A thermal vacuum test system and method for a spaceborne communication device

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of spaceflight electronic component thermal control, and particularly relates to a thermal vacuum test system and method for a satellite-borne communication device. The system comprises a vacuum tank, a support, a liquid cooling device and a communication test device. The support is arranged inside the vacuum tank, the liquid cooling device and the communication test device are arranged outside the vacuum tank, the upper part of the support is provided with a liquid cooling plate, the lower surface of the liquid cooling plate is used for mounting a satellite-borne communication device to be tested, the heat pipe of the satellite-borne communication device is in contact with the lower surface of the liquid cooling plate, the inlet and outlet of the liquid cooling plate are connected with the liquid cooling device through a corrugated pipe, and the satellite-borne communication device is connected with the communication test device through a cable. The above technical solution can meet the demand of the existing satellite-borne high-power communication device for ground thermal vacuum test.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of space electronic component thermal control, in particular to a thermal vacuum test system and method for a satellite-borne communication device. BACKGROUND

[0002] With the rapid development of low-orbit communication technology, the digital device on the satellite is composed of large-scale and super-large integrated circuits, which makes the heat consumption of the entire device larger and larger. However, the satellite as a whole pursues miniaturization in size and weight, which leads to an increase in the difficulty of device thermal control design.

[0003] The satellite in orbit will be in a vacuum, low temperature and irradiation environment, and at the same time will be subjected to the influence of the external heat flow of the sun direct radiation, the earth reflection and the infrared radiation. The entire device is in a cold and hot alternating state. At the same time, in order to reduce the construction cost of the constellation, more and more low-cost devices with general anti-radiation capability are used. In order to meet the long-term use in orbit, the screening of components and the thermal environment test of the device become extremely important.

[0004] In order to meet the heat dissipation of the chip, a heat pipe is usually arranged inside the device to quickly conduct heat away. During the thermal vacuum test on the ground, since the installation surface of the device is normally at the bottom, the heat pipe cannot be used normally on the ground due to the influence of gravity during the thermal vacuum test.

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need to provide a thermal vacuum test system and method for a satellite-borne communication device to solve the above technical problems. SUMMARY

[0006] The embodiments of the present application provide a thermal vacuum test system and method for a satellite-borne communication device, which can solve the demand of the existing satellite-borne high-power communication device for ground thermal vacuum test.

[0007] In a first aspect, the embodiments of the present application provide a thermal vacuum test system for a satellite-borne communication device, comprising a vacuum tank, a support, a liquid cooling device and a communication test device, the support is arranged inside the vacuum tank, the liquid cooling device and the communication test device are arranged outside the vacuum tank, the upper part of the support is provided with a liquid cooling plate, the lower surface of the liquid cooling plate is used to install the satellite-borne communication device to be tested, the heat pipe of the satellite-borne communication device is in contact with the lower surface of the liquid cooling plate, the inlet and outlet of the liquid cooling plate are connected with the liquid cooling device through a corrugated pipe, and the satellite-borne communication device is connected with the communication test device through a cable.

[0008] In a second aspect, the embodiments of the present application provide a thermal vacuum test method for a satellite-borne communication device, applied to the system in the above-mentioned embodiments, comprising:

[0009] installing the satellite-borne communication device to be tested on the lower surface of the liquid cooling plate;

[0010] The liquid cooling device is used for temperature control of the satellite communication equipment.

[0011] The communication test device is used for communication test of the satellite communication equipment.

[0012] The embodiment of the present application provides a thermal vacuum test system and method of satellite communication equipment, and the satellite communication equipment to be tested is installed upside down on the lower surface of a liquid cooling plate, so that the normal working requirement of the internal heat pipe of the equipment during ground test can be met. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0013] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application or the prior art, the drawings needed to be used in the embodiments or the prior art description will be briefly introduced. Obviously, the drawings in the following description are some embodiments of the present application, and other drawings can be obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor.

[0014] Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of the thermal vacuum test system of the satellite communication equipment provided by the embodiment of the present application;

[0015] Figure 2 is Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of the bracket in the thermal vacuum test system shown.

[0016] Reference signs:

[0017] 1-vacuum tank; 2-bracket; 3-liquid cooling device; 4-communication test device; 5-liquid cooling plate; 6-satellite communication equipment; 7-heat pipe; 8-corrugated pipe; 9-cable; 10-liquid nitrogen tank; 11-vacuum unit; 12-flange; 13-temperature measuring device; 14-temperature control device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present application more clear, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described clearly and completely in combination with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are some embodiments of the present application, but not all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor are within the protection scope of the present application.

