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EP-4482741-B1 - SPACE VEHICLE THERMAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURE THEREOF

EP4482741B1EP 4482741 B1EP4482741 B1EP 4482741B1EP-4482741-B1

Inventors

  • COLAS, Victor
  • NAGI, Manraj

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20230224

Claims (11)

  1. A space vehicle (100) comprising: a first aluminum panel (110); a second aluminum panel (120) fixed to the first aluminum panel (110) around at least a portion of respective perimeters thereof to thereby form an enclosed structure having an interior volume; a plurality of grooves (700) formed in at least one of the first aluminum panel (110) or the second aluminum panel (120), wherein the plurality of grooves (700) face an interior of the space vehicle (100); at least one heat transport element (740) positioned in at least one of the plurality of grooves (700); a conductive filler positioned between the heat transport element (740) and an interior surface of the at least one of the plurality of grooves (700) so as to adhere the at least one heat transport element (740) to the at least one of the plurality of grooves (700); and a plurality of onboard equipment elements positioned within the interior volume of the space vehicle (100), wherein at least one of the plurality of onboard equipment elements is positioned adjacent to the heat transport element (740), wherein at least some of the plurality of onboard equipment elements lack a casing, wherein the conductive filler is configured to transport heat from the plurality of onboard equipment elements to the at least one heat transport element (740), and wherein the at least one heat transport element (740) is configured to transport heat away from the plurality of onboard equipment elements.
  2. The space vehicle (100) of claim 1, wherein the plurality of grooves (700) are oriented parallel to one another.
  3. The space vehicle (100) of claim 1, wherein the at least one heat transport element (740) comprises at least one of a copper-water heat pipe, a carbon nanotube based material, an aluminum-ammonia heat pipe or a carbon nanotube.
  4. The space vehicle (100) of claim 1, wherein the heat transport element (740) has a heat flux density that is in a range of from 2 W/m 2 to 20 W/m 2 .
  5. The space vehicle (100) of claim 1, wherein the heat transport element (740) has a thermal conductivity that is at least 1,000 W/m/K.
  6. The space vehicle (100) of claim 1, wherein the heat transport element (740) has a heat transport capacity that is a range of 10 W to 1,000 W.
  7. The space vehicle (100) of claim 1, wherein the conductive filler has a thermal conductivity that is in a range of 100 W/m/K to 1000 W/m/K in plane.
  8. The space vehicle (100) of claim 1, wherein the plurality of grooves (700) comprises from 4 grooves to 20 grooves (700).
  9. A method comprising: providing a quantity of aluminum sheet metal; press-forming a first panel from the aluminum sheet metal to form a first stamped panel; press-forming a second panel from the aluminum sheet metal to form a second stamped panel; forming a plurality of grooves (700) in at least one of the first stamped panel or the second stamped panel; positioning at least one heat transport element (740) in at least one of the plurality of grooves (700); providing at least one onboard equipment component; fixing the at least one onboard equipment component to the first stamped panel, wherein at least one of the plurality of onboard equipment elements is positioned adjacent to the heat transport element (740), wherein at least some of the plurality of onboard equipment elements lack a casing, and wherein the at least one heat transport element (740) is configured to transport heat away from the plurality of onboard equipment elements; sealing the first panel to the second panel to form an outer shell of a space vehicle (100).
  10. The method of claim 9, wherein sealing the first panel to the second panel comprises welding at least a portion of a perimeter of the first stamped panel to a least a portion of a perimeter of the second stamped panel.
  11. The method of claim 9, wherein sealing the first panel to the second panel comprises welding an entire perimeter of the first stamped panel to an entire perimeter of the second stamped panel.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The field of the invention relates to space vehicles, and, more particularly, to space vehicle thermal management systems. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Conventionally built satellites utilize sandwich panels having aluminum honeycomb cores to construct load-bearing structures. Such panels take advantage of the high stiffness-to-density ratio of honeycomb structures. However, honeycomb panels, while lightweight, are typically expensive and difficult to manufacture, and may require specially-designed interface structures in order to fix payload elements thereto. Examples of such panels are disclosed in US 2022/041304 A1 or US 2016/305714 A1. US 2022/041304 A1 relates to a spacecraft wall comprising a panel, at least one capillary heat pipe arranged on at least a portion of the panel, female attachment bodies attached to the panel so as to protrude relative to said at least one capillary heat pipe, at least one heat-emitting device carried by and in direct contact with said female attachment bodies, a layer of thermally-conductive and self-curing paste arranged between said at least one capillary heat pipe and the heat-emitting device, and a male attachment member suitable for attaching said heat-emitting device to the female attachment body. US 5314146 A relates to a multi-mission spacecraft bus structure that has panels secured together, with the bus structure sealed at top and bottom, and equipment bays secured on external mounting surfaces. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The claims, rather than the Summary, define covered embodiments of the present invention. The Summary is a high-level overview of various aspects of the invention, and introduces some concepts that are further described in the Detailed Description below. The Summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, and also is not intended to be used in isolation to determine the scope of the claimed subject matter. Instead, the claimed subject matter should be understood by reference to appropriate portions of the Specification and drawings, as well as to each claim. In some embodiments, a space vehicle includes a first aluminum panel; a second aluminum panel fixed to the first aluminum panel around at least a portion of respective perimeters thereof to thereby form an enclosed structure having an interior volume; a plurality of grooves formed in at least one of the first aluminum panel or the second aluminum panel, where the plurality of grooves face an interior of the space vehicle; at least one heat transport element positioned in at least one of the plurality of grooves; a conductive filler positioned between the heat transport element and an interior surface of the at least one of the plurality of grooves so as to adhere the at least one heat transport element to the at least one of the plurality of grooves; and a plurality of onboard equipment elements positioned within the interior volume of the space vehicle, where at least one of the plurality of onboard equipment elements is positioned adjacent to the heat transport element, where at least some of the plurality of onboard equipment elements lack a casing, where the conductive filler is configured to transport heat from the plurality of onboard equipment elements to the at least one heat transport element, and where the at least one heat transport element is configured to transport heat away from the plurality of onboard equipment elements. In some embodiments, the plurality of grooves are oriented parallel to one another. In some embodiments, the at least one heat transport element includes at least one of a copper-water heat pipe, a carbon nanotube based material, an aluminum-ammonia heat pipe or a carbon nanotube. In some embodiments, the heat transport element has a heat flux density that is in a range of from 2 W/m2 to 20 W/m2. In some embodiments, the heat transport element has a thermal conductivity that is at least 1,000 W/m/K. In some embodiments, the heat transport element has a heat transport capacity that is a range of 10 W to 1,000 W. In some embodiments, the conductive filler has a thermal conductivity that is in a range of 100 W/m/K to 1000 W/m/K in plane. In some embodiments, the plurality of grooves comprises from 4 grooves to 20 grooves. In some embodiments, a method includes providing a quantity of aluminum sheet metal; press-forming a first panel from the aluminum sheet metal to form a first stamped panel; press-forming a second panel from the aluminum sheet metal to form a second stamped panel; forming a plurality of grooves in at least one of the first stamped panel or the second stamped panel; positioning at least one heat transport element in at least one of the plurality of grooves; providing at least one onboard equipment component; fixing the at least one onboard equipment component to the first stamped panel, where at least one of the plurality of onboard equipment elements is positioned adjacent to th