Device and method for equalizing heat dissipation between multiple radiators on a spacecraft

Abstract: A device for equalizing thermal dissipation between radiator panels (28, 30) of a satellite comprises a plurality of radiator panels (28, 30) mounted on said satellite. A plurality of power sources (32, 36) is mounted on said radiator panels (28, 30) such that each radiator panel (28, 30) has at least one power source (32, 36) mounted thereon. Further, a load (34) is mounted adjacent one of said power sources (32, 36). The load (34) is capable of inhibiting said adjacent power sources (32, 36) from supplying power to the load (34) and causing said nonadjacent power sources (32, 36) to supply power to the load. Alternatively, the load is capable of controlling current supplied by said power sources (32, 36) such that said thermal dissipation of said radiator panels (28, 30) is equalized.

Description: The present invention relates to a device for equalizing thermal dissipation between radiator panels of a satellite, comprising a plurality of radiator panels mounted on said satellite, a plurality of power sources mounted on said radiator panels such that each radiator panel has at least one power source mounted thereon, and a load mounted adjacent one of said power sources. The present invention also relates to a method of equalizing thermal dissipation between radiator panels of a satellite. A satellite is a type of space craft that orbits either the earth or another body of the solar system. There a two main classes of satellites: information satellites and communications satellites. Information satellites transmit signals related to atmospheric and meteorological data, infrared, ultraviolet, gamma and X-ray studies of celestial objects, and surveys of the earth's shape, surface, and resources. Communications satellites receive radio frequency signals from earth by means of highly directional aerials and return them to another earth location for purposes such a long-distance telephony and television broadcasting. A satellite typically includes a payload module and a platform module. For a communications satellite, the payload is the communications equipment necessary to perform the mission. The platform typically includes the following subsystems: (1) power; (2) attitude determination and control; (3) propulsion; (4) on-board telemetry tracking and command (TTC); (5) thermal control; and (6) structure. These subsystems play a vital role throughout the satellite's operational life. In the prior art, there are quite a lot of thermal control subsystems mentioned. EP-A1-0 687 627 relates to high power satellites, using a unique combination of high power amplifiers and heat dissipation techniques in order to achieve significant increase in output power for a given satellite size. The electronic components, such as traveling wave tubes (TWT) and its high voltage power supplies (or electronic power conditioner, "EPC") are mounted on high efficiency radiation panels, each radiation panel employing a plurality of parallel embedded heat pipes. Additionally, each TWT is configured to contain a collector radiator, which is positioned to be exposed external to the satellite and as such provides a primary path for heat rejection. This combination of collector radiators and radiation panels promotes the passage of heat energy into space and achieves the increase of heat dissipation and thus allows an increase in output power. FR-A-2 463 058 discloses a thermal system for controlling the temperature of components being thermically isolated from the environment. Two radiator panels are provided one of which is mounted on the north side and the other on the south side of the satellite. A heat pipe system serves to transfer the heat from the components to one or both of the radiators. US-A-4,388,964 discloses a system for controlling the temperature of a load, for example a pay load on a space shuttle, by heat transfer to a liquid coolant. The system comprises a cold-plate mounted to the pay load and a radiator readily positioned for efficient heat emission into space. Between the aluminium cold-plate and the radiator a coolant is driven by a pump in a line as to transport heat from the cold-plate to the radiator. The temperature control system operates to maintain the temperature of the cold-plate in a predetermined range of a selected set point temperatures. US-A-5,332,030 discloses a thermal control system for use in a space craft or satellite. The system uses at least two pipe and radiator systems connected to a heat generating load of the space craft. The radiators are located at different sides of the space craft. 