Bidirectional regulating heat pipe network
View Patent ↗A bidirectional regulating heat pipe network for a spacecraft payload temperature regulating system includes a payload having a thermal interface surfaces connected to a cool environment variable conductance heat pipe (CEVCHP) evaporator and a warm environment variable conductance heat pipe (WEVCHP) condenser to enable regulation of heat flow in or out of the payload in order to maintain a temperature within the payload's requirements.
1 . A spacecraft payload temperature regulating system comprising:
a payload having a first thermal interface surface and a second thermal interface surface;
a cool environment variable conductance heat pipe having an evaporator thermally connected to the payload first thermal surface and having a condenser thermally connected to environment-coupled hardware through a diode heat pipe, wherein the diode heat pipe has a liquid trap, the cool environment variable conductance heat pipe further comprising
a noncondensable gas slug in a cold end of the cool environment variable conductance heat pipe, and
a noncondensable gas reservoir including a heater;
a warm environment variable conductance heat pipe having a condenser thermally connected to the payload second thermal surface and having an evaporator thermally connected to the environmental-coupled hardware, wherein the warm environment variable conductance heat pipe further comprises a heater;
a payload temperature sensor; and
an ECHW temperature sensor;
wherein signals from the payload temperature sensor and from the ECHW temperature sensor are provided to a control software that, when needed, powers either the WEVCHP heater or the cool environment variable conductance heat pipe noncondensable gas reservoir heater.
2 . The spacecraft payload temperature regulating system of claim 1 further comprising a thermal energy storage unit thermally connected to a payload third thermal interface surface.
3 . The spacecraft payload temperature regulating system of claim 2 , wherein the thermal energy storage unit is selected from a group consisting of phase change materials, simple thermal capacitors, and the payload.
4 . The spacecraft payload temperature regulating system of claim 2 , wherein the control software using a control logic selected from the group consisting of bang-bang, proportional and proportional/integral/derivative.
5 . The spacecraft payload temperature regulating system of claim 2 , wherein the diode heat pipe is selected from a group consisting of liquid trap diode heat pipes and gas reservoir diode heat pipes.
6 . The spacecraft payload temperature regulating system of claim 1 wherein the cool environment variable conductance heat pipe comprises an envelope material, a wick and a heat pipe fluid.
7 . The spacecraft payload temperature regulating system of claim 6 wherein the cool environment variable conductance heat pipe envelope material is selected from a group consisting of aluminum and stainless steel.
8 . The spacecraft payload temperature regulating system of claim 7 , wherein the cool environment variable conductance heat pipe wick is selected from a group consisting of sintered metal, screen and groove wick.
9 . The spacecraft payload temperature regulating system of claim 8 , wherein the cool environment variable conductance heat pipe heat pipe fluid is selected from a group consisting of NH3 and toluene.
10 . The spacecraft payload temperature regulating system of claim 1 wherein the warm environment variable conductance heat pipe1 comprises an envelope material, a wick and a heat pipe fluid.
11 . The spacecraft payload temperature regulating system of claim 10 , wherein the warm environment variable conductance heat pipe envelope material is selected from the group consisting of aluminum and stainless steel.
12 . The spacecraft payload temperature regulating system of claim 11 , wherein the warm environment variable conductance heat pipe wick is selected from a group consisting of sintered metal, screen and groove wick.
13 . The spacecraft payload temperature regulating system of claim 12 , wherein the warm environment variable conductance heat pipe1 heat pipe fluid is selected from a group consisting of NH3 and toluene.
14 . The spacecraft payload temperature regulating system of claim 1 , wherein at least one cold environment variable conductance heat pipes are thermally connected to the first thermal surface of the payload and the environmental-coupled hardware.
15 . The spacecraft payload temperature regulating system of claim 1 , wherein at least one warm environment variable conductance heat pipes are thermally connected to the second thermal surface of the payload and the environmental-coupled hardware.