Antenna thermal control device with high integration level and low loss

Abstract

The invention provides a high-integration-level low-loss antenna thermal control device which comprises a cellular board fixedly installed on the back face of a main reflection face, an active single machine fixedly installed on the cellular board, and a cable connected with the active single machine and an emission window of the main reflection face. The heat pipe is arranged in the cellular board and penetrates through the bottom of the active single machine, the electric heater can heat the heat pipe, and the thermistor collects temperature information of the heat pipe or the active single machine in real time; when the active single machine works, waste heat generated by working of the active single machine is conducted to the surface of the cellular board through the heat pipe for heat dissipation; when the temperature information collected by the thermistor is lower than the preset temperature, the electric heater is started, and heat generated by the electric heater is transmitted to the active single machine through the heat pipe. By directly installing the active single machine on the back of the main reflecting surface, the integration level of the antenna is greatly improved, the loss in electromagnetic wave transmission is reduced, and meanwhile, a reasonable thermal control measure is designed on the cellular board, so that the thermal control problem of the active single machine is effectively solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of spacecraft thermal control technology, specifically to a highly integrated, low-loss antenna thermal control device. Background Technology

[0002] Antennas are devices equipped on every spacecraft. They work by transmitting electromagnetic waves to a reflector via a cable or waveguide and then transmitting them out. Ground base stations and other spacecraft receive the electromagnetic waves and decode them to obtain relevant information, thereby enabling communication between spacecraft and ground base stations, as well as communication between spacecraft and each other.

[0003] Because electromagnetic waves inevitably experience losses during transmission through cables or waveguides, and the magnitude of these losses is positively correlated with the length of the cable or waveguide, antennas are generally placed outside the spacecraft cabin, while active power units are placed inside the cabin near the antenna to minimize cable or waveguide length. This often places stringent requirements on the layout. Furthermore, on some spacecraft, active power units cannot be placed inside the cabin near the antenna and must be placed at a greater distance, resulting in unacceptable losses.

[0004] Therefore, to resolve the above contradictions, a highly integrated, low-loss antenna thermal control device is proposed. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the shortcomings of the prior art, the purpose of this invention is to provide a highly integrated, low-loss antenna thermal control device.

[0006] According to the present invention, a highly integrated, low-loss antenna thermal control device includes a main reflector, a honeycomb panel, an active unit, a cable, a heat pipe, an electric heater, and a thermistor. The honeycomb panel is fixedly mounted on the back of the main reflector, and the active unit is fixedly mounted on the honeycomb panel. The cable connects the active unit and the transmission window of the main reflector. The heat pipe is disposed inside the honeycomb panel and passes through the bottom of the active unit. The electric heater can heat the heat pipe, and the thermistor collects the temperature information of the heat pipe or the active unit in real time. When the active unit is working, the waste heat generated by the active unit is conducted to the surface of the honeycomb panel for heat dissipation through the heat pipe. When the temperature information collected by the thermistor is lower than a preset temperature, the electric heater is activated, and the heat generated by the electric heater is transferred to the active unit through the heat pipe.

[0007] Preferably, the outer surface of the honeycomb panel is covered with a thermally controlled white paint layer.

[0008] Preferably, the active unit, the electric heater, and the thermistor are all disposed on the outer surface of the honeycomb panel near the main reflective surface; the electric heater and the thermistor are both aligned with the heat pipe.

[0009] Preferably, the main reflective surface uses carbon fiber material as the skin, and the inside of the skin is filled with aluminum honeycomb core; the honeycomb panel uses aluminum alloy material as the skin, and the inside of the skin is filled with aluminum honeycomb core.

[0010] Preferably, a support rod is connected between the main reflective surface and the honeycomb panel, with one end of the support rod connected to the main reflective surface and the other end connected to the honeycomb panel; multiple support rods are provided between the main reflective surface and the honeycomb panel, and the multiple support rods fix the main reflective surface and the honeycomb panel at intervals.

[0011] Preferably, the support rod is made of carbon fiber.

[0012] Preferably, the heat pipe comprises an aluminum-ammonia I-shaped heat pipe.

[0013] Preferably, the electric heater is encapsulated with a polyimide film and constantan foil.

[0014] Preferably, the thermistor is an MF501 type thermistor.

[0015] Preferably, the heat-controlled white paint layer is of type ACR-1g.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: 1. This invention reduces the distance between the active unit and the main reflector by directly mounting the honeycomb panel on the back of the main reflector and directly mounting the active unit on the honeycomb panel, thereby greatly reducing the loss of electromagnetic wave transmission, which helps to improve the integration of the equipment and the adaptability of the antenna to satellite layout. At the same time, by designing a thermal control white paint layer, an electric heater and a thermistor on the honeycomb surface, the heat dissipation and heat preservation problems of the active unit are solved. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Other features, objects, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the overall structure of the antenna thermal control device, which is the main feature of this invention.

