초록 ▼

A pair of planar electrodes spaced from one another by an electrolyte. The front electrode faces the air or vacuum environment and is transparent, and the second electrode is in thermal contact with a heat conducting surface and is reflective. By selectively modifying the voltage between the two ele

A pair of planar electrodes spaced from one another by an electrolyte. The front electrode faces the air or vacuum environment and is transparent, and the second electrode is in thermal contact with a heat conducting surface and is reflective. By selectively modifying the voltage between the two electrodes, a partially reflective coating can be deposited on the back face of the front electrode or removed therefrom. With the coating removed, the emission of thermal radiation is minimized, and a major portion of the radiation from sources in the environment is reflected. With the coating present, emitted or reflected radiation interacting with the coating interferes destructively with the radiation emitted or reflected by the second electrode, maximizing thermal emission and absorbing a major portion of any incident radiation.

대표청구항 ▼

An apparatus to selectively modify emission or absorption of radiation within a predetermined wavelength range and also modify reflection of radiation within said predetermined wavelength range, said apparatus having a radiation emitting or receiving axis along which said apparatus is adapted to be

An apparatus to selectively modify emission or absorption of radiation within a predetermined wavelength range and also modify reflection of radiation within said predetermined wavelength range, said apparatus having a radiation emitting or receiving axis along which said apparatus is adapted to be oriented so that the axis is generally parallel to a major path component of the radiation, said apparatus having a front side and a rear side relative to said axis, with the front side adapted to be positioned to emit or initially receive the radiation, said apparatus comprising: a. a front substantially transparent electrode having a front face and a rear face, and occupying a plane having a major alignment component substantially perpendicular to said radiation emitting or receiving axis; b. a substantially transparent electrolyte positioned behind said front electrode and in electrolytic contact with the rear face of the front electrode; c. a second electrode positioned to be in electrolytic contact with said electrolyte; d. a selectively operable voltage source to impose a voltage between said electrode where the first electrode can be charged either negatively or positively relative to the second electrode to either deposit a partially reflective coating at the rear surface of the first electrode or remove said coating from the rear surface of said electrode; e. said apparatus providing a substantially fully reflective surface spaced behind the rear surface of the first electrode at a predetermined spacing distance along said radiation emitting/receiving axis, whereby with the coating deposited on the rear face of the first electrode, destructive optical interference minimizes surface reflectance of the reflective surface and thus maximizes surface emittance of said apparatus, and with said coating being removed from the rear face of the first electrode, the surface reflectance of the reflective surface is maximized and thus the surface emittance is minimized.