Arrangement of a set of waveguides and its manufacturing process

Abstract

The invention relates to an arrangement (10; 110; 210; 310) for telecommunication satellites comprising a hold (300). The arrangement comprises a set of waveguides (12; 112; 212; 312), interfaces (20; 120; 220; 320) for fastening the waveguides in order to fasten the waveguides to electronic components and / or equipment (122; 222, 224, 240) and a mechanical structure (14; 114; 214) comprising a plurality of ties interconnecting at least some of the waveguides in order to ensure the stability of the set of waveguides (12; 112; 212; 312). The arrangement furthermore comprises at least one heat pipe (316) that is arranged to heat or cool one or more waveguides. The arrangement (10; 110; 210) is formed in a single part by 3D printing.

Description

technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to an arrangement for telecommunications satellites, comprising a set of waveguides for radio frequency signals. The present invention also relates to a method for designing and manufacturing this arrangement. State of the art

[0002] Waveguides are used extensively in telecommunications satellites, particularly for interconnecting electronic components and equipment.

[0003] Conventional systems contain a large number of electronic components and equipment and therefore require a large number of waveguides, the interconnection of which is generally achieved by assembling standard length elements, for example straight or curved tubes, using flanges screwed together to connect these electronic components and equipment.

[0004] The use of waveguides made with standardized tubes imposes suboptimal paths and complex interconnection schemes. This implies the use of long waveguides, which have the disadvantages of degrading or attenuating signals transmitted through these guides and increasing the weight and size of the system.

[0005] Furthermore, securing waveguides in the cargo bay of a telecommunications satellite requires feet or mounting systems screwed onto the waveguides, which adds weight and complicates the assembly of conventional systems.

[0006] In order to ensure the rigidity and stability required for the waveguides to withstand significant mechanical stresses, particularly during the launch of the rocket carrying the telecommunications satellite, it is known to oversize the waveguides so that they have a significant thickness and to fix them in the cargo bay using numerous fixing feet.

[0007] Furthermore, in order to ensure that the waveguides as well as the electronic components and equipment operate within an optimal temperature range, it is necessary to integrate fins, radiators, dissipation elements, heat dissipation pipes, etc. into conventional systems, which further complicates the assembly.

[0008] The system design can therefore become particularly complex in order to ensure that all waveguides and electronic components and equipment required by the system can be arranged within a predetermined footprint.

[0009] Conventional manufacturing processes impose constraints on the system designer's freedom because complex waveguides have tight mechanical tolerances to achieve the desired RF performance. Therefore, care must be taken to ensure that the waveguides can be constructed in such a way as to achieve this performance.

[0010] Conventionally, waveguides are designed, manufactured, and supplied individually, and are manually assembled into a waveguide array using fastening tools. This approach allows for optimization of each waveguide's design based on its performance and the transmission characteristics it presents to the RF signals passing through it. However, this results in significant assembly costs and lead times.

[0011] As system requirements evolve, necessitating increasingly complex designs due to the need for greater signal bandwidth and improved performance, the spatial and weight constraints for accommodating waveguides become increasingly important.

[0012] Conventional methods for reducing the size and manufacturing time associated with waveguides involve simplifying waveguide assembly by reducing their size, length, and / or diameter. It is also possible to design more complex signal processing schemes so that information can be multiplexed onto a smaller number of signals, requiring fewer waveguides, for example, but at the cost of increasing the processing load on a demultiplexer.

[0013] WO2018029455 discloses a waveguide assembly constructed such that two or more, and in some cases all, of the waveguides in the assembly are integrally formed with one another. When waveguide connectors are used to interface with other waveguide assemblies, the waveguides in the assembly and one or more interface flanges of one or more respective waveguide connectors can be formed as a single unit. Such integral formation can be achieved using an additive manufacturing (AM) technique.

[0014] EP3439099 discloses a spacecraft comprising a power array that includes a plurality of unit modules. Each module includes a plurality of radio frequency (RF) waveguides structurally coupled together with at least one connecting element. For each unit module, the connecting element and a wall structure defining the plurality of waveguides are cofabricated using an additive manufacturing process. The power array may also include a cooling system such as a radiator.

[0015] The power supply network according to EP3439099 is not, however, suitable for heating elements that might be arranged in locations in the spacecraft's cargo bay or outside of it to ensure optimal operation of these elements.

[0016] The present invention therefore aims to provide an arrangement of a set of waveguides, for telecommunications satellites, optimized according to the complexity of the arrangement, spatial and weight constraints and which addresses the disadvantages of the prior art.

