IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,735,200
Granted Patent B2
US 12,735,200 · App. 18/808,777 · Granted Sep 15, 2026

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
B64G1/222B64G1/1007B64G1/2222B64G1/428B64G1/443H01Q1/02H01Q1/286H01Q1/288H01Q21/0025H02S10/40H02S40/30H02S40/36H02S40/425
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,735,200
App. No.
18/808,777
Filed
Aug 19, 2024
Granted
Sep 15, 2026
Kind
B2
Art Unit
2845
USPC
343/705
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 (36)

1 . An antenna assembly comprising:

a solar layer comprising one or more solar cells configured to generate power, wherein the one or more solar cells have a solar absorptivity and an infrared (IR) emissivity; and

an antenna layer comprising one or more antennas, wherein the one or more antennas have a solar absorptivity and an IR emissivity, wherein the solar absorptivity of the one or more antennas is less than the solar absorptivity of the one or more solar cells and the IR emissivity of the one or more antennas is less than the IR emissivity of the one or more solar cells.

2 . The antenna assembly of claim 1 ,

wherein the solar absorptivity of the one or more solar cells is a value of 0.9, and

wherein the IR emissivity of the one or more solar cells is a value of 0.9.

3 . The antenna assembly of claim 1 ,

wherein the solar absorptivity of the one or more antennas is a value of 0.3, and

wherein the IR emissivity of the one or more antennas is a value of 0.8.

4 . The antenna assembly of claim 1 ,

wherein the antenna layer comprises a thermal reflector,

wherein a solar absorptivity of the thermal reflector is less than the solar absorptivity of the one or more antennas, and

wherein an IR emissivity of the thermal reflector is greater than the IR emissivity of the one or more antennas.

5 . The antenna assembly of claim 4 , wherein the thermal reflector comprises an aluminum thermal reflector.

6 . The antenna assembly of claim 4 ,

wherein the solar absorptivity of the thermal reflector is a value of 0.2, and

wherein the IR emissivity of the thermal reflector is a value of 0.9.

7 . The antenna assembly of claim 1 ,

wherein the solar layer or the antenna layer comprises an outward-facing surface and an inward-facing surface,

wherein a solar absorptivity of the inward-facing surface is lower than a solar absorptivity of the outward-facing surface, and

wherein an IR emissivity of the inward-facing surface is lower than an IR emissivity of the outward-facing surface.

8 . The antenna assembly of claim 7 ,

wherein the solar absorptivity of the inward-facing surface is a value of 0.23, and

wherein the IR emissivity of the inward-facing surface is a value of 0.24.

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

a structural support layer positioned in between the antenna layer and the solar layer, wherein the structural support layer comprises one or more electronic components.

10 . The antenna assembly of claim 9 , wherein the one or more electronic components are positioned on a nadir side of the antenna assembly.

11 . The antenna assembly of claim 9 , wherein the structural support layer comprises one or more thermal dissipation components extended within the structural support layer to each of the one or more electronic components.

12 . The antenna assembly of claim 11 , wherein the one or more electronic components comprise one or more processors configured to control heat distributed by the one or more thermal dissipation components.

13 . The antenna assembly of claim 12 , wherein to control the heat distributed by the one or more thermal dissipation components, the one or more processors are configured to direct power to the one or more thermal dissipation components from one or more batteries configured to store the power generated by the one or more solar cells.

14 . The antenna assembly of claim 12 ,

wherein the one or more electronic components comprise one or more temperature sensors configured to monitor a temperature of the antenna assembly, and

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

15 . The antenna assembly of claim 14 , wherein to control the heat distributed by the one or more thermal 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 thermal dissipation components based on whether the temperature of the antenna assembly falls below a desired minimum temperature of the antenna assembly.

16 . The antenna assembly of claim 14 , wherein to control the heat distributed by the one or more thermal dissipation components based on the temperature of the antenna assembly, the one or more processors are configured to power on to generate heat for the antenna assembly.

17 . The antenna assembly of claim 9 , wherein the one or more solar cells are isolated from the structural support layer.

Priority Claims (3)
ES ES202030123 · Feb 13, 2020 · national
ES ES202030124 · Feb 13, 2020 · national
ES ES202030125 · Feb 13, 2020 · national
Continuity (8)
Continuation 18317673 · May 15, 2023
Continuation 17329221 · May 25, 2021
Continuation 16875738 · May 15, 2020
Provisional Application 62978081 · Feb 18, 2020
Provisional Application 62977864 · Feb 18, 2020
Provisional Application 62977860 · Feb 18, 2020
Provisional Application 62848317 · May 15, 2019
Related Publication 20250051039A1 · Feb 13, 2025
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