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. Generally the thermal control subsystem achieves temperature balance and proper performance of all subsystems. Electronic components utilized throughout the various subsystems experience thermal stress resulting from high temperature effects from the sun, from low temperatures occurring during eclipse, and from heat dissipated internally by components located aboard the satellite. Thermal devices, such as radiators, are commonly used to dissipate excess heat and to protect the electronic equipment from thermal stress. Radiators used on satellites typically include sheets of a highly thermally conductive material with a high thermal emissibility characteristic. To provide maximum heat radiation to space, high power dissipation components are commonly mounted directly to the radiator panels. The radiators are generally mounted to the North and South sides of the spacecraft because these surfaces receive a constant solar input on a daily basis which varies only seasonally. The capability of the radiator to dissipate heat to space is a function of the area of the radiator. The radiator area is constrained by the spacecraft configuration and rocket fairing (the nosecone of the rocket that encapsulates the spacecraft and protects it from aerodynamic loads during the launch ascent through the atmosphere). Consequently, each radiator is constrained in area and thermal dissipation capability. Maximum total spacecraft dissipation is achieved when all radiators are operating at their maximum dissipation capability. Currently, maximum dissipation cannot be achieved because the dissipation of a particular radiator panel depends on the complement of equipment mounted thereon that is in the "on" position, and this complement is generally not the same for both radiators. As a result, the radiator has to be designed for the "worst case" complement of equipment turned "on" and "off". Hence, the radiators are designed to accommodate relatively high dissipations on one radiator and relatively low dissipations on the other radiator, thereby preventing the spacecraft from achieving total maximum dissipation. Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide a device and a method for equalizing the dissipation for heat between the radiator panels of a satellite regardless of the on/off status of equipment mounted thereon. This object is solved by a device as mentioned in the introductory part of this description characterized in that said load is capable of inhibiting said adjacent power sources from supplying power to the load and causing said non adjacent power sources to supply power to the load. This object is further solved by a device as mentioned in the introductory part characterized in that said load is capable of controlling current supplied by said power sources such that said thermal dissipation of said radiator panels is equalized. The object is solved by a method of equalizing thermal dissipation between radiator panels of a satellite, comprising the steps of: connecting a plurality of radiator panels to said satellite; mounting a plurality of power sources on said radiator panels such that each radiator panel has at least one power source mounted thereon; and mounting a load adjacent one of said power sources, said load having the capability of inhibiting said adjacent power sources from supplying power to the load and causing said nonadjacent power sources to supply power to the load. Moreover the object is solved by a method of equalizing thermal dissipation between radiator panels of a satellite, comprising the steps of: connecting a plurality of radiator panels to said satellite; mounting a plurality of power sources on said radiator panels such that each radiator panel has at least one power source mounted thereon; and mounting a load adjacent one of said power sources, said load having the capability of controlling current supplied by said power sources such that said thermal dissipation of said radiator panels is equalized. The advantage of the device and the method according to the present invention is that it prevents overheating of the radiator panels and resulting component stress, while most efficiently using the available radiator area and fairing volume. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a device and method which can be implemented in the thermal control subsystem of a satellite. Specifically, the device and method of the present invention are capable of more equally distributing heat dissipation between multiple radiators on a satellite. According to one embodiment of the present invention the device includes radiator panels that form exterior surfaces of the satellite, power sources mounted on the radiator panels, and a load capable of inhibiting current from adjacent power sources and accepting current only from nonadjacent power sources. According to a second embodiment, the load does not prevent adjacent power supplies from providing current, but rather controls the amount of power supplied by all power sources in a manner that equalizes the thermal dissipation of the radiator panels. The device and method of the present invention provides several benefits to the thermal design of a satellite. There is no longer a need to oversize the radiator panel in order to accommodate simultaneous dissipation of heat from a load and an adjacent power source without overheating the radiator panel. More radiator area is available for revenue generating payload units such as solid state power amplifiers (SSPAs) and traveling wave tube (TWT) amplifiers. These amplifiers are used to amplify low level radio