Patent ID: 8910701

Claim:
A thermal module for use on a spacecraft to control thermal loads coming from a heat source, the thermal module comprising: a two-phase loop system including: a thermal collector; a heat flow regulator; a by-pass line; and a condenser; and a heat rejection system, wherein the condenser and the heat rejection system are thermally coupled, wherein the heat flow regulator includes: a main chamber separated from a second chamber by a flexible bellows; a moving element joined to the flexible bellows in the second chamber, the moving element extending into the main chamber; and a gas sealed in a volume between the flexible bellows and internal walls of the second chamber, wherein the heat flow regulator of the two-phase loop system redirects a first part of the thermal loads from the heat source to the condenser, from which the heat rejection system directs said first part of the thermal loads to a heat sink, wherein the temperature of the heat source is regulated by directing a second part of the thermal loads back to the thermal collector through the by-pass line in a proportional manner, to avoid overcooling the heat source, wherein the flexible bellows expands within the second chamber due to an increase in saturated vapor pressure of a working fluid in the main chamber, the moving element being actuated in the main chamber to increase flow of the working fluid to the condenser and to reduce flow of the working fluid to the by-pass line, and wherein the heat rejection system is designed based on hottest possible conditions for a spacecraft mission.