[0017] Another objective of the present invention is to provide an arrangement of a set of waveguides optimized according to the number and type of equipment and / or electronic components to be integrated according to the constraints of a predetermined specification from a designer.

[0018] Another objective of the present invention is to provide an arrangement of a set of waveguides that is easy to design and quick to manufacture.

[0019] Another object of the present invention is to provide an arrangement of a set of waveguides onto which electronic components and / or equipment can be easily connected. Brief summary of the invention

[0020] These goals are achieved through a satellite arrangement with a payload bay. The arrangement includes a waveguide array, waveguide mounting interfaces for attaching the waveguides to electronic equipment and / or components, and a mechanical structure with multiple links interconnecting at least some of the waveguides to ensure the stability of the waveguide array. The arrangement also includes at least one heat pipe configured to heat or cool one or more waveguides. The arrangement is formed as a single piece using 3D printing.

[0021] According to one embodiment, the mechanical structure connects the heat pipe to at least one waveguide.

[0022] According to one embodiment, the single-piece arrangement further comprises at least one antenna.

[0023] In one embodiment, the antenna comprises a network of several RF feed chains incorporating a heat exchanger. The monolithic antenna further comprises a housing containing at least part of the network and having at least one input and one output in fluidic communication with the heat exchanger.

[0024] According to one embodiment, the mechanical structure comprises a multitude of rigid links interconnecting the lateral surfaces of at least two waveguides at different points.

[0025] According to one embodiment, the arrangement further includes fastening elements for fixing the arrangement to the hold or to a support linked to the hold.

[0026] Depending on one form of execution, the arrangement also includes one or more filters.

[0027] Another aspect of the invention relates to a satellite assembly, comprising the arrangement described above and electronic equipment and / or components connected to the waveguide mounting interfaces.

[0028] According to one embodiment, one or more pieces of equipment and / or electronic components are selected from the group comprising the following elements: switch, circulator, isolator, low noise amplifier, power amplifier, computer signal processing unit, RF load, filter, multiplexer, MMIC circuit and RF circuit.

[0029] According to one embodiment, the assembly further includes photovoltaic cell panels which are connected to the mechanical structure.

[0030] Another aspect of the invention relates to a satellite arrangement comprising a payload bay. The arrangement includes a waveguide assembly, waveguide attachment interfaces for securing the waveguides to electronic equipment and / or components, and a mechanical structure comprising several links interconnecting at least some of the waveguides to ensure the stability of the waveguide assembly. The arrangement further includes at least one antenna. The arrangement is formed as a single piece by 3D printing.

[0031] In one embodiment, the antenna comprises a network of several RF feed chains incorporating a heat exchanger. The antenna further comprises a housing containing said network and having at least one input and one output in fluidic communication with the heat exchanger.

[0032] Another aspect of the invention relates to a method for designing and manufacturing the waveguide assembly arrangement as described above. The method includes, in particular, the following steps: define a footprint volume of the arrangement according to a predetermined footprint volume; model the arrangement by computer by defining the shape and length of each waveguide of the waveguide assembly, the shape of the mechanical structure, and the shape of the fastening interfaces necessary for the connection of the waveguide assembly of the arrangement to equipment and / or electronic components while respecting the constraints of the predetermined footprint volume, and manufacture the arrangement as a single piece according to the computer-designed modeled shape with an additive manufacturing step.

[0033] According to one embodiment, the shape and length of each waveguide required for connecting the waveguide assembly of the arrangement are further determined based on the number and type of equipment and / or electronic components to be integrated according to the constraints of a predetermined specification from a designer.

[0034] According to one embodiment, the shape and length of each waveguide required for connecting the waveguide assembly of the arrangement are further determined to optimize the performance of the satellite payload, and respecting the mechanical and thermal constraints of the arrangement.

[0035] According to one form of execution, the shape of the mechanical structure as well as the shape of the heat transfer elements are determined, respecting the constraints of the predetermined bulk volume while optimizing the performance of the satellite payload, and respecting the mechanical and thermal constraints of the arrangement.

[0036] According to one embodiment, the process further includes a step of connecting electronic equipment and / or components to the waveguide mounting interfaces.

