Patents Assigned to Deutsches Zentrum fuer Luft-und Raumfahrt e.V.
  • Patent number: 11535404
    Abstract: An attitude control apparatus for a satellite includes: at least three electric motors, wherein the at least three electric motors are arranged in such a way that a torque may be generated with any orientation of an associated torque vector, and a controller, wherein the controller is configured to drive the at least three electric motors based on a torque controller. The torque controller is adapted to operate the at least three electric motors outside a rest state only when an acceleration torque and a braking torque are required to execute an agile attitude change maneuver. There is also described an associated method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Deutsches Zentrum fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V.
    Inventors: Winfried Halle, Thomas Terzibaschian, Christian Raschke, Wolfgang Baerwald, Xavier Amiques, Andreas Kotz
  • Patent number: 11512383
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a protective layer against CMAS, to a CMAS-resistant article comprising the protective layer according to the invention, and to a process for preparing a corresponding article.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: DEUTSCHES ZENTRUM FÜR LUFT-UND RAUMFAHRT E.V.
    Inventor: Ravisankar Naraparaju
  • Patent number: 11507202
    Abstract: A 3D input device, in particular a mobile 3D input device, has a housing and an input element arranged within the housing. The input element has at least a first side and a second side opposite the first side. The 3D input device has a sensor device. The input element is movable relative to the housing in six components. The sensor device detects the movements and/or the positions of the input element relative to the housing. The first side of the input element or the second side of the input element or the first side and the second side of the input element are together configured in such a way that a user can complete a movement of the input element along the six components via an action on the input element. A mobile device and a 3D remote-control each have at least one such 3D input device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Deutsches Zentrum für Luft-und Raumfahrt e.V.
    Inventors: Volker Senft, Josef Reill, Armin Wedler, Nikolaus Seitz
  • Patent number: 11498226
    Abstract: A protective device for an effector of a manipulator includes a shell having a plurality of chambers, wherein the shell is flexurally slack and bounds a fillable and/or evacuable pressure space. The protective device further includes at least one first pulling means for pulling back the shell, and at least one actuator for applying a tensile force to the at least one first pulling means. A device for manipulating workpieces includes a robotic manipulator having an effector, and the protective device disposed proximate the effector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2022
    Assignee: Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V.
    Inventors: Roman Weitschat, Hannes Höppner
  • Publication number: 20220342043
    Abstract: A device for a satellite distance measurement includes a base segment and an optical segment which is supported by the base segment and has a telescope mounting with an azimuth axis and an elevation axis, wherein a transmitter telescope, a receiving telescope, and a laser coupled to the transmitter telescope are arranged on the telescope mounting. A method for operating such a device is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2020
    Publication date: October 27, 2022
    Applicant: DEUTSCHES ZENTRUM FÜR LUFT - UND RAUMFAHRT E.V.
    Inventors: Paul WAGNER, Daniel HAMPF Daniel HAMPF
  • Publication number: 20220333991
    Abstract: A detector device for the remote analysis of materials, in particular hazardous materials, including at least one laser, which is designed to emit pulsed laser light onto a sample located at a detection distance, and a telescope, which is designed to collect and/or focus laser light scattered on the sample and to forward the scattered laser light into an optical spectrometer. The optical spectrometer is designed for a spectral analysis of the laser light scattered on the sample. The laser is followed by a first beam path with a first reference beam and an additional beam path with a second reference beam for the scattered laser light. A unit is provided for determining a time difference between pulses of the first reference beam and pulses of the second reference beam, wherein the detection distance can be determined from the time difference. The unit is designed to determine the detection distance in real-time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2020
    Publication date: October 20, 2022
    Applicant: DEUTSCHES ZENTRUM FÜR LUFT- UND RAUMFAHRT E.V.
    Inventors: Christoph KÖLBL, Frank DUSCHEK
  • Patent number: 11454702
    Abstract: A synthetic aperture radar method for remote sensing of the surface of the Earth by means of a radar device on a flying object moving in an azimuth direction above the surface of the Earth, wherein the radar device includes an array of antenna elements for transmitting radar pulses in a transmitting operation and for receiving radar echoes of these radar pulses reflected at the surface of the Earth in a receiving operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2022
    Assignee: DEUTSCHES ZENTRUM FÜR LUFT- UND RAUMFAHRT E. V.
