Deployable Thermal Structure With Heat Pipes and Shape-Memory Actuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional thermal management systems in flight vehicles, such as satellites, occupy significant space due to passive and actively-facilitated heat transport mechanisms, reducing payload capacity and functionality.
Innovation Solution
Integration of shape-memory alloys with oscillating heat pipes in deployable structures to passively or actively transfer thermal energy, allowing for space-efficient heat dissipation without external power or electronics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional thermal management systems use passive heat dissipation with static radiators, then thermal energy can be dissipated, but the system occupies significant space and reduces payload capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The radiator is designed as a deployable structure that transitions from a compact stowed configuration during launch to an expanded operational configuration in space. The radiator includes multiple segments that can be deployed using shape-memory alloys or other actuation mechanisms to increase surface area for heat dissipation while minimizing volume during transport.
Solution Approach 2:
The radiator is divided into multiple segments or panels that can be independently deployed or folded. This segmentation allows the radiator to achieve a large surface area when deployed while maintaining a compact form factor during stowage, effectively resolving the contradiction between heat dissipation area and space occupation.
2Temperature
If actively-facilitated heat transport mechanisms are used, then thermal energy transfer efficiency is improved, but device complexity and power requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal management system utilizes the waste heat generated by the satellite's own electronics to drive the deployment mechanism and/or the heat pipe operation. The heat from the electronics is used to activate shape-memory alloys for radiator deployment or to drive the heat pipe cycle, eliminating the need for external power sources and reducing system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs heat pipes that utilize phase transitions of a working fluid (evaporation and condensation) to transfer thermal energy efficiently. This passive phase-change mechanism provides high thermal transfer efficiency without requiring active components, motors, or external power sources, thereby reducing device complexity.
3Temperature
If the radiator surface area is increased to improve heat dissipation, then thermal management performance is enhanced, but the payload capacity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The radiator surface area is dynamically adjusted based on thermal management needs. During launch, the radiator is in a compact configuration to maximize payload capacity. Once in space and after deployment, the radiator expands to provide sufficient surface area for heat dissipation. This dynamic reconfiguration allows the system to optimize for payload capacity during transport and for thermal management during operation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances thermal conductivity and reduces space requirements, enabling increased payload capacity and functionality by integrating actuators directly in the heat transfer path.
Implementation Method 1
At least one of the thermomechanical regions includes one or more shape-memory materials configured to cause a shape of the structure to change
Implementation Method 2
one or more oscillating heat pipes embedded in at least some of the thermomechanical regions. The one or more oscillating heat pipes are configured to transfer the thermal energy between different ones of the thermomechanical regions
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus includes a structure configured to receive thermal energy and to reject the thermal energy into an external environment. The structure includes a lid and a body. The structure also includes (i) multiple inline and interconnected thermomechanical regions and (ii) one or more oscillating heat pipes embedded in at least some of the thermomechanical regions. Different portions of at least one of the lid and the body form the thermomechanical regions. The one or more oscillating heat pipes are configured to transfer the thermal energy between different ones of the thermomechanical regions. At least one of the thermomechanical regions includes one or more shape-memory materials configured to cause a shape of the structure to change. Each of the one or more oscillating heat pipes includes at least one channel in the structure.