[0037] According to one embodiment, the process further includes a step of connecting photovoltaic cell panels to the mechanical structure of the arrangement. Brief description of the figures

[0038] Examples of implementation of the invention are given in the description illustrated by the accompanying figures, in which: there figure 1represents a schematic view of an arrangement for telecommunications satellites, including in particular a set of waveguides according to one embodiment of the invention; the figure 2 represents a schematic view of a telecommunications satellite arrangement, comprising a set of waveguides connected to electronic equipment and / or components according to another embodiment; the figure 3 represents a schematic view of an arrangement for telecommunications satellites housed in the satellite's cargo bay, according to another embodiment; the figures 4a, 4b, 4c illustrate different perspective views of a telecommunications satellite arrangement comprising multiple waveguides and a heat pipe, according to another embodiment; the figure 5a illustrates a perspective view of a monolithic antenna according to one execution form; the figure 5b illustrates a top view of the figure 5a ; there figure 5cillustrates a cross-sectional view of the figure 5b according to AA; the figure 5d illustrative perspective view of the antenna of the figure 5a without its case, and the figure 6 illustrates a block diagram of a design and manufacturing process according to the different embodiments of the present invention. Examples of embodiments of the invention

[0039] In the present invention, the term "arrangement" can be interpreted as a complete structure that can be fixed in the payload bay of the telecommunications satellite or a subset of the structure. In this case, the complete structure is obtained by assembling several subsets of the arrangement.

[0040] According to a first form of execution illustrated in the Figure 1, arrangement 10, for telecommunications satellites, comprises a set of waveguides 12 interconnected to each other by a mechanical structure in order to ensure satisfactory rigidity / stability of the set of waveguides 12 according to a predetermined configuration.

[0041] This predetermined configuration is dictated not only by the limited space available in the cargo bay of the telecommunications satellite but also by the number and type of electronic equipment and components to be integrated into the cargo bay according to the constraints of a predetermined specification from a designer.

[0042] The mechanical structure may include numerous rigid links 14 interconnecting several waveguides 12 at various points along the length of the waveguides. These rigid links, for example, take the form of 3D-printed rods arranged to connect two lateral surfaces of at least two waveguides so that the arrangement 10 can withstand significant stresses, particularly during the launch of the rocket carrying the telecommunications satellite, while also acting as a damping agent against vibrations generated, for example, during the rocket launch. Each rod has a core, for example made of polymer, and a metallic sheath that provides rigidity.

[0043] The arrangement 10 may also include one or more heat dissipation elements, for example in the form of one or more cooling fins 16a and / or one or more heat transfer tubes 16b, for example in the form of a heat pipe for transporting heat by means of phase-transition heat transfer in a fluid. The arrangement 10 may also include fastening elements, for example mounting feet 18, for attaching the arrangement 10 to the payload bay or to a support attached to the payload bay of the telecommunications satellite.

[0044] Each waveguide 12 according to the Figure 1It includes a mounting interface 20 at both ends, preferably in the form of a mounting flange. Depending on the configuration of the arrangement 10, the waveguides 12 are arranged so that they can be connected, via their respective mounting flanges, to various equipment and / or electronic components.

[0045] Advantageously, arrangement 10 is formed from a single piece produced using additive manufacturing methods, such as 3D printing. Additive manufacturing of waveguides incorporating both non-conductive materials, such as polymers or ceramics, and conductive metals is well known. Waveguides with ceramic or polymer walls manufactured by an additive method and then coated with a metal layer have been suggested. The use of a non-conductive core allows, on the one hand, for a reduction in the weight and cost of arrangement 10 and, on the other hand, for the implementation of 3D printing methods adapted to polymers or ceramics, enabling the production of high-precision parts with low surface roughness. WO 2017208153, the contents of which are incorporated by reference, specifically discloses a waveguide device for guiding a radio frequency signal at a predetermined frequency.The device includes a core manufactured by additive manufacturing and comprising side walls with internal surfaces delimiting a waveguide channel and a metallic conductive layer covering the internal surface of the core.

[0046] Additive manufacturing allows for the creation of different waveguide configurations. The trajectory of each waveguide is calculated and modeled by computer beforehand to optimize the overall dimensions of the arrangement, taking into account the specific requirements of a designer. This process thus enables not only an optimal configuration of the arrangement but also, and more importantly, rapid and easy manufacturing with simplified assembly compared to conventional systems. Furthermore, producing the arrangement as a single piece using additive manufacturing allows for the printing of shapes impossible to assemble using conventional methods.

[0047] According to another form of execution illustrated in the Figure 2The arrangement 110 is not intended to be mounted on a panel or support. This arrangement 110 is connected only to electronic equipment and components 122, including one or more amplifiers, and to a computer processing unit in order to obtain an assembly 50 that can be connected to the cargo bay (not shown), directly or indirectly.