frequency (RF) signals received from earth for retransmission to earth. In addition, because heat dissipation is equalized among the radiator panels, all units experience a more stable thermal environment. More particularly, the maximum temperatures and temperature variations that the units are subject to are reduced, which results in simplified design and construction of the units, and increased reliability and life. The invention itself, together with further objects and attendant advantages, will be understood by reference to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a diagram of a satellite capable of utilizing the present invention. Figure 2 is a schematic illustration of a preferred configuration for equalizing the dissipation of heat generated by units mounted on the radiator panels of a satellite. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A spacecraft or satellite 10 capable of utilizing the present invention is shown in Figure 1. The satellite 10 has a spacecraft body 12 which includes a lower bus module or platform 14 and an upper payload module 16. Attached to the aft end of the lower bus module 14 are a plurality of engines. These engines include a centrally positioned liquid orbital thruster (not shown), chemical propulsion engines 24 located at the corners of the bus module 14 and two pairs of xenon ion propulsion engines 26 (one pair shown). Lower bus module 14 contains fuel tanks (not shown) and various power and control modules that operate the engines and power the payload module 16. Bus module 14 further includes a pair of solar panels 18 that convert sunlight into electricity. The electricity is sent to batteries (not shown) located on the bus module 14. Bus module 14 also has a pair of antennae 20, which receive signals from an earth ground station. The antennae 20 reflect the received signals into reflectors 22, which in turn, reflect the signals into receivers (not shown). The antennae 20 are used to control the satellite 10 and to send signals to the ground station. Payload module 16 is attached to the bus module 14 and contains a variety of electronic equipment which may contain a number of sensors (not shown). The electronic equipment processes information gathered by the sensors and sends the processed information back to the ground station via antennae 20. The gathered information may concern for example, communications, weather observation, and navigational information. Figure 2 illustrates a preferred configuration for equalizing the dissipation of heat generated by units mounted on the radiator panels of the satellite of Figure 1. In the presently preferred embodiment, a first power electronic unit (PEU) 32 and a load 34 is mounted on the first radiator panel 28. The load 34 can be any device on board the satellite that absorbs power and dissipates heat. The PEU 32 can be any device that supplies current to a load. A second PEU 36 is mounted on the second radiator panel 30. For purposes of discussion, the PEUs 32, 36 are integrated power controllers (IPCs) and the load 34 is a xenon ion propulsion system power controller (XPC). The function of the IPC 32, 36 is to condition power on the satellite 10. Specifically, the IPC 32, 36 receives power from the solar panels 18 (Figure 1) and the battery (not shown), regulates the power at the proper voltage and distributes it to the XPC 34 and/or other spacecraft equipment. The XPC 34 conditions the power received from the IPC 32, 36 and distributes it to the xenon ion thrusters (not shown). In the present example, both IPCs 32, 36 communicate with each other to provide approximately half the current to the XPC 34. Because no electronic unit can condition electrical power with 100% efficiency, the IPCs 32,36 will generate heat. Consequently, the XPC 34 and IPCs 32, 36 are mounted directly to the radiators panels 28, 30 to provide a good heat conduction path directly to space. In a first preferred embodiment, the XPC 34 turns on upon receiving a command from the TTC subsystem 38. (The TTC subsystem 38 allows ground control stations to send commands to carry out various tasks such as configuring loads and turning loads on and off.) The XPC 34 then commands the adjacent IPC 32 to stop providing current to the XPC 34, thereby causing the nonadjacent IPC 36 to provide all the current to the XPC 34. Thus, only the XPC 34 generates heat on the first radiator panel 28 while IPC 36 generates heat on the second radiator panel 30. As a result, heat dissipation is more equally distributed between the radiator panels 28, 30. The first radiator panel 28 absorbs the heat generated by the XPC 34 and radiates it to space. Similarly, the second radiator panel 30 absorbs the heat generated by the second IPC 36 and radiates it to space. In prior heat dissipation methods, the IPC 32 would have provided half the current to the XPC 34 resulting in a larger dissipation on the first radiator panel 28 and a smaller dissipation on the second radiator panel 30. In a second preferred embodiment, the XPC 34 turns on upon receiving a command from the TTC subsystem 38. However, instead of commanding the adjacent IPC 32 to stop