    Inventors: Gerhard Krieger, Sigurd Huber, Patrick Klenk, Alberto Moreira, Felipe Queiroz De Almeida, Jens Reimann, Michelangelo Villano, Marwan Younis
  • Publication number: 20220275971
    Abstract: A parabolic trough collector module with an absorber tube with a central axis; a parabolic reflector which focuses solar radiation onto the absorber tube and which includes a reflector surface; and a stand device, on which the parabolic reflector is pivotally mounted, the stand device having at least one stand post and the absorber tube being mounted on the stand post. In the reflector surface, the parabolic reflector has a cut-out section running perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction, and a support device extends through the cut-out section and has an absorber tube mount that forms a linear guide, on which mount the absorber tube is slidingly mounted in the longitudinal direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2020
    Publication date: September 1, 2022
    Applicant: DEUTSCHES ZENTRUM FÜR LUFT- UND RAUMFAHRT E.V.
    Inventor: Martin EICKHOFF
  • Patent number: 11431145
    Abstract: The invention relates to a discoidal or cuboidal solid body for a laser amplification system of a solid-state laser, which solid body contains at least one laser-active material, has an upper side defining an upper side plane and a lower side defining a lower side plane, wherein the upper side plane and the lower side plane are inclined in relation to each other and enclose an angle of inclination, wherein the lower side is provided with a first reflective coating, wherein the upper side is provided with a second reflective coating, and wherein at least one of the upper side and the lower side has at least one optical input coupling opening for input coupling at least one of a seed laser radiation field and a pump laser radiation field into the solid body between the first and the second reflective coating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Deutsches Zentrum fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V.
    Inventor: Raoul-Amadeus Lorbeer
  • Patent number: 11401044
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and to a device for detecting a degradation of flight performance of an aircraft that is in flight, wherein current flight status data of the aircraft that is in flight are first determined. A flight performance index is then calculated on the basis thereof. Furthermore, on the basis thereof, a nominal flight performance reference index is determined by means of a flight performance model, wherein a degradation of flight performance can be inferred by comparing the two indices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Deutsches Zentrum fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V.
    Inventors: Christoph Deiler, Nicolas Fezans
  • Patent number: 11402924
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a magnetic arrangement for detecting the relative movement and/or relative position of a first and a second object to each other in six components, namely three displacements and three angular rotations in and about three axes of the Cartesian coordinate system respectively with at least six sensor units to detect the three displacements and the three angular rotations, wherein each sensor unit has at least one magnet and a magnetoresistive sensor, wherein the at least one magnet of the sensor unit can be moved relative to the magnetoresistive sensor of the sensor unit, and wherein each sensor unit has a sensor direction, wherein the magnetoresistive sensor measures a position of the at least one magnet along the sensor direction. The present disclosure also relates to an input device and a mobile input device that has a magnetic arrangement of this kind.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V.
    Inventors: Volker Senft, Josef Reill, Armin Wedler, Nikolaus Seitz
  • Patent number: 11405106
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to a setup for receiving an optical data signal having input optics for receiving the signal. An optical receiving fiber with an end facet is provided, which can be injected into the optical receiving fiber by an optical collimation system. A detector for detecting the optical data content is connected to the optical receiving fiber. A receive calibration source is provided, which is connected to the optical receiving fiber by a circulator. An insertable retroreflector is provided in the light path for adjusting the setup into the light path so that light from the receive calibration source is reflected and focused by the optical collimation system onto the end facet of the receiving fiber. The distance in the z-direction between the optical collimation system and the end facet of the receiving fiber is adjusted by the power of the light from the receive calibration source detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V.
    Inventors: Fabian Rein, Juraj Poliak, Ramon Mata Calvo
  • Publication number: 20220186392
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process and devices for reducing impurities in molten salts, a molten salt being purified in an electrochemical process by applying a voltage between two electrodes. According to the invention, the voltage is varied so that in different phases different electrodes act as cathode or anode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2020
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Applicant: Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V.
    Inventors: Wenjin DING, Thomas BAUER, Fan YANG
  • Patent number: 11257859
    Abstract: The invention relates to a TDI line detector (1), comprising n TDI lines (Z1-Zn), wherein each TDI line (Z) has m pixels (P), and at least one read-out electronics (11-14), wherein the TDI line detector (1) is subdivided into x submodules (S1-S4), wherein the number of lines (Z) of a submodule (S1-S4) is n/x, wherein a discrete read-out electronics (11-14) is associated with the last line of each submodule (S1-S4), wherein the length (L1) of the read-out electronics (11-14) corresponds to an integer multiple of the length (L2) of a pixel (P), wherein x?2 is, wherein the associated pixels (P) of different submodules (S1-S4) are arranged pixel to pixel relative to one another or the submodules (S1-S4) or groups of submodules (S1-S4) are laterally interlinked alternately by half a pixel (P).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V.
