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US 10,538,346 B2Granted
Electric thruster waste heat recovery during satellite orbit transfer
AssigneeSpace Systems/Loral, Inc.
InventorsCameron Ground, Gordon Wu, Derek Chan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A spacecraft includes a spacecraft main body, including payload equipment disposed on an inner panel surface of at least one radiator panel, the at least one radiator panel having an exterior-facing outer panel surface. The spacecraft includes at least one electric thruster disposed proximate to an aft facing panel of the spacecraft main body. The at least one electric thruster is thermally coupled with the at least one radiator panel by way of a thermally conductive path.
Claims14
A spacecraft comprising:
- a spacecraft main body, including at least a first side wall configured as a radiator panel having an exterior-facing outer panel surface and a second wall panel disposed transversely to the first side wall;
- payload equipment disposed on an inner panel surface of the radiator panel;
- and
- at least one electric thruster disposed proximate to the second wall panel;
- wherein the at least one electric thruster is thermally coupled with the at least one radiator panel by way of a thermally conductive path;
- and
- wherein the thermally conductive path includes one or more heat pipes.
4 more elements
A method for executing an orbit transfer maneuver for a spacecraft, the method comprising:
- firing at least one electric thruster;
- transferring waste heat from the electric thruster to a radiator panel of a main body of the spacecraft, the radiator panel including payload equipment disposed on an inner panel surface, the radiator panel including heaters;
- and
- reducing, during at least a duration of firing the at least one electric thruster, an amount of power supplied to the heaters;
- wherein
- the main body includes a first side wall including the radiator panel, and the electric thruster is disposed proximate to a second wall panel disposed transversely to the first side wall;
- and
- the transferring waste heat from the electric thruster includes conductively transferring the waste heat from the electric thruster to the radiator panel by way of a thermally conductive path;
- wherein the thermally conductive path includes one or more heat pipes.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.