Satlet Electronics Cooling via Inter-Satlet Propellant Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current spacecraft designs face challenges in thermal control, particularly for satlets, which require efficient cooling of electronic components without the use of heavy and voluminous heat pipes and radiators due to their smaller surface area and volume.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the transfer of propellant between interconnected satlets using a connector interface with male and female valve assemblies to direct fuel flow from cooler satlets to warmer satlets, thermally coupling electronics with the propellant within the fuel tank for temperature regulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If heat pipes and external radiators are used to cool electronic components, then thermal control effectiveness is improved, but device weight and volume increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The propellant serving as a coolant allows the fuel tank to perform dual functions: storing chemical propellant for propulsion and acting as a thermal management system. This eliminates the need for separate heat pipes and radiators, significantly reducing device weight while maintaining effective thermal control of electronic components.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the propellant storage system with the thermal control system by allowing the propellant to serve as the cooling medium. The fuel tank structure is utilized as the heat exchange component, combining two previously separate systems into one integrated solution that reduces overall system weight and volume.
2Temperature
If heat pipes and external radiators are used to cool electronic components, then thermal control effectiveness is improved, but device volume increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The propellant serves dual purposes as both propulsion fuel and cooling medium. The fuel tank volume is utilized for thermal management without requiring additional space for separate heat pipes and radiators, thereby maintaining effective thermal control while minimizing device volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The propellant storage system and thermal control system are merged into a single integrated system. The fuel tank acts as the heat exchange component, eliminating the need for separate cooling hardware and reducing overall system volume.
3Device complexity
If propellant transfer between satlets is implemented for thermal control, then device complexity is reduced, but control precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates temperature sensors and controllers that continuously monitor the thermal state of electronic components and automatically control propellant flow between satlets. This feedback mechanism ensures precise thermal management while maintaining relatively simple system architecture, as the automation handles the complexity of coordination.
Solution Approach 2:
The satlets autonomously manage their own thermal control by transferring propellant based on their individual temperature needs. Each satlet's controller independently determines when and how much propellant to transfer, reducing the need for complex centralized control systems while maintaining precise thermal regulation.
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
This approach effectively manages thermal control of satlet electronics without the need for bulky heat pipes and radiators, allowing for efficient temperature regulation across multiple satlets within a spacecraft.
Implementation Method 1
thermal control of the satlets' electronics by directing the flow of fuel from the second satlet to the first satlet
Implementation Method 2
transferring fuel between a spacecraft's two or more satlets for thermal control of the satlets' electronics
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
A method of cooling spacecraft electronics by transferring fuel between two or more satlets is provided. Each satlet's electronics is thermally coupled to the satlet's fuel tank. A controller connected to a temperature sensor determines that a temperature of a first satlet's electronics is reaching, has reached, or exceeds a predetermined threshold. The controller connected to a second temperature sensor determines that a temperature of a second satlet's propellant is lower than the temperature of the first satlet's electronics. The controller then directs the flow of propellant from the second satlet's fuel tank to the first satlet's fuel tank to cool the first satlet's electronics.