Thermal management system for structures in space
AssigneeAST & Science, LLC
InventorsRyan D. Honour, Javier Hernandez Bahlsen, Huiwen Yao, Adam H. Halperin, Abel Avellan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An antenna assembly has a solar layer having one or more solar cells generating solar power, an antenna layer connected to the solar layer and having electronic components utilizing the solar power generated by the solar layer, and a thermal dissipation device dissipating heat locally at the antenna assembly. A large number of antenna assemblies are connected to form an antenna array in which heat is generated locally at each antenna assembly and dissipated locally at each antenna assembly.
Claims22
An antenna assembly comprising:
- a solar layer comprising solar cells configured to generate solar power;
- an antenna layer connected to the solar layer, the antenna layer is configured to utilize the solar power generated by the solar layer;
- a middle layer positioned between the solar layer and the antenna layer, the middle layer comprising electronics;
- and
- a thermal distributor that is configured to distribute heat about the antenna assembly,
- wherein the thermal distributor is configured to distribute heat from the solar layer to the electronics.
An antenna assembly comprising:
- an antenna layer, the antenna layer comprising:
- a first outer surface of the antenna assembly;
- and
- an antenna plate that comprises antennas at the first outer surface of the antenna assembly;
- a solar layer comprising:
- a second outer surface of the antenna assembly;
- and
- a solar plate comprising solar cells at the second outer surface of the antenna assembly;
- a middle layer sandwiched between the antenna layer and the solar layer;
- electronics at the middle layer;
- and
- a thermal distributor that is configured to distribute heat from the solar layer to the electronics.
An antenna assembly comprising:
- a solar layer having one or more solar cells generating solar power;
- an antenna layer connected to said solar layer and having electronic components utilizing the solar power generated by said solar layer;
- and
- at least one heat transfer device configured to provide heat to antenna elements of the antenna layer and reduce heat to solar cells of the solar layer, such that the heat to the antenna elements is substantially uniform during an entire orbit cycle.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.