Antenna apparatus having heat dissipation features
AssigneeSpace Exploration Technologies Corp.
InventorsDavid Milroy, Duncan E. Adams, Andrea Papi, Scott Kaufman, Ersin Yetisir, Anthony Sims
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In one embodiment of the present disclosure, an antenna apparatus includes a housing assembly including a radome portion and a lower enclosure portion, wherein the radome portion and lower enclosure portion are couplable to form an inner compartment for housing antenna components of the antenna assembly, an antenna stack assembly disposed within the inner compartment, wherein the antenna stack assembly generates heat when in operation, and a heat transfer system within the inner compartment configured to facilitate the flow of heat toward the radome portion.
Claims19
An antenna apparatus comprising:
- a housing assembly including a radome portion and a lower enclosure portion, wherein the radome portion and lower enclosure portion are couplable to form an inner compartment for housing antenna components of the antenna apparatus;
- an antenna stack assembly having a first surface and a second surface, the antenna stack assembly disposed within the inner compartment, wherein at least some components within or coupled to the antenna stack assembly generate or conduct heat when in operation, wherein the antenna stack assembly includes a plurality of antenna elements, wherein each of the plurality of antenna elements has a portion disposed on the first surface of the antenna stack assembly;
- and
- a heat transfer system within the inner compartment configured to facilitate the conductive flow of heat toward the radome portion, wherein the radome portion includes a radome and a radome spacer each having an outer perimeter portion and an interior portion, wherein the radome spacer includes a plurality of cell walls extending substantially normal to the first surface of the antenna stack assembly, wherein the plurality of cell walls define a plurality of cells such that each cell wall of the plurality of cell walls contacts at least one other cell wall of an adjacent cell, wherein each cell wall is in contact with the first surface of the antenna stack assembly and the radome, and wherein the heat transfer system facilitates the flow of the heat conductively from the antenna stack assembly through the plurality of cell walls to the interior portion of the radome.
An antenna apparatus comprising:
- a substantially planar radome having an outer perimeter portion and an interior portion;
- a lower enclosure, the radome and lower enclosure together enclosing an inner compartment having an antenna stack assembly disposed within the inner compartment, wherein the antenna stack assembly includes a first surface, a second surface, and a plurality of antenna elements disposed at least partially on the first surface of the antenna stack assembly;
- and
- a radome spacer disposed between the radome and the lower enclosure such that the radome spacer is disposed within the inner compartment, wherein the radome spacer is made from a plastic material and includes a plurality of cell walls that contact the interior portion of the radome such that the radome spacer is configured to facilitate the flow of heat from the antenna stack assembly towards the radome, and wherein the radome spacer has a thermal conductivity value of greater than 0.35 W/m-K.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.