[0048] Just like arrangement 10 according to the first form of execution, arrangement 110 of the Figure 2 comprises a set of waveguides 112 interconnected to each other by a multitude of links in the form of rigid rods 114 interconnecting the waveguides 112 at different points along their respective lengths in order, on the one hand, to ensure satisfactory rigidity of the arrangement 110 and, on the other hand, to enable this arrangement 110 to withstand significant stresses.

[0049] The arrangement 110 may also include one or more heat dissipation elements, which may also be in the form of one or more cooling fins 116a and / or one or more heat transfer tubes 116b (e.g., heat pipes). Similar to the first embodiment, each waveguide 112 has a mounting interface 120 at both ends, preferably in the form of a mounting flange that is also integral with the waveguide. The mounting flanges at the respective ends of the waveguides 112 can, for example, be connected to two electronic devices to transfer radio frequency signals from one device to the other.

[0050] Just like arrangement 10 according to the first form of execution, arrangement 110 of the Figure 2is made from a single piece obtained through an additive manufacturing process with the advantages mentioned previously. The assembly 50 of the Figure 2 is obtained by an additional manufacturing step consisting of connecting electronic equipment and / or components 122 to the mounting interfaces 120 of the waveguides 112.

[0051] According to another form of execution illustrated in the Figure 3The arrangement 210 comprises a set of waveguides 212, a mechanical structure 214, one or more heat dissipation elements, for example, one or more cooling fins 216a and / or one or more cooling tubes 216b, one or more filters 240, and at least one antenna 230. The filters 240 are, for example, connected to an amplifier 222, which is arranged to communicate with a computer processing unit 224. The amplifier 222 and the computer processing unit 224 are in contact with at least one heat dissipation element to dissipate the heat generated by the amplifier and the computer unit. According to this configuration, a portion of the arrangement 210 can be located outside the cargo bay 300.

[0052] Waveguides 212 connect the filters to the antenna 230. The mechanical structure 214 is configured to support the electronic equipment and components 222, 224, the antenna 230 and several photovoltaic cell panels 250.

[0053] Just like arrangement 10, 110 according to the first two forms of execution, arrangement 210 of the Figure 3 is in the form of a single piece produced by an additive manufacturing process with the advantages mentioned previously. Assembly 50 of the Figure 3 is obtained by an additional manufacturing step consisting of connecting electronic equipment and / or components 222, 224 to the waveguide assembly 212, via the waveguide mounting flanges 220, and the photovoltaic cell panels 250 to the arrangement 210, in particular to the mechanical structure 214 of the arrangement.

[0054] According to another form of execution illustrated in figures 4a to 4cThe arrangement 310 comprises a set of waveguides 312 interconnected by a mechanical structure 314 to stiffen the waveguide assembly, and includes mounting interfaces 320 for attaching the waveguides 312, for example, to RF components. This arrangement is further distinguished by a heat pipe 316 in the form of a hermetically sealed enclosure containing a fluid in a liquid-vapor equilibrium state. The heat pipe 316 has grooves or fins along its internal surface to facilitate the return of the fluid by capillary action. All the aforementioned elements of the arrangement 310 are produced as a single unit by 3D printing.

[0055] The advantage of the heat pipe 316 is that it allows not only the cooling of certain components, for example, the cooling of one or more waveguides 312 when they are located in a high-temperature area within the cargo bay of a communications satellite, but also the heating of one or more waveguides 312 or other components when they are located in a lower-temperature area inside the cargo bay or when these waveguides or other components are located outside the cargo bay. The use of a heat pipe therefore allows for proper temperature control of the waveguides or other components for their optimal operation.

[0056] In one embodiment, the single-piece 3D-printed arrangement comprises one or more monolithic antennas. The antenna may, for example, be of the type illustrated by the figures 5a to 5dThe 500 antenna includes a 502 housing containing a 550 array of several 510 RF feed chains, for example, 19 RF feed chains. Each 510 chain includes a 510a horn, a 510b polarizer, and a 510 filter.

[0057] The 550 network incorporates a 560 heat exchanger, which can have various structures to optimize heat exchange, including lattice, honeycomb, or cellular types. For this purpose, the 502 housing includes one or more 520a inlets and one or more 520b outlets in fluidic communication with the heat exchanger.

[0058] The design and manufacturing process according to the figure 6The system can be adapted to any type of arrangement according to the invention. The arrangement may, for example, comprise a limited number of waveguides or, conversely, for complex systems, a large number of waveguides. For these complex systems, the optimal waveguide trajectories are modeled by computer according to various parameters, in particular the number and type of equipment and / or electronic components that the waveguides must connect, and the available space for installation in the payload bay of a telecommunications satellite. Furthermore, the optimal waveguide trajectories must be modeled to optimize the performance of the satellite's payload, while respecting the mechanical and thermal constraints of the arrangement.