[0018] As shown in the figure: 1. Main reflector; 2. Honeycomb panel; 3. Support rod; 4. Active unit; 5. Cable; 6. Heat pipe; 7. Thermal control white paint layer; 8. Electric heater; 9. Thermistor. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to specific embodiments. These embodiments will help those skilled in the art to further understand the present invention, but do not limit the invention in any way. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make several changes and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention. These all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0020] like Figure 1 As shown, a highly integrated, low-loss antenna thermal control device according to the present invention includes a main reflector 1, a honeycomb panel 2, an active unit 4, a cable 5, a heat pipe 6, an electric heater 8, and a thermistor 9.

[0021] The honeycomb panel 2 is fixedly installed on the back of the main reflector 1, and the active unit 4 is fixedly installed on the honeycomb panel 2. The cable 5 connects the active unit 4 and the emission window of the main reflector 1. The heat pipe 6 is set inside the honeycomb panel 2 and passes through the bottom of the active unit 4. The electric heater 8 can heat the heat pipe 6, and the thermistor 9 collects the temperature information of the heat pipe 6 or the active unit 4 in real time.

[0022] When the active unit 4 is working, the waste heat generated by the active unit 4 is conducted to the surface of the honeycomb panel 2 through the heat pipe 6 for heat dissipation. When the temperature information collected by the sensitive resistor is lower than the preset temperature, the electric heater 8 is activated, and the heat generated by the electric heater 8 is transferred to the active unit 4 through the heat pipe 6.

[0023] Specifically, a support rod 3 connects the main reflective surface 1 and the honeycomb panel 2. One end of the support rod 3 is connected to the main reflective surface 1, and the other end is connected to the honeycomb panel 2. Multiple support rods 3 are arranged between the main reflective surface 1 and the honeycomb panel 2, and these multiple support rods 3 fix the main reflective surface 1 and the honeycomb panel 2 at intervals. In this technical solution, the honeycomb panel 2 is installed on the back of the main reflective surface 1. During installation, one end of the support rod 3 is connected to the main reflective surface 1, and the other end is connected to the honeycomb panel 2, thereby fixing the main reflective surface 1 and the honeycomb panel 2 using the support rod 3.

[0024] In one feasible implementation, the active unit 4, the electric heater 8, and the thermistor 9 are all disposed on the outer surface of the honeycomb panel 2 near the main reflector 1. One end of the cable 5 is connected to the active unit 4, and the other end is connected to the emission window of the main reflector 1. When the active unit 4 is working, electromagnetic waves are transmitted electrically to the emission window of the main reflector 1 and then emitted toward the target location.

[0025] Both the electric heater 8 and the thermistor 9 are aligned with the heat pipe 6.

[0026] The active single-unit 4 generates a large amount of waste heat during operation. If this waste heat cannot be dissipated, the unit temperature will exceed its upper operating temperature limit. When the unit is not operating, its temperature needs to be maintained above the lower operating temperature limit. Heat pipes 6 are embedded inside the honeycomb panel 2 and pass through the bottom of the active single-unit 4. Heat pipes 6 have excellent heat transfer performance; when the active single-unit 4 is operating, its waste heat can be conducted to various parts of the surface of the honeycomb panel 2 through heat pipes 6. Thermal control white paint is sprayed onto various parts of the surface of the honeycomb panel 2. This thermal control white paint has excellent heat dissipation performance, efficiently dissipating waste heat to the cool space.

[0027] The electric heater 8 and the thermistor 9 are attached to the surface of the honeycomb panel 2. When attaching, the electric heater 8, the thermistor 9 and the heat pipe 6 should be aligned in the same position. The thermistor 9 can accurately collect the temperature of the active unit 4 through the heat pipe 6. When the temperature of the active unit 4 is low, the electric heater 8 turns on to generate heat. The heat is transferred to the active unit 4 through the heat pipe 6, thereby raising the temperature of the active unit 4 to a reasonable range.

[0028] In a preferred embodiment: the main reflective surface 1 is made of carbon fiber material as skin, and the skin is filled with aluminum honeycomb core. The main reflective surface 1 is preferably made of carbon fiber M55J material.

[0029] In a preferred embodiment: the honeycomb panel 2 uses aluminum alloy material as the skin, and the inside of the skin is filled with aluminum honeycomb core. The honeycomb panel 2 is preferably made of aluminum alloy 2A12.

[0030] In a preferred embodiment, the support rod 3 is made of carbon fiber. The support rod 3 is made of carbon fiber, which has good structural strength and can provide a fixing function.

