level of surveillance. With the current increased emphasis on security and surveillance, MicroIR Cameras are evolving as an unquestionably beneficial instrument in the security and surveillance arenas. This paper will elaborate on the attributes of the cameras, and discuss the development and the deployment, both present and future, of BAE SYSTEMS MicroIR Cameras.
The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) has been developed for the NASA Earth Observing System (EOS) program with a scheduled launch on the first post meridian (PM-1) platform in December 2000. AIRS is designed to provide both new and more accurate data about the atmosphere, land and oceans for application to climate studies and weather predictions. Among the important parameters to be derived from AIRS observations are atmospheric temperature profiles with an average accuracy of 1 K in 1 kilometer (km) layers in the troposphere and surface temperatures with an average accuracy of 0.5 K. The AIRS measurement technique is based on passive infrared remote sensing using a precisely calibrated, high spectral resolution grating spectrometer providing high sensitivity operation over the 3.7 micrometer - 15.4 micrometer region. To meet the challenge of high performance over this broad wavelength range, the spectrometer is cooled to 155 K using a passive two-stage radiative cooler and the HgCdTe focal plane is cooled to 58 K using a state-of-the-art long life, low vibration Stirling/pulse tube cryocooler. Electronics waste heat is removed through a spacecraft provided heat rejection system based on heat pipe technology. All of these functions combine to make AIRS thermal management a key aspect of the overall instrument design. Additionally, the thermal operating constraints place challenging requirements on the test program in terms of proper simulation of the space environment and the logistic issues attendant with testing cryogenic instruments. The AIRS instrument has been fully integrated and thermal vacuum performance testing is underway. This paper provides an overview of the AIRS thermal system design, the test methodologies and the key results from the thermal vacuum tests, which have been completed at the time of this publication.
The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) is being developed for the NASA Earth Observing System (EOS) program with a scheduled launch on the first post meridian (PM-1) platform in the year 2000. AIRS is designed to provide both new and more accurate data about the atmosphere, land and oceans for application to climate studies and weather prediction. Among the important parameters to be derived from AIRS observations are atmospheric temperature profiles with an average accuracy of 1 K in 1 kilometer (km) layers in the troposphere and surface temperatures with an average accuracy of 0.5 K. The AIRS measurement technique is based on very sensitive passive infrared remote sensing using a precisely calibrated, high spectral resolution grating spectrometer operating in the 3.7 micrometer - 15.4 micrometer region. The instrument utilizes a cryogenically cooled infrared spectrometer that uses a pair of pulse tube cryocoolers operating at 55 K to cool the HgCdTe focal plane detectors to 58 K. The instrument also has a two- stage radiator operating at 190 K and 150 K to cool the spectrometer's optical bench and separate spacecraft supplied cooling plate system for removal of waste heat at 300 K. The cryocooler system is a highly integrated part of the AIRS Instrument development whose design is focused to maximize the overall performance of the instrument. The breadth of this paper provides a brief description of the AIRS Instrument design and centralizes on the recent results of the cryocoolers integration with the instrument focal plane assembly and spectrometer. The principal emphasis of this paper will be the current cryocooler system level performance achieved, to-date. Furthermore, this paper shall provide the 'to-date' preliminary acceptance test performance data on the recently received AIRS flight model cryocooler.
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