providing current to the XPC 34, the XPC 34 commands the adjacent IPC 32 to provide less current to the XPC 34. The exact amount of current is determined such that heat dissipation is equally distributed between the radiator panels 28, 30. For example, if the XPC 34 is operating such that it dissipates 100 watts, it will command the adjacent IPC 32 to decrease the amount of current it supplies to the XPC 32 by an amount such that the power dissipation of IPC 32 decreases by a corresponding 100 watts. The device and method of the present invention provides several advantages to the thermal design of a satellite. The device eliminates the need to oversize the radiator panel in order to accommodate simultaneous dissipation of heat from a load and an adjacent power supply. More radiator area is available for revenue generating payload units such as SSPAs and TWT amplifiers. In addition, because heat dissipation is equalized among the radiator panels, all units experience a more stable environment. More particularly, the units are subject to reduced maximum temperatures and temperature variations, which results in simplified design and construction of the units, and their increased reliability and life. It should be understood that a wide range of changes and modifications can be made to the preferred embodiments described above. For example, referring to Figure 2, the XPC 34 can directly command the nonadjacent IPC 36 to provide a different amount of current instead of commanding the adjacent IPC 32 to stop providing current or to provide less current. The adjacent IPC 32 will adjust the current it supplies to the XPC 34 based on the amount of current supplied by the nonadjacent IPC 36. It is therefore intended that the foregoing detailed description be regarded as illustrative rather than limiting and that it be understood that it is the following claims, including all equivalents, which are intended to define the scope of this invention.

Claims: A device for equalizing thermal dissipation between radiator panels (28, 30) of a satellite (10), comprising: a plurality of radiator panels (28, 30) mounted on said satellite (10) ; a plurality of power sources (32, 36) mounted on said radiator panels (28, 30) such that each radiator panel (28, 30) has at least one power source (32, 36) mounted thereon; and a load (34) mounted adjacent one of said power sources (32, 36), characterized in that said load (34) is capable of inhibiting said adjacent power sources (32, 36) from supplying power to the load (34) and causing said nonadjacent power sources (32, 36) to supply power to the load (34). A device for equalizing thermal dissipation between radiator panels (28, 30) of a satellite (10), comprising: a plurality of radiator panels (28, 30) mounted on said satellite (10); a plurality of power sources (32, 36) mounted on said radiator panels (28, 30) such that each radiator panel (28, 30) has at least one power source (32, 36) mounted thereon; and a load (34) mounted adjacent one of said power sources (32, 36), characterized in that said load (34) is capable of controlling current supplied by said power sources (32, 36) such that said thermal dissipation of said radiator panels (28, 30) is equalized. The device of claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said plurality of radiator panels (28, 30) is 2. The device of any of claims 1 - 3, characterized in that said plurality of power sources (32, 36) is 2. A method of equalizing thermal dissipation between radiator panels (28, 30) of a satellite (10), comprising the steps of: connecting a plurality of radiator panels (28, 30) to said satellite (10); mounting a plurality of power sources (32, 36) on said radiator panels (28, 30) such that each radiator panel (28, 30) has at least one power source (32, 36) mounted thereon; mounting a load (34) adjacent one of said power sources (32, 36), characterized in that said load (34) has the capability of inhibiting said adjacent power sources (32, 36) from supplying power to the load (34) and causing said nonadjacent power sources (32, 36) to supply power to the load (34). A method of equalizing thermal dissipation between radiator panels (28, 30) of a satellite (10), comprising the steps of: connecting a plurality of radiator panels (28, 30) to said satellite (10) ; mounting a plurality of power sources (32, 36) on said radiator panels (28, 30) such that each radiator panel (28, 30) has at least one power source (32, 36) mounted thereon; mounting a load (34) adjacent one of said power sources (32, 36), characterized in that said load (34) has the capability of controlling current supplied by said power sources (32, 36) such that said thermal dissipation of said radiator panels (28, 30) is equalized. The method of claim 5 or 6, characterized in that said plurality of radiator panels (28, 30) is 2. The method of any of claims 5 - 7, characterized in that said plurality of power sources (32, 36) is 2.

Inventors: CAPLIN GLENN N, CAPLIN, GLENN N.
Applicants: HUGHES ELECTRONICS CORP, HUGHES ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
Application year: 1996
Main classification: B64G1
IPC codes: B64G1