Battery thermal control arrangement

A spacecraft, comprising:

• an electrical battery, said battery comprising a plurality of cells, each of said cells being within a vessel taking the physical form of a circular cylinder with first and second convex curved ends, each of said vessels including a pair of terminals associated with said first convex curved end;
• and
• vessel mounting and heat radiating means, said vessel mounting and heat radiating means comprising:
• (a) a radiator plate including first and second surfaces, said first surface being mounted on said spacecraft at a location facing open space, and being associated with an optical solar reflection means for tending to reflect insolation and for efficiently radiating heat;
• (b) sleeve means for holding a plurality of said vessels in parallel, side-by-side relationship, said sleeve means including a pair of monolithic integral half-sleeve arrays, each of said half-sleeve arrays comprising a plurality of portions, each said portions not exceeding a 180.degree. segment of a cylindrical sleeve having a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of one of said cells, each of the axes of said portions of cylindrical sleeves being parallel to a common axis and defining first and second ends, said pair of half-sleeve arrays together forming a plurality of cylindrical sleeves dimensioned for accommodating a like plurality of said vessels, for holding said plurality of vessels in a mutually parallel relationship and for transferring heat from said vessels;
• (c) mounting means associated with said sleeve means and with said radiator plate for mounting said sleeve means to said plate with said first ends of said portions of said cylindrical sleeves juxtaposed to said second surface of said radiator panel in heat-transferring relationship therewith, with said axes of said vessels perpendicular to said plate.