Spacecraft heat dissipation system

• US 8,820,684 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2010
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: McKinnon, Douglas V., Moran, Timothy P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Tien
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fabula, Michael A
• Application Number:
  US12/730,457
• Publication Number:
  US 20100243817A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,623 Days
• Field of Search: 244/171.8, 244/117.A, 165/41, 165/171, 165/104.14, 165/104.22, 165/904
• US Class Current: 244/171.8
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/50 for temperature control
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/503 Radiator panels
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/506 Heat pipes
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/0275 Arrangements for coupling heat-pipes together or with other structures, e.g. with base blocks; Heat pipe cores

Abstract

A spacecraft is provided. The spacecraft comprises a plurality of heat generating electrical components. A first thermal radiator panel and a second thermal radiator panel are provided on the spacecraft, each panel being thermally coupled to the heat generating electrical components. Heat pipes are also provided. At least one first heat pipe is externally attached to the first thermal radiator panel and at least one second heat pipe is externally attached to the second thermal radiator panel. The at least one first heat pipe is thermally coupled to the at least one second heat pipe.

Claims

1. A spacecraft comprising:

a housing having first and second sides opposite one another;

a first thermal radiator panel coupled to one of the first and second sides of the housing and a second thermal radiator panel coupled to the other of the first and second sides of the housing;

at least one first heat pipe comprising a first portion that is thermally coupled to the first thermal radiator panel and a second portion, wherein no portion of the at least one first heat pipe is in contact with the second thermal radiator panel and the at least one first heat pipe is configured to transfer heat in both directions between the first and second portions of the at least one first heat pipe;

at least one second heat pipe comprising a first portion that is thermally coupled to the second thermal radiator panel and a second portion, wherein no portion of the at least one second heat pipe is in contact with the first thermal radiator panel and the at least one second heat pipe is configured to transfer heat in both directions between the first and second portions of the at least one second heat pipe, wherein the second portion of the at least one first heat pipe and the second portion of the at least one second heat pipe are in abutting contact within a first thermal connection zone, the first thermal connection zone being separate from both the first and second thermal radiator panels; and

at least one heat-generating component attached to the housing and thermally coupled to the first thermal connection zone,

wherein;

each of the first thermal radiator panel and the second thermal radiator panel comprises an opening;

the at least one first heat pipe extends through the opening in the first thermal radiator panel;

the at least one second heat pipe extends through the opening in the second thermal radiator panel; and

the first thermal connection zone is disposed on the housing.

2. The spacecraft of claim 1, further comprising at least one third heat pipe comprising a first portion that is thermally coupled to the first thermal radiator panel and a second portion that is disposed on the housing, wherein no portion of the at least one third heat pipe is in contact with the second thermal radiator panel and the at least one third heat pipe is configured to transfer heat in both directions between the first and second portions of the at least one third heat pipe, wherein the third heat pipe extends through a second opening in the first thermal radiator panel, wherein the first portion of the at least one third heat pipe and the first portion of the at least one first heat pipe are in abutting contact within a second thermal connection zone which is disposed on the first thermal radiator panel.

3. The spacecraft of claim 2, further comprising at least one fourth heat pipe comprising a first portion that is thermally coupled to the second thermal radiator panel and a second portion, wherein no portion of the at least one fourth heat pipe is in contact with the first thermal radiator panel and the at least one fourth heat pipe is configured to transfer heat in both directions between the first and second portions of the at least one fourth heat pipe, wherein:

the at least one fourth heat pipe extends through a second opening in the second thermal radiator panel, the first portion of the at least one fourth heat pipe and the first portion of the at least one second heat pipe are in abutting contact within a third thermal connection zone which is disposed on the second thermal radiator panel, and the second portion of the at least one fourth heat pipe and the second portion of the at least one third heat pipe are in abutting contact within a fourth thermal connection zone which is disposed on the housing.

4. The spacecraft of claim 1, wherein the at least one first heat pipe and the at least one second heat pipe are generally two-dimensional in shape.

5. The spacecraft of claim 4, wherein the at least one first heat pipe and the at least one second heat pipe are generally L-shaped.

6. The spacecraft of claim 1, wherein the at least one first heat pipe and the at least one second heat pipe each comprise a mounting flange for externally attaching the respective heat pipe to the respective first and the second thermal radiator panels.

7. The spacecraft of claim 1, wherein the abutting second portions of the first and second heat pipes are thermally coupled to each other such that heat may be transferred in either direction between the first and second thermal radiator panels.

8. The spacecraft of claim 1, wherein heat is transferred from the at least one heat-generating component into the second portions of the first and second heat pipes within the first thermal connection zone and through at least one of the first and second heat pipes to the respective thermal radiator panel.

