IP Library Granted Patent US 12,065,268
Granted Patent B2
US 12,065,268 · App. 18/317,673 · Granted Aug 20, 2024

Thermal management system for structures in space

Inventors: Ryan D. Honour (Midland, TX); Javier Hernandez Bahlsen (Esplugues de LLobregart, ES); Huiwen Yao (Potomac, MD); Adam H. Halperin (Silver Spring, MD); Abel Avellan (Coral Gables, FL)
Assignee: AST & Science, LLC
B64G1/222B64G1/1007B64G1/443H01Q1/02H01Q1/286H01Q1/288H01Q21/0025H02S10/40H02S40/30H02S40/36H02S40/425
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,065,268
App. No.
18/317,673
Granted
Aug 20, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

An antenna assembly has a solar layer having one or more solar cells generating solar power, an antenna layer connected to the solar layer and having electronic components utilizing the solar power generated by the solar layer, and a thermal dissipation device dissipating heat locally at the antenna assembly. A large number of antenna assemblies are connected to form an antenna array in which heat is generated locally at each antenna assembly and dissipated locally at each antenna assembly.

Claims (43)

1. An antenna assembly comprising:

a solar layer comprising solar cells configured to generate solar power;

an antenna layer connected to the solar layer, the antenna layer configured to utilize the solar power generated by the solar layer;

one or more heat dissipation components configured to distribute heat through the antenna assembly; and

one or more processors configured to control the heat distributed by the one or more heat dissipation components.

2. The antenna assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:

one or more temperature sensors configured to monitor a temperature of the antenna assembly,

wherein the one or more processors are configured to control the heat distributed by the one or more heat dissipation components based on the temperature of the antenna assembly.

3. The antenna assembly of claim 2 , wherein to control the heat distributed by the one or more heat dissipation components based on the temperature of the antenna assembly, the one or more processors are configured to power on based on the temperature of the antenna assembly to generate heat for the antenna assembly.

4. The antenna assembly of claim 2 , wherein to control the heat distributed by the one or more heat dissipation components based on the temperature of the antenna assembly, the one or more processors are configured to control the heat distributed by the one or more heat dissipation components based whether the temperature of the antenna assembly falls below a desired minimum temperature of the antenna assembly.

5. The antenna assembly of claim 1 , wherein the one or more heat dissipation components are configured to distribute heat generated from the one or more processors when the antenna assembly is not in sunlight.

6. The antenna assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:

a middle layer in between the solar layer and the antenna layer, wherein the middle layer comprises the one or more processors.

7. The antenna assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:

a middle layer in between the solar layer and the antenna layer, wherein the middle layer comprises the one or more heat dissipation components.

8. The antenna assembly of claim 7 ,

wherein the middle layer further comprises one or more electronic components, and

wherein the one or more heat dissipation components are further configured to distribute heat to the one or more electronic components.

9. The antenna assembly of claim 8 , further comprising a nadir side and a zenith side, wherein the one or more electronic components are positioned on the nadir side and the solar layer is positioned on the zenith side.

10. The antenna assembly of claim 7 ,

wherein the middle layer comprises one or more batteries configured to store the solar power, and

wherein the one or more heat dissipation components are configured to distribute heat generated by the one or more batteries to the antenna assembly.

11. The antenna assembly of claim 10 ,

wherein the one or more batteries are placed in a central position of the middle layer.

12. The antenna assembly of claim 1 ,

wherein the one or more heat dissipation components comprises a heat pipe.

13. The antenna assembly of claim 1 ,

wherein the antenna assembly is connected with one or more other antenna assemblies to form an antenna assembly array, and

wherein one or more processors of the antenna assembly are configured to share electrical energy to the one or more other antenna assemblies to power on one or more processors of the one or more other antenna assemblies to generate heat for the one or more other antenna assemblies.

14. An antenna assembly comprising:

a solar layer comprising solar cells configured to generate solar power;

an antenna layer connected to the solar layer, the antenna layer configured to utilize the solar power generated by the solar layer; and

one or more processors configured to:

control heat distributed by one or more heat units dissipation components through the antenna assembly.

15. The antenna assembly of claim 14 , further comprising:

one or more temperature sensors configured to monitor a temperature of the antenna assembly,

wherein the one or more processors are configured to control the heat distributed by the one or more heat dissipation components based on the temperature of the antenna assembly.

16. The antenna assembly of claim 15 , wherein to control the heat distributed by the one or more heat dissipation components based on the temperature of the antenna assembly, the one or more processors are configured to power on based on the temperature of the antenna assembly to generate heat for the antenna assembly.

17. The antenna assembly of claim 15 , wherein to control the heat distributed by the one or more heat dissipation components based on the temperature of the antenna assembly, the one or more processors are configured to control the heat distributed by the one or more heat dissipation components based whether the temperature of the antenna assembly falls below a desired minimum temperature of the antenna assembly.

18. The antenna assembly of claim 14 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to power on when the antenna assembly is not in sunlight to generate heat for the antenna assembly.

19. The antenna assembly of claim 14 ,

wherein the antenna assembly is connected with one or more other antenna assemblies to form an antenna assembly array, and

wherein the one or more processors are further configured to share electrical energy to the one or more other antenna assemblies to power on one or more processors of the one or more other antenna assemblies to provide heat for the one or more other antenna assemblies.

Assignments (2)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 20, 2025
From: ACP POST OAK CREDIT II LLC
To: AST & SCIENCE, LLC; AST SPACE MOBILE USA LLC
Reel/Frame 070284/0297 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 15, 2023
From: AST & SCIENCE, LLC; AST SPACE MOBILE USA LLC
To: ACP POST OAK CREDIT II LLC
Reel/Frame 064587/0503 →
Priority Claims (3)
ES ES202030123 · Feb 13, 2020 · national
ES ES202030124 · Feb 13, 2020 · national
ES ES202030125 · Feb 13, 2020 · national
Continuity (7)
Continuation 17329221 · May 25, 2021
Continuation 16875738 · May 15, 2020
Provisional Application 62848317 · May 15, 2019
Provisional Application 62978081 · Feb 18, 2020
Provisional Application 62977864 · Feb 18, 2020
Provisional Application 62977860 · Feb 18, 2020
Related Publication 20240025565A1 · Jan 25, 2024