US 12,247,918 B2
Method and device for simulating a solar spectrum
Hajin Kim, Huntsville, AL (US)
Assigned to USA as represented by the Secretary of the Army, Washington, DC (US)
Filed by United States of America as Represented by the Secretary of the Army (U.S. Army), Washington, DC (US)
Filed on Dec. 2, 2014, as Appl. No. 14/558,515.
Prior Publication US 2024/0418643 A1, Dec. 19, 2024
Int. Cl. G01N 21/39 (2006.01); G01N 21/01 (2006.01); G01N 21/3581 (2014.01); G01N 21/359 (2014.01)
CPC G01N 21/39 (2013.01) [G01N 21/01 (2013.01); G01N 21/3581 (2013.01); G01N 21/359 (2013.01); G01N 2021/393 (2013.01); G01N 2021/399 (2013.01); G01N 2201/0612 (2013.01); G01N 2201/0632 (2013.01); G01N 2201/0633 (2013.01); G01N 2201/0813 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A solar spectrum simulator capable of producing a light spectrum including wavelengths from 200 nm to 20 microns, the simulator comprising:
a) base spectrum emitters beaming light into an integrating sphere, the base spectrum emitters including: at least one xenon/infrared (IR) lamp and at least one blackbody radiator;
b) laser generation emitters beaming light into collimating mirrors, the laser generation emitters including at least one ultraviolet (UV) laser source, at least one visible laser source, at least one near infrared (NIR) laser source, at least one short wavelength (SW) laser source, at least one medium wavelength (MW) laser source, at least one long wavelength (LW) laser source, and at least one quantum cascade laser source (QCL);
c) collimating mirrors receiving beamed light directly from at least one of the laser generation emitters;
d) software including i) amplitude optimization software; ii) a spectrum controller; iii) an emitter controller; the emitter controller being controlled by the amplitude optimization software and the spectrum controller; the emitter controller controlling the base spectrum emitters and the laser generation emitters;
e) the integrating sphere including at least one diffraction grating, the integrating sphere receiving light from both the base spectrum emitters and the collimating mirrors;
f) a beam profiler receiving beamed light from the integrating sphere;
g) a surface providing space for an item to be tested, the surface receiving beamed light from the beam profiler; and
h) a spectrometer receiving beamed light from the beam profiler, the spectrometer generating and feeding back wavelength information about the beamed light to the spectrum controller.