ROTARY THERMAL SWITCH

• US 20130014928A1
• Filed: 09/12/2012
• Published: 01/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Grayson, Gary D., Henley, Mark W.
• Granted Patent: US 9,404,692 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 165/276
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 13/00 Arrangements for modifying heat-transfer, e.g. increasing, decreasing F28F1/00 - F28F11/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2013/008 Variable conductance materials; Thermal switches

Abstract

An method of controlling thermal transfer between a first structure and a second structure may include a signal at a thermal switch. In response to receiving the signal at the thermal switch, a rotating plate may be rotated into one or more positions adjacent to a fixed plate to facilitate radiative thermal transfer between the rotating plate and the fixed plate. The rotating plate and the fixed plate may be in thermally conductive contact with respective ones of the first structure and the second structure.

Claims

1. A method of controlling thermal transfer between a first structure and a second structure, comprising the steps of:

receiving, by a thermal switch, a signal; and

rotating, in response to the signal, a rotating plate into one or more positions adjacent to a fixed plate to facilitate radiative thermal transfer between the rotating plate and the fixed plate, the rotating plate and the fixed plate being in thermally conductive contact with respective ones of the first structure and the second structure.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

rotating the rotating plate using a gear-driven electric motor of the thermal switch.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

adjusting an angle of rotation of the rotating plate by energizing the electric motor and rotating a drive shaft coupled to the rotating plate.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

rotating the rotating plate at least partially out of an opening of a cover attached to the first structure and into the one or more positions adjacent to the fixed plate.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

adjusting the angle of rotation of the rotating plate to tune the thermal switch to a desired level of radiative thermal transfer.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

rotating the rotating plate into contact with a conductive stop block; and

conductively transferring heat between the rotating plate and the conductive stop block.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of rotating the rotating plate into contact with a conductive stop block comprises:

rotating the rotating plate from an open position with relatively minimal radiative thermal transfer to a closed position with conductive and radiative thermal transfer between the rotating plate and the conductive stop block.

8. A thermal switch for transferring thermal energy between a first structure and a second structure, comprising:

a cover having an opening and being attached to the first structure;

an actuator disposed within the cover;

a thermally conductive rotating plate operatively coupled to the actuator and being rotatable by the actuator at least partially out of the opening and into one or more positions adjacent to a fixed plate to facilitate radiative thermal transfer between the rotating plate and the fixed plate; and

the rotating plate and the fixed plate being in thermally conductive contact with respective ones of the first structure and the second structure.

9. The thermal switch of claim 8 wherein:

the actuator is operable to rotate the rotating plate into one of a plurality of angles relative to the fixed plate.

10. The thermal switch of claim 8 wherein:

the rotating plate is rotatable into contact with a thermally conductive stop attached to the second structure, thereby facilitating a conductive thermal transfer between the first and second structures.

11. The thermal switch of claim 10 wherein:

the rotating plate is rotatable from an open position with relatively minimal radiative thermal transfer between the rotating plate and the fixed plate, to a closed position with conductive thermal transfer and radiative thermal transfer between the rotating plate and the conductive stop block.

12. The thermal switch of claim 8 wherein:

the actuator comprises a gear-driven electric motor.

13. The thermal switch of claim 12 wherein:

the rotating plate is coupled to a drive shaft of the electric motor.