[0019] As Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, an embodiment of the present invention provides a thermal vacuum test system for satellite-borne communication equipment, including a vacuum tank 1, a bracket 2, a liquid cooling device 3 and a communication test device 4. The bracket 2 is arranged inside the vacuum tank 1, and the liquid cooling device 3 and the communication test device 4 are arranged outside the vacuum tank 1. A liquid cooling plate 5 is provided on the upper part of the bracket 2. The lower surface of the liquid cooling plate 5 is used to install the satellite-borne communication equipment 6 to be tested. The heat pipe 7 of the satellite-borne communication equipment 6 (for example, it can be installed on the top of the satellite-borne communication equipment 6, of course, it can also be installed around the satellite-borne communication equipment 6) is in contact with the lower surface of the liquid cooling plate 5. The inlet and outlet of the liquid cooling plate 5 are connected to the liquid cooling device 3 through a bellows 8, and the satellite-borne communication equipment 6 is connected to the communication test device 4 through a cable 9.

[0020] In this embodiment, by mounting the satellite-borne communication device 6 to be tested upside down on the lower surface of the liquid cooling plate 5, the normal operation requirements of the device's internal heat pipe during ground testing can be met. In other words, the above technical solution can solve the existing ground-based thermal vacuum testing requirements for high-power satellite-borne communication devices.

[0021] Specifically, the satellite communication device 6 contains an aluminum-ammonia channel heat pipe, and the heat pipe 7 is affected by gravity and cannot function properly. For example, the evaporator section of the channel heat pipe is connected to the top surface of the satellite communication device 6, while the condenser section is flush with the mounting surface of the satellite communication device 6 and mounted on the liquid cooling plate 5. Therefore, the entire satellite communication device 6 is mounted upside down on the liquid cooling plate 5, ensuring that the heat pipe 7 can function normally regardless of gravity.

[0022] In one embodiment of the present invention, the vacuum tank 1 is connected to a liquid nitrogen tank 10 and a vacuum unit 11, so that the working environment required for the thermal vacuum test can be constructed, that is, a suitable vacuum degree and background temperature can be provided for the satellite communication equipment 6 during the test.

[0023] In one embodiment of the present invention, the bracket 2 is constructed using aluminum profiles.

[0024] In one embodiment of the present invention, the liquid cooling plate 5 is mounted on a slider with a threaded hole in the upper crossbeam of the bracket 2 , and the liquid cooling plate 5 and the slider can be tightened using M4 screws.

[0025] In one embodiment of the present invention, flow channels for circulating the heat exchange medium are evenly arranged inside the liquid cooling plate 5 .

[0026] In one embodiment of the present invention, the liquid cooling plate 5 is provided with a plunger head interface for connecting with the bellows 8 .

[0027] At the same time, in the current thermal vacuum test, the satellite communication equipment placed on the support platform inside the vacuum tank cannot meet the heat dissipation requirements of its long-term power-on test, and the communication equipment generally also has a fiber optic interface, which requires targeted design to meet the requirements of the optical fiber passing through the tank.

[0028] In one embodiment of the present application, the positions where the bellows 8 and the cable 9 pass through the vacuum tank 1 are provided with flanges 12, and all the flanges 12 meet the electrical performance and sealing requirements.

[0029] In one embodiment of the present application, the outside of the vacuum tank 1 is provided with a temperature measuring device 13 and a temperature control device 14, the temperature measuring device 13 is used to measure the real-time temperature of the satellite-borne communication equipment 6, and the temperature control device 14 is used to assist in controlling the real-time temperature of the satellite-borne communication equipment 6.

[0030] In some embodiments, the liquid cooling device 3 includes a liquid reservoir, a pump valve and a refrigerator, etc., and the temperature on the liquid cooling plate 5 is controlled by adjusting the temperature and flow rate of the liquid outlet to meet the test requirements.

[0031] In this embodiment, the liquid cooling plate 5, the liquid cooling device 3, the temperature measuring device 13 and the temperature control device 14 are used to control the flow rate and temperature of the working medium to meet the test temperature requirements of the equipment mounting surface; at the same time, the bare optical fiber is passed through the stainless steel flange by sealing technology to meet the optical fiber penetration requirement of the tank, so that the equipment has the ability of high-speed communication during the thermal vacuum test.

[0032] In one embodiment of the present application, the communication test device 4 includes a direct current stabilizing source, a test computer, a spectrum analyzer and a signal source, etc., to meet the performance test requirements of the satellite-borne communication equipment 6 in the environmental test.