9. A spacecraft comprising:

a housing having first and second sides opposite one another;

a first thermal radiator panel coupled to one of the first and second sides of the housing and a second thermal radiator panel coupled to the other of the first and second sides of the housing;

at least one first heat pipe comprising a first portion that is thermally coupled to the first thermal radiator panel and a second portion, wherein no portion of the at least one first heat pipe is in contact with the second thermal radiator panel and the at least one first heat pipe is configured to transfer heat in both directions between the first and second portions;

at least one second heat pipe comprising a first portion that is thermally coupled to the second thermal radiator panel and a second portion, wherein no portion of the at least one second heat pipe is in contact with the first thermal radiator panel and the at least one second heat pipe is configured to transfer heat in both directions between the first and second portions of the at least one second heat pipe, wherein the second portion of the least one first heat pipe and the second portion of the at least one heat pipe are in abutting contact within a first thermal connection zone, the first thermal connection zone being separate from the both the first and the second thermal radiator panels;

at least one heat-generating component attached to the housing and thermally coupled to the first thermal connection zone; and

at least one third heat-generating component attached to the housing and thermally coupled to the first thermal connection zone; and

at least one third heat pipe comprising a first portion that is thermally coupled to the first thermal radiator panel and a second portion that is disposed within the first thermal connection zone, wherein no portion of the at least one third heat pipe is in contact with the second thermal second thermal radiator panel and the at least one third heat pipe is configured to transfer heat in both directions between the first and second portions of the at least one third heat pipe, wherein the second portion of the at least one third heat pipe is in abutting contact with at least one of the second portion of the at one first heat pipe and the second portion of the at one second heat pipe, wherein;

each of the first thermal radiator panel and the second thermal radiator panel comprising a center heat dissipation sub-zone and at least one edge heat dissipation sub-zone that is non-overlapping with the central heat dissipation sub-zone and is found along zone that is non-overlapping with the central heat dissipation sub-zone and is found along a perimeter of the respective thermal radiation panel, wherein each of the first thermal radiator panel and the second thermal radiator panel comprising an;

the least one first heat pipe extends through the opening in the first thermal radiator panel;

the at least one second heat pipe extends through the opening in the second thermal radiator panel;

the at least one third heat pipe extends through the opening in the first thermal radiator panel;

the first portion of the at least one first heat pipe is disposed within the central heat dissipation sub-zone of the first thermal radiator panel; and

the first portion of the at least one third heat pipe is disposed within one of the at least one edge heat dissipation sub-zones of the first thermal radiation panel.

10. The spacecraft of claim 9, further comprising:

at least one fourth heat pipe comprising a first portion that is thermally coupled to the second thermal radiator panel and a second portion, wherein no portion of the at least one fourth heat pipe is in contact with the first thermal radiator panel and the at least one fourth heat pipe is configured to transfer heat in both directions between the first and second portions of the at least one fourth heat pipe,

wherein;

the first portion of the at least one second heat pipe is disposed within the central heat dissipation sub-zone of the second thermal radiation panel,

the first portion of the at least one fourth heat pipe is disposed within one of the at least one edge heat dissipation sub-zones of the second thermal radiation panel,

the second portion of the at least one fourth heat pipe is in abutting contact with at least one of the second portion of the at least one second heat pipe and the second portion of the at least one third heat pipe.

11. The spacecraft of claim 10, wherein the second portion of the at least one first heat pipe, the second portion of the at least one second heat pipe, the second portion of the at least one third heat pipe, and the second portion of the at least one fourth heat pipe are interleaved within the first thermal connection.

12. The spacecraft of claim 9, wherein the second portion of the at least one first heat pipe, the second portion of the at least one second heat pipe, and the second portion of the at least one third heat pipe are interleaved within the first thermal connection.

13. A spacecraft comprising:

a housing having first and second sides opposite one another;

a first thermal radiator panel coupled to one of the first and second sides of the housing and a second thermal radiator panel coupled to the other of the first and second sides of the housing;

at least one first heat pipe comprising a first portion that is thermally coupled to the first thermal radiator panel and a second portion, wherein no portion of the at least one first heat pipe is in contact with the second thermal radiator panel and the at least one first heat pipe is configured to transfer heat in both directions between the first and second portions of the at least one first heat pipe;

at least one second heat pipe comprising a first portion that is thermally coupled to the second thermal radiator panel and a second portion, wherein no portion of the at least one second heat pipe is in contact with the first thermal radiator panel and the at least one second heat pipe is configured to transfer heat in both directions between the first and second portions of the at least one second heat pipe;

at least one third heat pipe comprising a first portion that is thermally coupled to the first thermal radiator panel and a second portion, wherein no portion of the at least one third heat pipe is in contact with the second thermal radiator panel and the at least one third heat pipe is configured to transfer heat in both directions between the first and second portions of the at least one third heat pipe;

at least one fourth heat pipe comprising a first portion that is thermally coupled to the second thermal radiator panel and a second portion, wherein no portion of the at least one fourth heat pipe is in contact with the first thermal radiator panel and the at least one fourth heat pipe is configured to transfer heat in both directions between the first and second portions of the at least one fourth heat pipe;

wherein;

the second portion of the at least one first heat pipe, the second portion of the at least one second heat pipe, the second portion of the at least one third heat pipe, and the second portion of the at least one fourth heat pipe are interleaved within a first thermal connection zone that is separate from both the first and second thermal radiator panels;

each of the first thermal radiator panel and the second thermal radiator panel comprises an opening;

the at least one first heat pipe and the at least one third heat pipe extend through the opening in the first thermal radiator panel;

the at least one second heat pipe and the at least one fourth heat pipe extend through the opening in the second thermal radiator panel;

the first thermal connection zone is disposed on the housing; and

at least one heat-generating component is attached to the housing and thermally coupled to the first thermal connection zone.