KR-20260064660-A - Loop Heat Pipe-Based Artificial Satellite for Data Centers with Enhanced Power Efficiency and Mitigated Mass Imbalance

Abstract

The present invention relates to a satellite for a data center, wherein two solar panels (400) are deployed in a wing-like shape via a first boom (450) on a first side (110) facing the sun of the satellite body (100), and two heat radiation panels (500) are deployed in a wing-like shape via a second boom (550) on a second side (120) opposite to the first side (110). A loop heat pipe (300) transfers heat absorbed from an evaporator (310) inside the body (100) to a condenser (320) and radiates heat from the wing-like heat radiation panels (500) via a flexible pipe (360). The weight imbalance caused by the wing-shaped heat radiation panel (500) and the second boom (550) being concentrated on the second side (120) is offset by deflecting the computing unit (200) and the energy storage system (600) toward the first side (110) to maintain the center of gravity of the entire satellite.

Inventors

• 안범주

Assignees

• 안범주

Dates

Publication Date

20260507

Application Date

20260402

Claims (1)

1. Regarding satellites for data centers, A computation unit that processes data including multiple GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) cores; A loop heat pipe connected to the above-mentioned operation unit to transfer heat generated in the above-mentioned operation unit; A plurality of solar panels arranged spaced apart from each other, positioned on or adjacent to the first side of the above-mentioned satellite body facing the sun; A plurality of heat radiating panels arranged spaced apart from each other, positioned on a second side opposite to the first side or adjacent thereto, connected to the loop heat pipe and emitting heat to the outside; and It includes an energy storage system (ESS) that stores power generated from the above-mentioned solar panels, A satellite for a data center, characterized in that the above computing unit and the above energy storage system are positioned so as to be deflected toward the first side from the center of the satellite body in order to maintain the center of gravity of the entire satellite in correspondence with the weight of the heat radiation panel and the loop heat pipe.

Description

Loop Heat Pipe-Based Artificial Satellite for Data Centers with Enhanced Power Efficiency and Mitigated Mass Imbalance The present invention relates to a satellite for a data center that performs large-scale data computation processing on a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) or Geostationary Orbit (GEO). More specifically, the invention relates to a structure in which a computation unit (200) including a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) core (210) and an energy storage system (ESS) (600) are deflected and positioned toward the first side (110) of the satellite body (100), a solar panel (400) that is deployed in a wing shape by a boom (450, 550) is positioned toward the first side (110), a heat radiation panel (500) that is deployed in a wing shape by a boom (550) is positioned toward the second side (120), and a loop heat pipe (LHP) (300) transports heat across the interior of the body (100) to minimize power transmission loss and maximize thermal management efficiency while maintaining the center of gravity (CoG) of the entire satellite in the center. Recently, as the demand for artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, and big data processing has increased explosively, the power consumption and cooling costs of ground-based data centers are rising rapidly. As a means to fundamentally solve this problem, the concept of a so-called "Space Data Center" is being proposed, which involves deploying a satellite equipped with multiple GPU cores (210) in space to transfer computational loads from the ground to space. Since there is no medium to transfer heat in space, radiation is the only means of cooling, and the background temperature of deep space is only about 2.7K, providing a much better cooling environment than on the ground. However, there are three fundamental engineering challenges in actually implementing space data center satellites: First, there is the issue of weight imbalance. In a practical satellite, the solar panels (400) and thermal radiation panels (500) are not directly attached to the side walls of the satellite body (100), but are positioned in a wing-like manner extended from the body (100) via separate boom (450, 550) structures. In this wing-like arrangement structure, the GPU computing unit (200) is composed of electronic components and has a relatively low weight per unit volume, whereas the thermal radiation panels (500) are plate-like structures made of metal materials such as aluminum or carbon fiber composites and have a high weight relative to their area. In addition, if the loop heat pipe (300) system and the boom (550) structure are concentrated on the second side (120), the center of gravity of the satellite is biased toward the second side (120), causing excessive propellant consumption for attitude control in orbit. Second, there is the issue of power transmission loss. In conventional satellite designs, the solar panel (400), which is the power source, and the computing unit (200), which is the power consumer, are often placed at a distance from each other, so the path of the power cable (810) becomes long, and consequently, resistance loss (I²R loss) and voltage drop increase. Since the solar panel (400), which is arranged in a wing shape, is connected to the power management module (800) inside the main body (100) via the boom (450), the distance from the computing unit (200) is important. Third, there is the issue of thermal interference. While the computation unit (200) generates high-temperature heat, the battery cell (610) of the energy storage system (600) is extremely sensitive to overheating. Additionally, since the condenser (320) of the loop heat pipe (300) and the heat radiation panel (500) arranged in a wing shape must be connected by a flexible pipe (360), optimizing this connection path is important. Conventional technology has attempted to solve the center of gravity problem by approaching these three challenges individually or simply by adding dead weight, but this has a fundamental limitation in that it leads to an increase in launch weight and raises satellite launch costs. Figure 1 is an overall perspective view of a satellite for a data center according to the present invention, showing a configuration in which two solar panels (400) deployed in a wing-like shape through a first boom (450) on a first side (110) centered on the satellite body (100), and two thermal radiation panels (500) deployed in a wing-like shape through a second boom (550) on a second side (120) are arranged spaced apart from each other. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the above-mentioned satellite body (100), showing an internal structure in which a computing unit (200) and an energy storage system (600) are deflected toward the first side (110), a boom (450, 550) structure connecting a wing-shaped solar panel (400) and a thermal radiation panel (500), a path through which a loop heat pipe (300) crosses the body (100), and a flexible pipe (360) connecting from a condenser (320) to a the