[0033] In summary, the above technical solution fully considers the heat pipe operation of the equipment, the heat dissipation of the equipment in the high-power vacuum environment and the electrical performance test requirements of the equipment to solve the problem of the ground thermal vacuum test and electrical test of the satellite-borne high-power communication equipment. The liquid cooling plate 5 is left with a plunger head connected to the flange 12 on the tank wall through the bellows 8, then passes through the vacuum tank 1, and then is connected to the liquid cooling device 3 outside the tank through the pipeline to form a complete fluid circuit heat transfer. The liquid cooling device 3 controls the flow rate and temperature of the circuit liquid to provide a stable heat sink for the satellite-borne communication equipment 6. The cable 9 includes low-frequency cables, high-frequency cables and optical fibers, and all the cables are connected to the outside of the tank through the tank wall flange, and then connected to the communication test device 4. The vacuum optical fiber flange is designed according to the input conditions such as the fiber core diameter, the optical transmission band and the type of the two end connectors, and the flange specification, and the bare optical fiber is passed through the stainless steel flange by sealing technology to meet the optical communication requirements of the specific optical module.

[0034] In addition, the embodiment of the present application also provides a thermal vacuum test method for a satellite-borne communication equipment, which is applied to the system mentioned in any one of the above embodiments and includes the following steps:

[0035] The satellite-borne communication equipment 6 to be tested is installed on the lower surface of the liquid cooling plate 5;

[0036] The temperature of the satellite-borne communication equipment 6 is controlled by using the liquid cooling device 3;

[0037] The communication test device 4 is used to test the communication of the satellite-borne communication device 6.

[0038] It can be understood that the method embodiments and the system embodiments provided by the present application are based on the same inventive concept, and have the same beneficial effects. Therefore, the beneficial effects of the method embodiments will not be described here.

[0039] It should be noted that the relational terms herein such as first and second, and the like, are used only to differentiate one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any actual such relationship or order between or among the entities or operations. Moreover, the terms "comprises", "comprising", or any other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but can also include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitation, an element preceded by "comprises... a" does not, without more constraints, foreclose the existence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises the recited element.

[0040] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than limit the same; even though the present application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions recorded in the foregoing embodiments, or make equivalent replacements for some technical features therein; and such modifications or replacements do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. A thermal vacuum test system for satellite-borne communication equipment, characterized in that: The invention comprises a vacuum tank (1), a bracket (2), a liquid cooling device (3) and a communication test device (4), wherein the bracket (2) is arranged inside the vacuum tank (1), the liquid cooling device (3) and the communication test device (4) are arranged outside the vacuum tank (1), a liquid cooling plate (5) is arranged on the upper part of the bracket (2), the lower surface of the liquid cooling plate (5) is used for installing a satellite communication device (6) to be tested, a heat pipe (7) of the satellite communication device (6) contacts the lower surface of the liquid cooling plate (5), the inlet and outlet of the liquid cooling plate (5) are connected to the liquid cooling device (3) through a bellows (8), and the satellite communication device (6) is connected to the communication test device (4) through a cable (9).

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The vacuum tank (1) is connected to a liquid nitrogen tank (10) and a vacuum unit (11).

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The bracket (2) is constructed of aluminum profiles.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The liquid cooling plate (5) is mounted on a sliding block with a threaded hole in the upper crossbeam of the bracket (2).

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein: Flow channels for circulating heat exchange medium are evenly arranged inside the liquid cooling plate (5).

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The liquid cooling plate (5) is provided with a plunger head for connecting to the bellows (8).

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein: Flanges (12) are provided at the positions where the bellows (8) and the cable (9) pass through the vacuum tank (1).

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein: A temperature measuring device (13) and a temperature control device (14) are provided on the outside of the vacuum tank (1), wherein the temperature measuring device (13) is used to measure the real-time temperature of the satellite-borne communication equipment (6), and the temperature control device (14) is used to control the real-time temperature of the satellite-borne communication equipment (6).

9. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that The communication test device (4) comprises a DC voltage regulator, a test computer, a spectrum analyzer and a signal source.

10. A thermal vacuum test method for satellite-borne communication equipment, characterized in that: A system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, comprising: Mounting the satellite-borne communication equipment (6) to be tested on the lower surface of the liquid cooling plate (5); Utilizing the liquid cooling device (3) to control the temperature of the satellite-borne communication equipment (6); The communication test device (4) is used to perform a communication test on the satellite-borne communication equipment (6).

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