Development of Deicing Methods for Chalcogenide Windows for Reconnaissance and Weapon Delivery.
Abstract
A limited number of infrared transmitting materials are suitable for external windows in airborne systems operating in the 8- to 14-micrometers wavelength region. Of the common window materials available in this region, only germanium can be made intrinsically conductive to the point where it can be electrically heated to prevent icing. Other IR window materials such as ZnS, ZnSe, GaAs, and the chalcogenide glasses must be provided external heating in the form of resistive wires, conductive coatings or forced hot air to achieve deicing. The various techniques examined for deicing chalcogenide glasses are described in this report. Chemical vapor deposited ZnS was examined briefly with regard to using resistive wires patterned on the surface to achieve deicing. Results of this study indicate that resistive wires deposited on the glass surface and conductive coatings of various indium-oxygen combinations can achieve deicing of external IR windows although neither technique is completely satisfactory for chalcogenide glass windows under worst case icing conditions. However, these techniques show considerable promise for deicing windows made from materials having higher thermal conductivities than the chalcogenide glasses.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 1973
- Accession Number
- AD0914194
Entities
People
- Robert S. Wriston
- Samuel N. Rea
Organizations
- Texas Instruments