Loop Heat Pipe Waste Heat Preheating for Satellite Thermal Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional temperature-controlled loop heat pipes for remote sensing satellites suffer from excessive resource consumption, particularly in thermal control power and radiator weight, which limits the development of lightweight remote sensing cameras due to inefficient heat transfer and lack of a heat exchanger between the evaporator and preheater.
Innovation Solution
An energy-saving loop heat pipe apparatus is introduced, featuring a heat exchanger between the capillary pump assembly and evaporation unit assembly to maximize waste heat utilization by preheating the working medium, along with drive heating circuits and a preheating heating circuit to adjust heating power based on temperature and flow rate, reducing thermal control power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional loop heat pipe uses continuous closed-loop heating for evaporator and preheater, then the temperature control function is maintained, but thermal control power consumption increases excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by installing a heat exchanger between the evaporator and preheater to preheat the working medium before it enters the preheater. This preliminary heating action reduces the additional heating power needed in the preheater, thereby lowering overall thermal control power consumption while maintaining temperature control reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the waste heat from the evaporator into a useful resource by using it to preheat the working medium through the heat exchanger. This transforms what would otherwise be wasted thermal energy into beneficial preheating, reducing the power consumption of the preheater and overall system.
2Reliability
If a larger radiator area is used to dissipate thermal control power, then temperature control capability is improved, but the system weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
By converting waste heat from the evaporator into useful preheating energy through the heat exchanger, the system reduces the total thermal control power that needs to be dissipated by the radiator. This indirectly reduces the required radiator area and system weight while maintaining temperature control capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the thermal parameters of the working medium by preheating it before it enters the preheater. This parameter change (increasing inlet temperature to preheater) reduces the heating power required and consequently the thermal load on the radiator, allowing for a smaller, lighter radiator design.
3Device complexity
If no heat exchanger is installed between evaporator and preheater, then the device complexity is reduced, but heat loss of working medium increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent addresses the energy loss by installing a heat exchanger that captures waste heat from the evaporator and uses it to preheat the working medium. This converts the harmful energy loss into a beneficial preheating effect, reducing overall heat loss while adding only moderate structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat exchanger enables the system to serve itself by using the evaporator's waste heat to preheat the working medium that will later be heated by the preheater. This self-service mechanism reduces external energy input requirements while maintaining relatively simple device structure.
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
The solution significantly reduces thermal control power consumption by 46.7% and 61.1% for the preheater and drive heating circuits, respectively, leading to a 40% reduction in radiator area and weight, while maintaining temperature stability for CCD devices.
Implementation Method 1
at least one heat exchanger arranged between the capillary pump assembly and the evaporation unit assembly for heating a circulating working medium that is about to enter the evaporation unit assembly by using the heat of the circulating working medium itself in a loop heat pipe
Implementation Method 2
A vapor phase working medium flowing out of the evaporator of the loop heat pipe is condensed into a liquid phase after being cooled by a radiator
Implementation Method 3
the working medium flowing into the preheater is not preheated by the vapor phase working medium flowing out of the evaporator, resulting in a certain degree of heat loss of the working medium in the loop heat pipe
Data Source
AI summary
An energy-saving loop heat pipe apparatus and an application are provided. The loop heat pipe apparatus comprises a capillary pump component and an evaporation unit component. The loop heat pipe apparatus further comprises at least one heat exchanger disposed between the capillary pump component and the evaporation unit component for heating, by using heat of a circulating working medium in the loop heat pipe, the circulating working medium about to enter the evaporation unit component.