Thermal Management Device for a Spacecraft

Abstract

The invention relates to a thermal management device intended to collect the heat dissipated by a group of dissipative equipment of a spacecraft in an evaporation zone before discharging this heat to cold space via a condensation zone, situated in the region of the radiators. The evaporation zone and the condensation zone each consist of at least one heat-exchange part comprising a network of a plurality of compact heat-exchange elements distributed over their respective heat-exchange surface and connected in series and/or in parallel by the tubes of the thermal fluid circulation means. A device such as this is particularly intended for telecommunications satellites.

1 . Thermal management device intended to collect the heat dissipated by a group of dissipative equipment of a spacecraft in an evaporation zone before discharging this heat to cold space via a condensation zone, spacecraft comprising a plurality of structural panels and the thermal management device comprising means of circulating thermal fluid connecting, in a closed loop, at least the evaporation zone and the condensation zone, the evaporation zone constituting a first heat-exchange surface for exchanging heat, directly or indirectly via other heat-transfer means, with the dissipative equipment, and the condensation zone constituting a second heat-exchange surface for exchanging heat, directly or indirectly via other heat-transfer means, with radiators radiating into space, wherein the evaporation zone and/or the condensation zone consists of at least one heat-exchange part comprising a network of a plurality of compact heat-exchange elements distributed over their respective heat-exchange surface and connected in series and/or in parallel by the tubes of the thermal fluid circulation means. 
     
     
         2 . Thermal management device according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one panel which is a somewhat poor conductor of heat in the transverse direction perpendicular to its plane, comprises, on the face internal to the craft, at least one heat-exchange part of the evaporation zone and, on the face external to the craft, at least one heat-exchange part of the condensation zone. 
     
     
         3 . Thermal management device according to  claim 1 , comprising at least a heat-exchange part of the evaporation zone is assembled with heat-transfer means in contact on one side with the compact heat-exchange elements and on another side with the dissipative equipment. 
     
     
         4 . Thermal management device according to  claim 1 , comprising at least a heat-exchange part of the condensation zone is assembled with heat-transfer means in contact on one side with the compact heat-exchange elements and on another side with a radiator. 
     
     
         5 . Thermal management device according to  claim 1 , wherein the thermal fluid circulation means comprise a first and a second circulation circuit, the heat-transfer means assembled with a heat-exchange part of the evaporation zone having contact with at least a first and a second compact heat-exchange element, the first element being in contact with the first thermal fluid circulation circuit and the second element being in contact with the second circulation circuit. 
     
     
         6 . Thermal management device according to  claim 1 , wherein the thermal fluid circulation means comprise a first and a second circulation circuit, the heat-transfer means assembled with a heat-exchange part of the condensation zone having contact with at least a first and a second compact heat-exchange element, the first element being in contact with the first thermal fluid circulation circuit and the second element being in contact with the second circulation circuit. 
     
     
         7 . Thermal management device according to  claim 1 , wherein the evaporation zone and/or the condensation zone consists of a plurality of heat-exchange parts and the thermal fluid circulation means connect the said equipment in series and/or in parallel. 
     
     
         8 . Thermal management device according to  claim 1 , wherein the thermal fluid circulation loop also comprises an expansion zone directly upstream of the evaporation zone and a compression zone directly downstream of the evaporation zone. 
     
     
         9 . Thermal management device according to  claim 8 , wherein the thermal fluid circulation means comprise means for reversing the direction in which the thermal fluid circulates so that the condensation zone and the evaporation zone are interchanged. 
     
     
         10 . Thermal management device according to  claim 8 , wherein the expansion zone comprises a plurality of n pressure reducers to provide temperature control for a plurality n of heat-exchange parts of the evaporation zone at one or more different temperature levels, the thermal fluid circulation means connecting the said equipment in parallel. 
     
     
         11 . Thermal management device according to  claim 1 , wherein the means for circulating the thermal fluid is a mechanical pump. 
     
     
         12 . Thermal management device according to  claim 1 , wherein the means for circulating the thermal fluid is a capillary pump. 
     
     
         13 . Thermal management device according to  claim 1 , wherein the condensation zone also comprises heat-exchange means of the tubular pipe type which are the thermal fluid circulation means configured in series and/or in parallel and connected directly to a radiating panel. 
     
     
         14 . Thermal management device according to  claim 1 , wherein the condensation zone also comprises heat-exchange means of the tubular pipe type which are the thermal fluid circulation means configured in series and/or in parallel and connected directly to dissipative equipment. 
     
     
         15 . Telecommunications satellite, comprising a thermal management device according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         16 . Satellite according to  claim 15 , comprising a service module and a communications module, wherein the external surfaces of the structural panels of the modules support at least one radiator. 
     
     
         17 . Satellite according to  claim 15 , wherein at least one radiator is deployable.