Patent ID: 7967256

Claim:
A spacecraft battery thermal management system, comprising: a battery; a first radiator panel, wherein a first face of said first radiator panel is arranged to face a first direction; a first variable conductance heat pipe thermally coupled to said battery and said first radiator panel, wherein said first variable conductance heat pipe comprises a first main pipe containing a first working fluid and a first reservoir containing a first non-condensable gas, and where said first variable conductance heat pipe is configured to control the transfer of heat between said battery and said first radiator panel; a second radiator panel, wherein a first face of said second radiator panel is arranged to face a second direction opposite the first direction; and a second variable conductance heat pipe thermally coupled to said battery and said second radiator panel, wherein said second variable conductance heat pipe comprises a second main pipe containing a second working fluid and a second non-condensable gas, and wherein said second variable conductance heat pipe is configured to control the transfer of heat between said battery and said second radiator panel, wherein said first reservoir is arranged adjacent to said first radiator panel such that said first reservoir and said first radiator panel are heated by the sun simultaneously, and wherein said second reservoir is arranged adjacent to said second radiator panel such that said second reservoir and said second radiator panel are heated by the sun simultaneously.