SOLDERING OF SADDLES TO LOW EXPANSION ALLOY HEAT PIPES
First Claim
1. A heat pipe structure for cooling heat generating devices in a spacecraft, the heat pipe structure comprising:
- a metal alloy heat pipe extending a longitudinal length of a host structure;
a top saddle portion having a joining surface on a first side coupled to at least a portion of a circumference of the metal alloy heat pipe and a generally planar surface on a second side;
a bottom saddle portion having a joining surface on a first side coupled to at least a portion of a circumference of the metal alloy heat pipe and a generally planar surface on a second side;
a top radiating panel sheet coupled to the generally planar surface of the top saddle portion; and
a bottom radiating panel sheet coupled to the generally planar surface of the bottom saddle portion, the metal alloy heat pipe, the top saddle portion and the bottom saddle portion having similar, low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE).
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Accused Products
Abstract
A heat pipe structure is provided for facilitating temperature stability of heat generating devices residing in a spacecraft. The heat generating structure comprises wall tubing made of a low thermal expansion alloy and a low thermal expansion saddle joined together and embedded into composite panel face sheets or face skins with minimal to no coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) mismatch. The saddle to composite radiating panel interface employs an adhesive as the joining material. The saddle to heat pipe interface is joined together employing a higher conductivity joining media, such as tin-lead solder, which improves the thermal performance of the heat pipe assembly and minimize the temperature drop across the interface.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A heat pipe structure for cooling heat generating devices in a spacecraft, the heat pipe structure comprising:
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a metal alloy heat pipe extending a longitudinal length of a host structure;
a top saddle portion having a joining surface on a first side coupled to at least a portion of a circumference of the metal alloy heat pipe and a generally planar surface on a second side;
a bottom saddle portion having a joining surface on a first side coupled to at least a portion of a circumference of the metal alloy heat pipe and a generally planar surface on a second side;
a top radiating panel sheet coupled to the generally planar surface of the top saddle portion; and
a bottom radiating panel sheet coupled to the generally planar surface of the bottom saddle portion, the metal alloy heat pipe, the top saddle portion and the bottom saddle portion having similar, low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE). - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A heat pipe structure for operating device in a spacecraft, the heat pipe structure comprising:
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a plurality of metal alloy heat pipes extending a longitudinal length of a host structure at space apart locations, the plurality of metal alloy heat pipes having a plating layer;
a top saddle portion corresponding to each of the plurality of metal alloy heat pipes, the top saddle having a semi-cylindrical recess that forms a joining surface on a first side, the joining surface having a plating layer soldered to at least a portion of a circumference of the metal alloy pipe and a generally planar surface on a second side;
a bottom saddle portion corresponding to each of the plurality of metal alloy heat pipes, the bottom saddle portion having a semi-cylindrical recess that forms a joining surface on a first side, the joining surface having a plating layer soldered to at least a portion of a circumference of the metal alloy heat pipe and a generally planar surface on a second side;
a top radiating panel skin coupled to the generally planar surfaces of the top saddle portions; and
a bottom radiating panel skin coupled to the generally planar surfaces of the bottom saddle portions, the metal alloy heat pipes, the top saddle portions and the bottom saddle portions having similar, low coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE). - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for forming a heat pipe structure for cooling operating devices in a spacecraft, the method comprising:
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plating a metal alloy heat pipe having a low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE);
forming a top saddle portion having a semi-cylindrical recess that forms a joining surface on a first side that mates with at least a portion of a circumference of the metal alloy pipe and a generally planar surface on a second side;
forming a bottom saddle portion having a semi-cylindrical recess that forms a joining surface on a first side that mates with at least a portion of a circumference of the metal alloy heat pipe and a generally planar surface on a second side, the top saddle portion and the bottom saddle portion being formed from a material having a similar CTE as the metal alloy heat pipe;
plating the joining surfaces of the top saddle portion and the bottom saddle portion;
soldering the joining surfaces of the top saddle portion and the bottom saddle portion to the metal alloy heat pipe;
coupling a top radiating panel skin to the generally planar surfaces of the top saddle portion; and
coupling a bottom radiating panel skin to the generally planar surfaces of the bottom saddle portion. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification