Expandable heat radiator based on satellite-borne large-scale phased-array antenna

Abstract

The invention provides an expandable heat radiator based on a satellite-borne large-scale phased-array antenna, which comprises a capillary pump, a loop heat pipe, a rotating mechanism, a radiant panel and a locking and releasing device, and is characterized in that the capillary pump is mounted on the satellite-borne phased-array antenna and is in heat conduction connection with the radiant panel through the loop heat pipe; the radiant panel is rotatably mounted on the side wall of the spacecraft through a rotating mechanism, and the rotating mechanism is used for driving the radiant panel to be unfolded outwards or folded inwards relative to the side wall of the spacecraft; the locking and releasing device is installed on the radiant panel and used for locking the radiant panel before a satellite enters an orbit and releasing the locking state of the radiant panel after the satellite enters the orbit. Wherein the locking state of the radiant panel is that the radiant panel is folded inwards and attached to the outer surface of the side wall of the spacecraft. Therefore, the problem of heat dissipation of the large-scale high-heat-consumption phased-array antenna can be effectively solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of spacecraft design, and in particular to a deployable thermal radiator based on a spaceborne large-scale phased array antenna. Background Art

[0002] Phased array antenna refers to an antenna that changes the shape of the radiation pattern by controlling the feeding phase of the radiating elements in the array antenna. Controlling the phase can change the direction of the maximum value of the antenna radiation pattern to achieve the purpose of beam scanning; when the antenna is rotated by mechanical methods, the inertia is large and the speed is slow. The phased array antenna overcomes this shortcoming and has a high beam scanning speed; its feeding phase is generally controlled by an electronic computer, and the phase changes quickly (milliseconds), that is, the direction of the maximum value of the antenna radiation pattern or other parameters changes rapidly.

[0003] A significant feature of phased array antennas is that they generate a lot of heat energy when working. Figure 1 It is shown that a large amount of heat energy in the phased array antenna mainly comes from a large number of T / R (Transmitter and Receiver) components; inside the phased array antenna, there are hundreds of T / R components densely distributed; since each component is a heating element, when gathered together, it becomes a large heat source with relatively high thermal power. At the same time, due to the limitation of antenna size and space, the thermal power density of the entire antenna array is very large; if the heat cannot be discharged in time, the high temperature will cause thermal deformation of the structure, reduce the flatness of the array, change the position and direction of the radiation unit, thereby destroying the phase consistency of the T / R components, reducing the transmit and receive gain, and increasing the failure rate. Therefore, how to dissipate the heat generated by the T / R components not only directly affects the working efficiency of the phased array antenna, but also affects the working life of the antenna.

[0004] The T / R component is one of the important components of the phased array antenna, and it has very high requirements for the operating temperature. Whether the T / R component can work within the normal temperature range directly affects the consistency of amplitude and phase. At the same time, the ability to transmit and receive signals is also greatly affected by temperature. Not only does a single component have high requirements for the operating temperature, but after forming the array, the consistency of the entire antenna must be better. Therefore, the thermal design of the phased array antenna must not only take away the heat generated by the T / R component, but also maintain the thermal stability of the entire antenna.

[0005] The heat dissipation scheme of phased array antenna should be determined according to the specific use of phased array antenna; it should ensure the heat dissipation effect, meet the actual project, and be as simple and reliable as possible. The reasonable selection of heat dissipation scheme has an important impact on the final project implementation.

[0006] Space thermal radiators are an important part of satellite heat removal systems. Currently, all types of satellites developed and put into use only use their own skin as radiators.

[0007] With the continuous growth of requirements for space-based communications, commercial satellite systems, and military satellite systems, as well as the development trend of satellite miniaturization, large-scale and shared platform applications, the thermal power of on-board devices continues to increase, and the satellite payload has increased significantly, making the energy density of the entire satellite increasingly large, and its heat dissipation problem has become more and more serious. When the satellite carries high-power electronic equipment, high-power and long-life power systems, life support systems, and certain refrigeration systems, it is often necessary not only to install special thermal radiators, but also the heat dissipation area of ​​the radiator urgently needs to be further expanded.

[0008] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a solution that can be used to solve the heat dissipation problem of large-scale, high-heat-consumption phased array antennas. Summary of the invention

[0009] The object of the present invention is to provide a deployable thermal radiator based on a satellite-borne large-scale phased array antenna, so as to solve the problem of heat dissipation of a large-scale phased array antenna with high heat consumption.

[0010] In order to achieve the above-mentioned objectives, the present invention provides a deployable thermal radiator based on a satellite-borne large-scale phased array antenna, comprising a capillary pump, a loop heat pipe, a rotating mechanism, a radiation plate and a locking and releasing device, wherein the capillary pump is installed on the satellite-borne phased array antenna and is thermally connected to the radiation plate through the loop heat pipe, the radiation plate is rotatably installed on the side wall of the spacecraft through the rotating mechanism, and the rotating mechanism is used to drive the radiation plate to expand outward or retract inward relative to the side wall of the spacecraft; the locking and releasing device is installed on the radiation plate to lock the radiation plate before the satellite enters orbit, and to release the locked state of the radiation plate after the satellite enters orbit; wherein the locked state of the radiation plate is that the radiation plate is retracted inward and adheres to the outer surface of the side wall of the spacecraft.

[0011] Furthermore, the capillary pump is thermally interconnected with a heat collecting plate of the satellite-borne phased array antenna.

[0012] Furthermore, the loop heat pipe is arranged on the outer surface of the spacecraft along the edge of the communication cabin panel of the spacecraft.

[0013] Furthermore, it also includes a thermal joint, and the loop heat pipe is connected to the radiation plate through the thermal joint.

[0014] Furthermore, the radiation panel is folded in the lower area of ​​the satellite's solar wing, and the locking release device is pressed by the solar wing, and the locking release device is used to unlock the radiation panel after the solar wing is unfolded.

[0015] Furthermore, the rotating mechanism includes a rotating shaft axially connected to the radiation plate and a power component driving the radiation plate to rotate around the rotating shaft. The rotating shaft is installed on the communication cabin board, and the radiation plate is locked after rotating around the rotating shaft to a preset angle.

[0016] The deployable thermal radiator based on the satellite-borne large-scale phased array antenna described in the present invention includes a capillary pump, a loop heat pipe, a rotating mechanism, a radiation plate and a locking and releasing device. The capillary pump is installed on the satellite-borne phased array antenna and is thermally connected to the radiation plate through the loop heat pipe. The radiation plate is rotatably installed on the side wall of the spacecraft through the rotating mechanism, and the rotating mechanism is used to drive the radiation plate to expand outward or retract inward relative to the side wall of the spacecraft; the locking and releasing device is installed on the radiation plate to lock the radiation plate before the satellite enters orbit, and release the locking state of the radiation plate after the satellite enters orbit; in this way, the present invention can significantly increase the heat dissipation area without increasing the size of the satellite and affecting the basic configuration of the satellite, which can fundamentally solve the problem of insufficient heat dissipation area and improve the satellite's thermal design level and thermal adaptability. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 The working principle diagram of a spaceborne large-scale phased array antenna is shown;

[0018] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a spaceborne large-scale phased array antenna is shown;

[0019] Figure 3 A schematic structural diagram of the deployable thermal radiator based on a satellite-borne large-scale phased array antenna provided in one embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0020] Figure 4 A layout structure diagram of the deployable thermal radiator based on a spaceborne large-scale phased array antenna and the spaceborne large-scale phased array antenna provided in one embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0021] Figure 5 A structural schematic diagram showing the launch state of the deployable thermal radiator based on the satellite-borne large-scale phased array antenna and the relative position of the satellite solar wing provided by an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0023] It should be noted that references to "one embodiment", "embodiment", "example embodiment", etc. in this specification refer to the embodiment described, which may include specific features, structures or characteristics, but not every embodiment must include these specific features, structures or characteristics. In addition, such expressions do not refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, when describing specific features, structures or characteristics in conjunction with an embodiment, whether or not there is an explicit description, it has been shown that it is within the knowledge of those skilled in the art to combine such features, structures or characteristics into other embodiments.

[0024] In addition, certain words are used in the specification and subsequent claims to refer to specific components or parts. Those with ordinary knowledge in the relevant field should understand that manufacturers can use different nouns or terms to refer to the same component or part. This specification and subsequent claims do not use differences in names as a way to distinguish components or parts, but use differences in the functions of components or parts as the criteria for distinction. "Including" and "including" mentioned throughout the specification and subsequent claims are open-ended terms and should be interpreted as "including but not limited to". In addition, the word "connected" here includes any direct and indirect electrical connection means. Indirect electrical connection means include connection through other devices.

[0025] When designing a large-scale phased array antenna, heat from all T / R components is conducted to a heat collecting plate through a heat pipe, and then the heat on the heat collecting plate is radiated out through a heat exchange device; the deployable thermal radiator based on a satellite-borne large-scale phased array antenna provided by the present invention can diffuse the heat of the heat collecting plate into the ambient space without increasing the size of the satellite or affecting the basic configuration of the satellite, so as to solve the problem of insufficient heat dissipation area of ​​the existing large-scale phased array antenna and improve the thermal design level and thermal adaptability of the satellite.

[0026] Figure 3 FIG. 1 shows a deployable thermal radiator based on a large-scale satellite phased array antenna provided by an embodiment of the present invention, comprising a capillary pump 10, a loop heat pipe 20, a rotating mechanism 30, a radiation plate 40 and a locking and releasing device 50. Figure 2 The phased array antenna module shown in the figure is taken as an example to illustrate that the deployable heat radiator provided in this embodiment is specifically used to Figure 2 The heat of the phased array antenna module shown is diffused into the ambient space. Of course, this embodiment can also be applied to other phased array antenna modules; wherein:

[0027] The capillary pump 10 is installed on the satellite-borne phased array antenna and is thermally connected to the radiation plate 40 through the loop heat pipe 20. The radiation plate 40 is rotatably installed on the side wall of the spacecraft through the rotating mechanism 30, and the rotating mechanism 30 is used to drive the radiation plate 40 to expand outward or retract inward relative to the side wall of the spacecraft; the locking and releasing device 50 is installed on the radiation plate 40 to lock the radiation plate 40 before the satellite enters orbit, and release the locking state of the radiation plate 40 after the satellite enters orbit; wherein, the locking state of the radiation plate 40 is that the radiation plate 40 is retracted inward and adheres to the outer surface of the side wall of the spacecraft.

[0028] The deployable thermal radiator based on the satellite-borne large-scale phased array antenna provided in this embodiment is composed of three main parts. Specifically, the capillary pump 10 installed on the satellite-borne phased array antenna constitutes a heat collection part for collecting the heat generated by the satellite-borne phased array antenna; the loop heat pipe 20 constitutes a heat transmission part, and the heat collected on the capillary pump 10 is transmitted to the radiation plate through the flow medium in the loop heat pipe 20; the radiation plate 30 constitutes a heat radiation part, and the heat transmitted to the radiation plate 30 will directly face the environmental heat sink so that the heat is radiated into the environmental space. At the same time, the rotation mechanism 30 is used to enable the radiation plate 40 to be rotated to a predetermined position after the satellite enters orbit, so that the radiation plate 40 is away from the satellite body, thereby avoiding the radiation plate 40 from affecting the heat radiation of other equipment on the satellite. The deployable structural design of the radiation plate 30 on the satellite can significantly increase the heat dissipation area of ​​the deployable thermal radiator without increasing the size of the satellite and affecting the basic configuration of the satellite, which can fundamentally solve the problem of insufficient heat dissipation area and improve the satellite thermal design level and thermal adaptability.

[0029] In practical applications, the deployable thermal radiator based on the onboard large-scale phased array antenna carried on the satellite is folded into the side wall of the spacecraft when the satellite is launched, and its radiation plate 40 is deployed after entering orbit; a satellite can be equipped with one or more deployable thermal radiators based on the onboard large-scale phased array antenna, and the deployable thermal radiator based on the onboard large-scale phased array antenna can adjust the size and shape of its radiation plate 40 according to the specific satellite configuration in the satellite structural layout, so as to achieve the purpose of not increasing the size of the satellite and not affecting the basic configuration of the satellite.

[0030] See also Figure 2 The satellite-borne phased array antenna includes an antenna unit 101, an active mounting plate 102 and a phased array antenna frame 103. The phased array antenna frame 103 is used to carry the antenna unit 101 and the active mounting plate 102. The active mounting plate 102 is pre-buried with a temperature-averaging heat pipe connected to the heat collecting plate of the antenna unit 101.

[0031] Specifically, the capillary pump 10 is thermally interactively connected to the heat collecting plate of the satellite-borne phased array antenna, specifically by assembling the capillary pump 10 with the active mounting plate 102, and thermally interactively connected to the heat collecting plate of the satellite-borne phased array antenna through the pre-buried temperature-averaging heat pipe on the active mounting plate 102.

[0032] The present embodiment uses the loop heat pipe 20 as the heat transfer part between the capillary pump 10 and the radiation plate 40, which has the following advantages: 1. Light weight compared with heat transfer elements such as heat pipes; 2. The pipeline is easy to bend and easy to install and arrange; 3. The heat transfer distance is long; 4. The working life is long; 5. The anti-gravity working ability is strong, which is convenient for ground testing of aircraft; 6. The thermal resistance from the evaporator to the condenser is small and the heat transfer efficiency is high; 7. The temperature control characteristics are excellent.

[0033] like Figure 4 It is shown that in an optional embodiment, the loop heat pipe 20 is arranged on the outer surface of the spacecraft along the edge of the communication cabin board of the spacecraft. How to effectively avoid the impact on other onboard devices by designing the wiring structure; of course, the loop heat pipe 20 can also be designed according to the specific onboard layout. Specifically, the design principle of the direction of the loop heat pipe 20 is: the direction of the loop heat pipe is physically compatible with the onboard layout; the design of the direction of the loop heat pipe takes into account the assembly operability to ensure that the installation process of the deployable thermal radiator is physically compatible with the onboard layout; the design of the direction of the loop heat pipe is designed to be along the outer surface of the north and south plates of the communication cabin as much as possible, so as not to affect the normal assembly and testing of the satellite after installation.

[0034] This embodiment also includes a thermal joint 60, through which the loop heat pipe 20 is connected to the radiation plate 40. Specifically, in the design stage, the layout position of the thermal joint 60 is determined according to the layout position of the radiation plate 40 and the rotating mechanism 30, and the layout needs to be symmetrical relative to the rotating mechanism 30, so that the load on the rotating shaft during the rotation of the rotating mechanism is uniform. Preferably, the direction of the loop heat pipe 20 is designed according to the position of the capillary pump 10 and the rotating joint 60.

[0035] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the radiation panel 40 is arranged on the outer surfaces of the north and south plates of the communication cabin, that is, the shape of the radiation panel 40 is designed according to the outer surface layout of the north and south plates of the communication cabin to ensure that the radiation panel 40 does not affect the normal overall rotation and testing of the entire satellite after being installed on the satellite.

[0036] See also Figure 5Preferably, the radiation panel 40 is folded in the area below the solar wing 106 of the satellite, and the locking release device 50 is pressed by the solar wing 106, and the locking release device 50 is used to unlock the radiation panel 40 after the solar wing 106 is unfolded. In this embodiment, the layout of the locking release device is specifically designed according to the outer contour size of the radiation panel 40 to ensure that the radiation panel 40 is firmly and reliably installed on the surface of the satellite during the launch phase. The rotating mechanism 30 specifically includes a rotating shaft axially connected to the radiation panel 40 and a power assembly that drives the radiation panel 40 to rotate around the rotating shaft. The rotating shaft is installed on the communication cabin board, and the radiation panel 40 is locked after rotating around the rotating shaft to a preset angle.

[0037] In specific implementation, after the solar wing 106 is unfolded, the locking release device 50 is unlocked, and the radiation plate 40 is rotated 180° under the drive of the rotating mechanism 30. The radiation plate 40 does not interfere with the onboard equipment during the rotation process and when it is rotated to the right position, that is, no mechanical interference occurs, it is not affected by the thruster plume, and it does not block the field of view of the antenna, sensor, etc. Since the deployable thermal radiator of this embodiment is located under the solar wing 106 during the satellite launch phase; after the solar wing 106 is unfolded, the locking release device 50 is unlocked, and the radiation plate 40 is unfolded around the rotation axis to the locked position; in this way, the large-scale phased array heat dissipation problem can be solved without occupying additional layout space and the heat dissipation area of ​​the satellite body.

[0038] To summarize, the deployable thermal radiator based on the satellite-borne large-scale phased array antenna described in the present invention includes a capillary pump, a loop heat pipe, a rotating mechanism, a radiation plate and a locking and releasing device. The capillary pump is installed on the satellite-borne phased array antenna and is thermally connected to the radiation plate through the loop heat pipe. The radiation plate is rotatably installed on the side wall of the spacecraft through the rotating mechanism, and the rotating mechanism is used to drive the radiation plate to expand outward or retract inward relative to the side wall of the spacecraft; the locking and releasing device is installed on the radiation plate to lock the radiation plate before the satellite enters orbit, and release the locking state of the radiation plate after the satellite enters orbit; in this way, the present invention does not occupy the heat dissipation area resources of the satellite body, and can use the existing layout space to effectively expand the satellite's heat dissipation capacity; at the same time, it can avoid coupling with the thermal design of the satellite body, and can adapt to the heat dissipation needs of phased arrays of different scales.

[0039] Of course, the present invention may have many other embodiments. Without departing from the spirit and essence of the present invention, those skilled in the art may make various corresponding changes and modifications based on the present invention, but these corresponding changes and modifications should all fall within the scope of protection of the claims attached to the present invention.

Claims

1. A deployable thermal radiator based on a large-scale satellite phased array antenna, characterized in that: The invention comprises a capillary pump, a loop heat pipe, a rotating mechanism, a radiation plate and a locking and releasing device. The capillary pump is installed on the satellite-borne phased array antenna and is thermally connected to the radiation plate through the loop heat pipe. The radiation plate is rotatably installed on the side wall of the spacecraft through the rotating mechanism, and the rotating mechanism is used to drive the radiation plate to expand outward or retract inward relative to the side wall of the spacecraft. The locking and releasing device is installed on the radiation plate to lock the radiation plate before the satellite enters orbit and release the locking state of the radiation plate after the satellite enters orbit. The locking state of the radiation plate is that the radiation plate is retracted inward and adheres to the outer surface of the side wall of the spacecraft.

2. The deployable thermal radiator based on a spaceborne large-scale phased array antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: The capillary pump is thermally interconnected with the heat collecting plate of the satellite-borne phased array antenna.

3. The deployable thermal radiator based on a spaceborne large-scale phased array antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: The loop heat pipe is arranged on the outer surface of the spacecraft along the edge of the communication cabin panel of the spacecraft.

4. The deployable thermal radiator based on a spaceborne large-scale phased array antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a thermal joint, and the loop heat pipe is connected to the radiation plate through the thermal joint.

5. The deployable thermal radiator based on a spaceborne large-scale phased array antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: The radiation panel is folded in the lower area of ​​the satellite's solar wing, and the locking and releasing device is pressed by the solar wing. The locking and releasing device is used to release the lock on the radiation panel after the solar wing is unfolded.

6. The deployable thermal radiator based on a spaceborne large-scale phased array antenna according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotating mechanism includes a rotating shaft axially connected to the radiation plate and a power assembly driving the radiation plate to rotate around the rotating shaft. The rotating shaft is installed on the communication cabin board, and the radiation plate is locked after rotating around the rotating shaft to a preset angle.

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