Claims

1. Arrangement (10; 110; 210; 310) for satellites comprising a payload bay (300), the arrangement comprising an assembly of waveguides (12; 112; 212; 312), waveguide fixation interfaces (20; 120; 220; 320) for fixing the waveguides to electronic equipment and / or components (122; 222, 224, 240) and a mechanical structure (14; 114; 214; 314) comprising a plurality of links interconnecting at least some of the waveguides to ensure the stability of the assembly of waveguides (12; 112; 212), characterized in that the arrangement further comprises at least one heat pipe (316) that is arranged to heat or cool one or more waveguides, wherein the arrangement (10; 110; 210) is formed in a single piece by 3D printing, and in that the mechanical structure (314) connects the heat pipe (316) to at least one waveguide (312).

2. Arrangement (10) according to claim 1, wherein the links interconnecting the waveguides are formed by rods arranged so as to connect two lateral surfaces together of at least two waveguides, said rods being adapted to serve as a damper when the arrangement (10) is subjected to vibrations.

3. Arrangement (10) according to the previous claim, the rods each comprising a polymer core and a metal sheath that provides rigidity.

4. Arrangement (10; 110) according to one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising at least one antenna (230; 500), the arrangement forming with the antenna (230; 500) said single piece.

5. Arrangement according to the previous claim, characterized in that the antenna (500) comprises a network (550) of several RF feed chains incorporating a heat exchanger (560), the antenna (500) further comprising a housing (502) containing at least part of said network and comprising at least one inlet (520a) and one outlet (520b) in fluid communication with the heat exchanger (560).

6. Arrangement (10; 110) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the mechanical structure comprises a plurality of rigid links (14; 114) interconnecting the lateral surfaces of at least two waveguides at different points (12; 112).

7. Arrangement (10; 210) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it further comprises fixing elements (18; 218) for fixing the arrangement (10; 210) to the payload bay (300) or to a support connected to the payload bay (300).

8. Arrangement (210) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it further comprises one or more filters (240).

9. Assembly (50) for satellites, comprising the arrangement (10; 110; 210; 310) according to one of the preceding claims, and electronic equipment and / or components (122; 222, 224, 240) connected to the fixing interfaces (20; 120; 220; 320) of the waveguides (12; 112; 212; 312).

10. Assembly (50) according to the preceding claim, wherein one or more electronic devices and / or components (122; 222, 224, 240) are selected from the group consisting of the following: switch, circulator, isolator, low-noise amplifier, power amplifier, signal processing unit, RF load, filter, multiplexer, MMIC circuit, and RF circuit.

11. Assembly (50) according to the previous claim, further comprising photovoltaic cell panels (250) connected to the mechanical structure (214).

12. Method for designing and manufacturing the satellite arrangement, according to one of claims 1 to 8, comprising the following steps: - defining a volume for the arrangement (10; 110; 210; 310) according to a predetermined volume; - modeling the arrangement by computer by defining the shape and length of each waveguide (12, 112; 212; 312) of the waveguide assembly, the shape of the mechanical structure, and the shape of the fxing interfaces (20; 120; 220; 320) necessary for connecting the set of waveguides of the arrangement (10; 110; 210; 310) to electronic equipment and / or components (122; 222, 224, 240) while respecting the constraints of the predetermined space requirements, and - manufacturing the arrangement as a single piece according to the modeled shape using an additive manufacturing step.

13. Method according to the preceding claim, in which the shape and length of each waveguide (12, 112; 212; 312) required for connecting the waveguide assembly of the arrangement (10; 110; 210; 310), the shape of the mechanical structure (14; 114; 214) and the shape of the fixing interfaces are further determined based on the number and type of electronic equipment and / or components (122; 222, 224, 240) to be integrated according to the constraints of a predetermined specification.

14. Method according to claim 12 or 13, in which the shape and length of each waveguide (12, 112; 212) necessary for connecting the waveguide assembly of the arrangement (10; 110; 210) are further determined to optimize the performance of the satellite payload, and in compliance with the mechanical and thermal constraints of the arrangement.

15. Method according to one of claims 12 to 14, further comprising a step of connecting electronic equipment and / or components (122; 222, 224, 240) to the waveguide fixing interfaces.

16. Method according to one of claims 12 to 15, further comprising a step of connecting photovoltaic cell panels (250) to the mechanical structure (14; 114; 214) of the arrangement.

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