Heat transfer system for a satellite including an evaporator

• US 20040040691A1
• Filed: 05/29/2003
• Published: 03/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Texier, Emmanuel, Tjiptahardja, Tisna, Amidieu, Marcel, Cluzet, Gerard, Jacque, Bernard
• Granted Patent: US 7,174,950 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 165/42
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/043 forming loops, e.g. capillary pumped loops

Abstract

A heat transfer system includes a heat transfer passage in the vicinity of a source of dissipated heat on a satellite to collect heat dissipated by the source and a fluid loop including an evaporator having over part of its path a maximum surface area of its external walls in contact with external walls of the heat transfer passage.

Claims

1. A heat transfer system including a heat transfer passage in the vicinity of a source of dissipated heat on a satellite adapted to collect heat dissipated by said source and a fluid loop including an evaporator having over part of its path a maximum surface area of its external walls in contact with external walls of said heat transfer passage.

2. The system claimed in claim 1 wherein said evaporator is parallel to and between two heat transfer passages and each face of said evaporator facing respective heat transfer passages is thermally coupled to the facing face of said passage by surface contact of fins of said passages and said evaporator.

3. The system claimed in claim 2 wherein said heat transfer passages are coupling heat pipes and a base of said evaporator constituting its third face is coupled by surface contact to a main heat pipe in direct contact with said source.

4. The system claimed in claim 1 wherein said evaporator has a shape with right-angle corners.

5. The system claimed in claim 4 wherein said shape is a square.

6. The system claimed in claim 4 wherein said shape is a rectangle.

7. The system claimed in claim 1 wherein faces of said evaporator having no surfaces in contact with a heat transfer passage are hollowed out.