    Inventor: Andreas Eckardt
  • Patent number: 11176835
    Abstract: In order to provide an aircraft with GLS (GBAS (Ground-Based Augmentation System) Landing System) data packets for a satellite navigation-based automatic landing, the GLS data packets comprising GBAS correction data for a satellite navigation and FAS data that describes a set approach path of the aircraft, SBAS (Satellite-Based Augmentation System) correction data for the satellite navigation are received from an SBAS satellite. The received SBAS correction data are converted into GBAS correction data. The GBAS correction data obtained by the conversion are combined with the FAS data in the GLS data packets. The GLS data packets are transmitted to the aircraft via a radio link.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Deutsches Zentrum fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V.
    Inventors: Thomas Dautermann, Robert Geister, Thomas Ludwig
  • Publication number: 20210309903
    Abstract: A method for storing an inorganic salt, wherein the inorganic salt has a long service life, and the stability of a salt melt made of the inorganic salt is increased. This is achieved in that the inorganic salt is provided in a liquid state, wherein the inorganic salt comprises anions which decompose when heat is supplied, thereby forming at least one gaseous decomposition product, and the pressure of the gas atmosphere is set such that the gas atmosphere is in chemical equilibrium with the inorganic salt in the liquid state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2021
    Publication date: October 7, 2021
    Applicant: Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V.
    Inventors: Alexander BONK, Markus BRAUN, Jochen FORSTNER, Veronika SÖTZ, Thomas BAUER
  • Patent number: 11130562
    Abstract: Device and method for reducing gust loads acting on control surfaces of an aircraft. Each control surface is movable by at least one actuator, and a flight control system provides reference variables Xsoll and {dot over (X)}soll to actuate the actuator of each control surface. Xsoll indicates a target position, force, or moment of the actuator, and {dot over (X)}soll indicates a time derivative of Xsoll. The device includes: a first sensor system identifying a position, force, or moment, indicated by variable Fext,Boe, as produced by gusts acting from outside on the control surface; and a regulator regulating the actuator of the control surface based on Fext,Boe, Xsoll and {dot over (X)}soll, and XA and {dot over (X)}A, resulting from the actuator acting on the control surface and detected by a second sensor system, wherein regulation of the actuator by the regulator enables compensation of the position, force, or moment produced by gusts acting on the control surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2021
    Assignee: Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V.
    Inventor: Franciscus van der Linden
  • Patent number: 11067594
    Abstract: A dynamic pressure probe for a sensor device can determine the relative speed of an object and a medium surrounding that object, in particular for gathering flight data on a flying object. The dynamic pressure probe includes an outer body with a wall in which an inflow opening is formed and which encloses an inner space, as well as an inner body which is arranged at least partially in the inner space and which encloses a measuring space as a constituent part of the inner space. Medium is able to flow through the inflow opening and is able to be dammed in the measuring space. The inner body is able to be acted upon with a protective fluid, in particular a gas, on a side remote from the measuring space and includes passages through which protective fluid is able to flow into the measuring space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V.
    Inventor: Markus Ortelt
  • Patent number: 11059607
    Abstract: The invention relates to a navigation satellite (10, 10?, 10?), in particular for a medium earth orbit (MEO), having a housing (12) and a navigation antenna (16) connected to the housing (12) for emission of navigation signals in a preferred direction. Furthermore, the navigation satellite (10, 10?, 10?) has an optical communication system (22) for unidirectional or bidirectional signalling having at least one other satellite advancing in the direction of movement and/or having at least one other satellite following in the direction of movement. The navigation satellite (10, 10?, 10?) has a holder (for example as navigation antenna), which is arranged rotatably on the housing (12) about an axis of rotation (17), the optical communication system being (22) arranged on the holder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: Deutsches Zentrum Für Luft-Und Raumfahrt E.V.
    Inventors: Christoph Günther, Christopher Schmidt
  • Patent number: 11030900
    Abstract: The invention relates to a system and a method for automatically controlling a vehicle F in a traffic network, comprising a central unit which provides respective envelopes EHi of a number I of flat geographical sub-regions TBi of the traffic network, as well as an assigned attribute Ki for each of the geographical sub-regions TBi, wherein the attribute Ki indicates the intensity of a risk posed to the vehicle F itself and/or to objects arranged in the sub-region TBi if the vehicle F should enter the respective geographical sub-region TBi, the central unit and the vehicle F being designed and set up to communicate data, the vehicle F featuring: a first unit for determining the current position POSF of the vehicle F in the traffic network, a second unit for determining the distance dEH*(POSF) of the vehicle F from the envelope EH* of the sub-region TB* closest to the position POSF, and a third unit for carrying out automatic control interventions SEG in the longitudinal and/or transversal control or regulation
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V.
    Inventors: Robert Klarner, Hartmut Runge