# US 9,429,371 B2 · Radiator systems > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,429,371 B2 - Document ID: US9429371B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/746,399 - Filed: 2015-06-22 - Published: 2015-10-08 - Granted: 2016-08-30 - Earliest claimed: 2010-05-14 - Assignees: Paragon Space Development Corporation - Applicants: Paragon Space Development Corporation - Inventors: Thomas William Morin; Taber K. MacCallum; Norman Jacob Hahn; John Zaniel Maccagnano - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9429371B2 ## CPC - B23P 15/26: heat exchangers {or the like (making heat exchangers by methods covered by other subclasses B21D53/02)} - B64G 1/503: {Radiator panels} - F28D 1/053: the conduits being straight - F28D 15/00: Heat-exchange apparatus with the intermediate heat-transfer medium in closed tubes passing into or through the conduit walls {; Heat-exchange apparatus employing intermediate heat-transfer medium or bodies (F28D17/00, F28D19/00, F28D20/00 take precedence)} - F28F 1/22: the means having portions engaging further tubular elements - F28D 2021/0031: {Radiators for recooling a coolant of cooling systems} - F28F 2265/00: Safety or protection arrangements; Arrangements for preventing malfunction - F28F 2275/06: by welding - B23P: METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; COMBINED OPERATIONS; UNIVERSAL MACHINE TOOLS (arrangements for copying or controlling B23Q) - B64G: COSMONAUTICS; VEHICLES OR EQUIPMENT THEREFOR - F28D: HEAT-EXCHANGE APPARATUS, NOT PROVIDED FOR IN ANOTHER SUBCLASS, IN WHICH THE HEAT-EXCHANGE MEDIA DO NOT COME INTO DIRECT CONTACT (fluid heaters having heat generating means and heat transferring means F24H; furnaces F27; details of heat-exchange apparatus of general) - F28F: DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION (water and air traps, air venting F16) ## Abstract A system of spacecraft radiators comprising pre-formed thermal-transfer modules joined together by at least one solid-state welding process. Critical failure points are eliminated by forming the thermal-transfer modules as a single unitary piece, preferably by an extrusion process. The thermal-transfer modules allow the formation of larger radiator assemblies, which may comprise a wide range of sizes and physical geometries. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A radiator system comprising: a plurality of thermal interaction facesheets configured to thermally interact with a surrounding environment, each thermal interaction facesheet having a sheet thickness and a sheet surface area; and a plurality of fluid channels configured to transport a heat transfer fluid within the radiator system, each fluid channel having a wall thickness and having an integrally formed wall, wherein each fluid channel is integrated with each thermal interaction facesheet as a single extruded material, at least some of the material separating the surrounding environment and the fluid channel by at least the sheet thickness and the wall thickness; wherein the thermal interaction facesheets are fixedly joined with each other by a solid-state weld. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The radiator system of claim 1, wherein the solid-state weld is a friction-stir weld. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The radiator system of claim 1, wherein the at least some of the material separates the surrounding environment and the fluid channel by a distance equal to or greater than about 0.1 inches. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The radiator system of claim 1, wherein each of the fluid channels extend in a longitudinal direction of the thermal interaction facesheets. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The radiator system of claim 4, where each of the thermal interaction facesheets include two continuous edges on opposite sides of the thermal interaction facesheets, the two continuous edges being substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the thermal interaction facesheets. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The radiator system of claim 5, wherein the solid-state weld fixedly joins at least one of the two continuous edges of the thermal interaction facesheets. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The radiator system of claim 5, wherein each of the fluid channels is located equidistant from the two continuous edges of each of the thermal interaction facesheets. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The radiator system of claim 1, wherein the sheet thickness is about equal to or less than 0.04 inches. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The radiator system of claim 1, wherein the single extruded material comprises aluminum. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The radiator system of claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of spacers between each of the plurality of thermal interaction facesheets, wherein the solid-state weld fixedly joins spacers to thermal interaction facesheets. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The radiator system of claim 10, wherein the plurality of spacers increase the sheet surface area of each of the thermal interaction facesheets for thermally interacting with the surrounding environment. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The radiator system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of thermal interaction facesheets form a network of thermal interaction facesheets in a parallel arrangement. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The radiator system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of thermal interaction facesheets form a network of thermal interaction facesheets in a non-parallel arrangement. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The radiator system of claim 13, wherein the network of thermal interaction facesheets form a curve having a fixed radius. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The radiator system of claim 1, wherein the integrally formed wall of each fluid channel has an inner channel surface area, the inner channel surface area being equal to or less than one half of the sheet surface area of each thermal interaction facesheet. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) A radiator system comprising: a network of thermal transfer modules according to claim 1, each of the thermal transfer modules fixedly joined to each other by a friction-stir weld. ### Claim 17 A thermal transfer module comprising: a thermal interaction facesheet configured to thermally interact with a surrounding environment, the thermal interaction facesheet having a sheet thickness and a sheet surface area; a fluid channel configured to transport a heat transfer fluid within the thermal transfer module, the fluid channel having a wall thickness and an integrally formed wall, the fluid channel and the thermal interaction facesheet being integrated as a single extruded material, at least some of the material separating the surrounding environment and the fluid channel by at least the wall thickness and the sheet thickness; and a modular engagement structure along at least one continuous edge of the thermal interaction facesheet, the modular engagement structure being fixedly joined to another modular engagement structure by a solid-state weld. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The thermal transfer module of claim 17, wherein the solid-state weld is a friction-stir weld. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The thermal transfer module of claim 17, wherein the at least some of the material separates the surrounding environment and the fluid channel by a distance equal to or greater than about 0.1 inches. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The thermal transfer module of claim 17, wherein the sheet thickness is about equal to or less than 0.04 inches.