Satellite Constellation Data Processing Reduces Ground Cooling Load
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current techniques fail to effectively suppress the increase in power consumption and cooling load associated with high-speed data transmission and processing, both on the ground and in outer space, particularly in centralized systems like supercomputers and large-scale data centers.
Innovation Solution
A cloud computing system comprising a geostationary satellite, a low earth orbiting satellite constellation with annular and mesh communication networks, and a ground data center, where data processing is distributed across satellites, reducing the need for ground-based processing and enabling radiation cooling in outer space.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If data processing is performed in centralized ground-based systems (supercomputers, large-scale data centers), then processing capability is concentrated, but power consumption and cooling load increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the centralized data processing function across multiple satellites in a constellation, distributing computational tasks throughout the satellite network rather than concentrating them in a single ground-based supercomputer. Each satellite performs processing locally, reducing the energy burden on any single location while maintaining overall processing capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent moves data processing from the ground-based three-dimensional space to the spatial dimension of satellite orbits. By utilizing the orbital space and positioning satellites in specific configurations, the system achieves processing capability without the energy constraints of ground-based facilities, effectively adding a new dimension to where computing occurs.
2Power
If data processing is performed in centralized ground-based systems, then processing capability is concentrated, but cooling load increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent distributes the thermal management burden across multiple satellites rather than concentrating it in a single ground-based data center. Each satellite handles its own cooling requirements independently, eliminating the need for massive cooling infrastructure and reducing overall thermal management energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent exploits the vacuum environment of space, which naturally provides cooling through radiation to deep space. This converts the previously harmful effect of heat accumulation into a beneficial cooling mechanism, allowing satellites to dissipate thermal energy efficiently without requiring active cooling systems.
3Ease of manufacture
If data processing is performed on ground, then infrastructure is established, but greenhouse gas emission increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the data processing function from ground-based infrastructure and implements it in satellite space. By removing the computational load from Earth, the system eliminates the associated greenhouse gas emissions from ground-based data centers while maintaining processing capability through distributed satellite computing.
4Power
If all data is transmitted to ground for processing, then ground-based processing capability is utilized, but transmission time and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs data processing actions preliminarily on satellites before data needs to be transmitted to ground. By conducting computations in-orbit using the satellite constellation's processing capability, the system eliminates time-consuming ground transmission and processing cycles, achieving faster response times.
Data Source
AI summary
A cloud computing system includes: a geostationary satellite having a computer and a cloud data center mounted thereon; a low earth orbiting satellite constellation including a plurality of communication satellites; and a ground data center deployed on the ground. In the low earth orbiting satellite constellation, an annular communication network is formed by the ability of each communication satellite of a plurality of communication satellites that fly on the same orbital plane to communicate with front and rear communication satellites in the forwarding direction, and a mesh communication network, in which adjacent annular communication networks are communicably connected with each other, is formed by the ability of the plurality of communication satellites that fly on the same orbital plane to communicate with communication satellites flying in adjacent orbits.