DEVICE AND METHOD FOR ELIMINATING MICROCRACKS IN SPACECRAFT Russian patent published in 2022 - IPC B23P6/04 C23C14/24 C23C14/34 C23C14/14 C23C14/56 C23C14/54 C23C14/52 

FIELD: cosmonautics.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to the field of cosmonautics, in particular to the production of thin films by the thermal energy of self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) to eliminate microcracks on the surface of a spacecraft hull. The device contains a chamber 1, on the side surface of which a viewing window 21 is made of a transparent material, and a base, a cylindrical compressed SHS charge 8, a spiral 12 for initiating SHS synthesis and an evaporating material 9, while the chamber 1 is made cylindrical and in the upper part contains a sealed double wall 2 with vacuum valve 4 and flexible hose 5 connected to open space to create a vacuum of 10^-5-10^-6 mm Hg. inside the double wall 2, closed from above by seals 3, in the lower part of the chamber 1 is equipped with a needle valve 6 for supplying an inert gas to create a pressure of 10²-10³ mm Hg in the chamber and a pressure sensor confirming the presence of microcracks in the wall of the spacecraft, in the middle part of the chamber 1 contains a vacuum valve 16 with a flexible hose 17, providing a vacuum of 10^-5-10^-6 mm Hg. in the chamber 1 of the device when connected to outer space, the SHS charge 8 is installed on the heat insulator 22, placed on the base of the chamber 1, and is made in the form of a tablet, at the end of which a hole in the form of a “spoon” is drilled, into which the powder of the evaporated material 9 is poured, the device is additionally equipped with a screen 10 with an opening to create a directed flow of particles of the evaporated material 9, installed on the base around the heat insulator 22 with SHS charge, as well as a damper 14 to block the above flow. The device works as follows. Powder of evaporated material 9 is poured into the SHS charge 8 pressed into the form of a tablet, at the end of which a hole in the form of a “spoon” is drilled. The pressed SHS charge 8 is attached to the base of the chamber 1 with a holder. A heat insulator 22 is placed between the SHS charge 8 and device casing 1. The device is attached to the wall of the spacecraft in the area of ​​microcracks by creating a high vacuum of 10^-5-10^-6 mm Hg. in the double wall 2 of the chamber, closed from above by seals 3, by attaching a vacuum valve 4 with a flexible vacuum hose 5 to open space. Then the needle valve 6 opens, an inert gas is fed into the chamber and a pressure of 10²-10³ mm Hg is created. The pressure inside the device is measured using a monovacuum pressure sensor 7. A decrease in pressure in the device chamber confirms the presence of microcracks in the walls of the spacecraft body, and their absence is confirmed by a constant pressure in chamber 1.

EFFECT: invention makes it possible to determine the presence of microcracks formed in the walls of the spacecraft under space vacuum conditions and to eliminate them with the thermal energy of the SHS by obtaining a stream of particles of evaporated metal or compounds that form a solid solution with the materials of the walls of the spacecraft.

2 cl, 1 dwg, 3 ex