Multi-directional cooler
AssigneeSpace Systems/Loral, Inc.
InventorsAlan L. Spencer, Ying-Yan Kuo
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A passive thermal control system for use in a spacecraft or satellite. The system uses at least two heat pipe and radiator systems connected to a heat generating load of the spacecraft. The radiators are located at different sides of the spacecraft. The heat pipes can be prevented from transferring heat from the radiators to the heat generating load such that a first radiator can be exposed to heat from sunlight while the second radiator and heat pipe can still operate to remove heat from the heat generating load.
Claims14
A passive thermal control system comprising:
- at least two diode heat pipes, each of the pipes having a reservoir area;
- means for transferring heat from a heat load to the diode heat pipes comprising the reservoir areas being located proximate the heat load;
- a first radiator connected to one of the diode heat pipes opposite its reservoir area;
- and
- a second radiator connected to another of the diode heat pipes opposites its reservoir area, the second radiator being orientated away from the first radiator.
A passive thermal control system comprising:
- a first heat transfer system having means for automatically transferring heat from a load to a first radiator, and means for automatically preventing predetermined excessive heat from the first radiator being transferred to the load;
- and
- a second heat transfer system having means for automatically transferring heat from the load to a second radiator, and means for preventing predetermined excessive heat from the second radiator being transferred to the load, the second radiator being orientated away from the first radiator, the first and second heat transfer systems each comprising a separate heat pipe wherein at least one of the heat pipes is a diode heat pipe.
A spacecraft heat dissipation apparatus comprising:
- a first heat transfer system having:
- (a) a first radiator located at a first side of the spacecraft;
- (b) a diode heat pipe connected to the first radiator;
- (c) means for transferring heat from heat generating equipment in the spacecraft to the diode heat pipe, the diode heat pipe having a reservoir located proximate the heat generating equipment;
- and
- a second heat transfer system for transferring heat from the heat generating equipment to a second radiator, the second radiator being located at a second side of the spacecraft.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.