초록 ▼

Equipment support and thermal radiation panels for a spacecraft include a transverse header heat pipe and a set of a plurality of “spreader”heat pipes each including an elongated longitudinal portion and an “L”portion lying in thermal contact with the header heat pipe. The elongated longitudinal por

Equipment support and thermal radiation panels for a spacecraft include a transverse header heat pipe and a set of a plurality of “spreader”heat pipes each including an elongated longitudinal portion and an “L”portion lying in thermal contact with the header heat pipe. The elongated longitudinal portions of the spreader heat pipes are spaced apart and mutually parallel. A further set of spreader heat pipes, similar to the first set, is provided. At least part of the elongated longitudinal portion of each further heat pipe is physically parallel, and in thermal contact, with a heat pipe of the first set, and the “L”portions of the further heat pipes are in thermal contact with a second header heat pipe. A make-break thermal joint juxtaposes a header heat pipe of each of two panels lying in different planes.

대표청구항 ▼

A spacecraft comprising: a plurality of first “spreader”heat pipes, each in the general form of the letter “L”, each of said first heat pipes including a straight bottom portion lying in a plane and including first and second ends defining a length therebetween, and a second portion, including first

A spacecraft comprising: a plurality of first “spreader”heat pipes, each in the general form of the letter “L”, each of said first heat pipes including a straight bottom portion lying in a plane and including first and second ends defining a length therebetween, and a second portion, including first and second ends defining a length longer than said length of said bottom portion, connected at said first end to said first end of said bottom portion, said second portion being straight and also lying in said plane, said first heat pipes being arrayed in a common plane with said bottom portions coaxial and with said second portions mutually parallel; a second plurality, equal in number to said first plurality, of second “spreader”heat pipes, also in the general form of the letter “L”, each of said second heat pipes including a straight bottom portion lying in a plane and including first and second ends defining a length therebetween, and a second portion, including first and second ends defining a length longer than the length of said bottom portion, connected at said first end to said first end of said bottom portion, said second portion being straight and also lying in said plane, said second end of said second portion of each one of said first heat pipes being juxtaposed and in thermal contact with said second end of said second portion of an associated one of said second heat pipes along at least a portion of said second portion of each heat pipe, and said first end of said second portion of each one of said first heat pipes being remote from said first end of said second portion of that one of said second heat pipes with which it is associated, for providing for thermal flow between said first and second heat pipes in a direction parallel to said second portions; a first header heat pipe extending past, and in thermal contact with, each of said bottom portions of said first heat pipes, for providing for transverse thermal flow in a direction perpendicular to said second portion.