Patents Assigned to ESA European Space Agency
  • Patent number: 10315148
    Abstract: A fluidic filter for filtering a fluid includes a filter housing having an inlet part, an outlet part and a housing part, and a filter element having an inlet side and an outlet side. The filter element is housed inside the housing part of the filter housing and includes a first flow passage that extends along a longitudinal direction of the filter element and is connected to the outlet part, and a plurality of ridges extending along the longitudinal direction. A plurality of second flow passages respectively are formed between ridges and an inner surface of the housing part, allowing the fluid to flow from the inlet side of the filter element along the longitudinal direction. At least a portion of the plurality of ridges facing the second flow passages is permeable to the fluid so as to allow passage of the fluid from the second flow passages to the first flow passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2019
    Assignee: ESA European Space Agency
    Inventors: Matthew Smith, Christopher Hunter, Don De Wilde, Nick Goody
  • Patent number: 9863771
    Abstract: An optical rotation sensor is provided, comprising an optical ring resonator (RR) formed by a one-dimensional photonic crystal (1D PhC) waveguide, and a bus waveguide. A light input section of the bus waveguide is connectable to a light source, and a light output section of the bus waveguide is connectable to a light detector. The bus waveguide is optically coupled to the ring resonator within a coupling area which is located between the light input section and the light output section of the bus waveguide. The optical rotation sensor is configured to measure a shift of frequency of a resonance area (or a plurality of resonance areas) close to a band edge of a photonic band gap of the ring resonator, wherein the shift of frequency is caused by a rotation of the optical rotation sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: ESA European Space Agency
    Inventors: Caterina Ciminelli, Edoardo C. Campanella, Mario N. Armenise
  • Publication number: 20170341003
    Abstract: A fluidic filter for filtering a fluid includes a filter housing having an inlet part, an outlet part and a housing part, and a filter element having an inlet side and an outlet side. The filter element is housed inside the housing part of the filter housing and includes a first flow passage that extends along a longitudinal direction of the filter element and is connected to the outlet part, and a plurality of ridges extending along the longitudinal direction. A plurality of second flow passages respectively are formed between ridges and an inner surface of the housing part, allowing the fluid to flow from the inlet side of the filter element along the longitudinal direction. At least a portion of the plurality of ridges facing the second flow passages is permeable to the fluid so as to allow passage of the fluid from the second flow passages to the first flow passage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2014
    Publication date: November 30, 2017
    Applicant: ESA European Space Agency
    Inventors: Matthew Smith, Christopher Hunter, Don De Wilde, Nick Goody
  • Publication number: 20160351985
    Abstract: A resonator for use in a rectangular waveguide filter includes a first section of rectangular waveguide and a second section of rectangular waveguide that are arranged along a guide direction of the resonator and joined to each other to form the resonator. Walls of the second section of rectangular waveguide that extend in the guide direction are in a parallel relationship with respective walls of the first section of rectangular waveguide. A width of the first section of rectangular waveguide in a width direction is equal to a width of the second section of rectangular waveguide in the width direction so that the resonator has uniform width in the width direction. A height of the second section of rectangular waveguide in a height direction is smaller than a height of the first section of rectangular waveguide in the height direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2014
    Publication date: December 1, 2016
    Applicant: ESA European Space Agency
    Inventor: Marco Guglielmi