[0031] In a preferred embodiment, the heat pipe 6 comprises an aluminum-ammonia I-beam heat pipe 6. The heat pipe 6 is a 30*29.1 mm aluminum-ammonia I-beam heat pipe 6 with a thermal conductivity as high as 10. 5 W / m / K. The shape of heat pipe 6 can be set according to the actual situation. For example, heat pipe 6 can also be serpentine, U-shaped, etc.

[0032] In a preferred embodiment, the outer surface of the honeycomb panel 2 is covered with a thermal control white paint layer 7, and the white paint used in the thermal control white paint layer 7 is of type ACR-1g.

[0033] In a preferred embodiment, the electric heater 8 is encapsulated from a polyimide film and constantan foil. When energized, the electric heater 8 generates heat and can serve as a heat source for the active unit 4. The thermistor 9 is an MF501 type thermistor.

[0034] When applied on a satellite, the antenna thermal control device of this application can also be used in conjunction with a corresponding control unit. When the temperature collected by the thermistor 9 is lower than the set temperature value, the control unit will automatically turn on the switch of the electric heater 8. When the temperature collected by the thermistor 9 is higher than the set temperature value, the control unit will automatically turn off the switch of the electric heater 8.

[0035] This specific embodiment significantly improves the antenna's integration by directly mounting the honeycomb panel 2 on the back of the main reflector 1 and then mounting the active unit 4 on the honeycomb panel 2. Simultaneously, thermal control devices such as heat pipes 6, a thermally controlled white paint layer 7, an electric heater 8, and a thermistor 9 are incorporated into the honeycomb panel 2 to ensure that the unit's temperature remains within a suitable range. This invention greatly reduces electromagnetic wave loss and makes the antenna highly adaptable to satellite layouts.

[0036] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0037] Specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, and those skilled in the art can make various changes or modifications within the scope of the claims, which do not affect the essence of the present invention. Unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this application can be arbitrarily combined with each other.

Claims

1. A highly integrated, low-loss antenna thermal control device, characterized in that, It includes a main reflector (1), a honeycomb panel (2), an active unit (4), a cable (5), a heat pipe (6), an electric heater (8), and a thermistor (9); The honeycomb panel (2) is fixedly installed on the back of the main reflector (1), the active unit (4) is fixedly installed on the honeycomb panel (2), and the cable (5) connects the active unit (4) and the emission window of the main reflector (1). The heat pipe (6) is located inside the honeycomb panel (2) and passes through the bottom of the active single unit (4). The electric heater (8) can heat the heat pipe (6). The thermistor (9) collects the temperature information of the heat pipe (6) or the active single unit (4) in real time. When the active single unit (4) is working, the waste heat generated by the active single unit (4) is conducted to the surface of the honeycomb panel (2) through the heat pipe (6) for heat dissipation; when the temperature information collected by the thermistor (9) is lower than the preset temperature, the electric heater (8) is started, and the heat generated by the electric heater (8) is transferred to the active single unit (4) through the heat pipe (6).

2. The highly integrated, low-loss antenna thermal control device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The outer surface of the honeycomb panel (2) is covered with a thermally controlled white paint layer (7).

3. The highly integrated, low-loss antenna thermal control device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The active single unit (4), electric heater (8) and thermistor (9) are all set on the outer surface of the honeycomb panel (2) near the main reflective surface (1); Both the electric heater (8) and the thermistor (9) are aligned with the heat pipe (6).

4. The highly integrated, low-loss antenna thermal control device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The main reflective surface (1) is made of carbon fiber material as skin, and the skin is filled with aluminum honeycomb core. The honeycomb panel (2) uses aluminum alloy material as the skin, and the inside of the skin is filled with aluminum honeycomb core.

5. The highly integrated, low-loss antenna thermal control device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, A support rod (3) is connected between the main reflective surface (1) and the honeycomb panel (2). One end of the support rod (3) is connected to the main reflective surface (1), and the other end of the support rod (3) is connected to the honeycomb panel (2). Multiple support rods (3) are provided between the main reflective surface (1) and the honeycomb panel (2), and the multiple support rods (3) fix the main reflective surface (1) and the honeycomb panel (2) at intervals.

6. The highly integrated, low-loss antenna thermal control device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The support rod (3) is made of carbon fiber.

7. The highly integrated, low-loss antenna thermal control device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The heat pipe (6) includes an aluminum ammonia I-shaped heat pipe (6).

8. The highly integrated, low-loss antenna thermal control device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The electric heater (8) is encapsulated with a polyimide film and constantan foil.

9. The highly integrated, low-loss antenna thermal control device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The thermistor (9) is an MF501 type thermistor (9).

10. The highly integrated, low-loss antenna thermal control device as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The heat-controlled white paint layer (7) is of type ACR-1g.

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