Patent ID: 11859922
Assignee: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
Field: Thermal processes and apparatus (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC F  H | IPC F  H

Claim 23:
24. The thermal management system as defined in claim 22 wherein the ground-based liquid reservoir is covered by the solar-scattering radiator, wherein the solar-scattering radiator includes:
a layer of mirrored aluminum;
a coating disposed on the layer of mirrored aluminum, the coating to absorb or emit radiation having wavelengths ranging from mid-wavelength infrared to long-wavelength infrared, wherein the coating is a selected from the group consisting of: polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) or an other polymer; an inorganic material; and combinations thereof;
a solar scattering cover including a nanostructured, IR-transparent polymer including nanostructured polyethylene (nanoPE) or nanostructured polyacrylonitrile (nanoPAN) overlaid on the coating, wherein the solar scattering cover is substantially transparent to infrared radiation to allow the solar-scattering radiator to emit infrared radiation through the solar-scattering cover; and
a dielectric material disposed on or embedded in the nanostructured, IR-transparent polymer to increase solar scattering of the solar-scattering cover and to protect the nanostructured, IR-transparent polymer from ultra-violet radiation, wherein the dielectric material is deposited on the nanostructured, IR-transparent polymer by physical vapor deposition or by a solution-based process, or embedded in to the nanostructured, IR-transparent polymer by electrospinning, and wherein the dielectric material is selected from the group consisting of ZnS, ZnO, TiO2 and combinations thereof.