Enhanced radiator

Abstract

Techniques for minimizing diurnal temperature variation of a radiator of a spacecraft are disclosed. In one aspect, a spacecraft includes a body, a radiator panel, and a heat dissipating unit thermally coupled with the radiator panel. The spacecraft is configured to operate in an orbital plane, such that the spacecraft has a yaw axis within the orbital plane and directed from a spacecraft coordinate system origin toward nadir, a pitch axis orthogonal to the orbital plane and passing through the spacecraft coordinate system origin, and a roll axis orthogonal to the pitch axis and the yaw axis and passing through the spacecraft coordinate system origin. The radiator panel includes a surface area external to a body of the spacecraft, a first portion of the surface area facing a first direction that is substantially parallel to the roll axis, and a second portion of the surface area facing a second direction that has a substantial component parallel to the yaw axis.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A spacecraft comprising:
 a body, a radiator panel, and a heat dissipating unit thermally coupled with the radiator panel; wherein   the spacecraft is configured to operate in an orbital plane, such that the spacecraft has a yaw axis within the orbital plane and directed from a spacecraft coordinate system origin toward nadir, a pitch axis orthogonal to the orbital plane and passing through the spacecraft coordinate system origin, and a roll axis orthogonal to the pitch axis and the yaw axis and passing through the spacecraft coordinate system origin; and   the radiator panel includes a surface area external to the body, a first portion of the surface area facing a first direction that is substantially parallel to the roll axis, and a second portion of the surface area facing a second direction that has a substantial component parallel to the yaw axis.   
     
     
         2 . The spacecraft of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a mounting panel internal to the body, the mounting panel being thermally coupled with the heat dissipating unit; and   a coupling heatpipe thermally coupling the mounting panel with the radiator panel, the coupling heatpipe having a first section proximate to the mounting panel and a second section proximate to the radiator panel.   
     
     
         3 . The spacecraft of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the mounting panel includes spreading heatpipes, and   the radiator panel includes an internal heat transfer mechanism including one or both of: embedded heatpipes or spreader heatsinks.   
     
     
         4 . The spacecraft of  claim 1 , wherein the radiator panel includes a plurality of facets. 
     
     
         5 . The spacecraft of  claim 4 , wherein the facets are arranged such that each facet forms a side of a segment of a polygon. 
     
     
         6 . The spacecraft of  claim 1 , wherein the radiator panel has a curved cross-section. 
     
     
         7 . The spacecraft of  claim 2 , wherein the mounting panel is a planar radiator panel having a heat-rejecting surface. 
     
     
         8 . The spacecraft of  claim 1 , wherein the orbital plane is an orbital plane of a geosynchronous orbit of Earth. 
     
     
         9 . An apparatus comprising:
 a radiator panel configured to be included in a spacecraft and to be thermally coupled with a heat dissipating unit of the spacecraft; wherein   the spacecraft is configured to operate in an orbital plane, such that the spacecraft has a yaw axis within the orbital plane and directed from a spacecraft coordinate system origin toward nadir, a pitch axis orthogonal to the orbital plane and passing through the spacecraft coordinate system origin, and a roll axis orthogonal to the pitch axis and the yaw axis and passing through the spacecraft coordinate system origin; and   the radiator panel includes a surface area external to a body of the spacecraft, a first portion of the surface area facing a first direction that is substantially parallel to the roll axis, and a second portion of the surface area facing a second direction that has a substantial component parallel to the yaw axis.   
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the radiator panel is configured to be thermally coupled with a mounting panel by way of a coupling heatpipe, the coupling heatpipe having a first section proximate to the mounting panel and a second section proximate to the radiator panel when the radiator panel is thermally coupled with the mounting panel, the mounting panel being configured to thermally couple with the heat dissipating unit.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the radiator panel includes an internal heat transfer mechanism including one or both of: embedded heatpipes or spreader heatsinks.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the radiator panel includes a plurality of facets. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the facets are arranged such that each facet forms a side of a segment of a polygon. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the radiator panel has a curved cross-section. 
     
     
         15 . A spacecraft comprising:
 a body;   a mounting panel internal to the body, the mounting panel including heat dissipating units mounted to a first surface of the mounting panel;   a radiator panel including a surface area external to the body; and   a coupling heatpipe thermally coupling the mounting panel with the radiator panel, the coupling heatpipe having a first section proximate to the mounting panel and a second section proximate to the radiator panel, wherein   the spacecraft is configured to operate in an orbital plane, such that the spacecraft has a yaw axis within the orbital plane and directed from a spacecraft coordinate system origin toward nadir, a pitch axis orthogonal to the orbital plane and passing through the spacecraft coordinate system origin, and a roll axis orthogonal to the pitch axis and the yaw axis and passing through the spacecraft coordinate system origin;   a first portion of the surface area faces a first direction that is substantially parallel to the roll axis; and   a second portion of the surface area faces a second direction that has a substantial component parallel to the yaw axis.   
     
     
         16 . The spacecraft of  claim 15 , wherein:
 the mounting panel includes spreading heatpipes, and   the radiator panel includes an internal heat transfer mechanism including one or both of: embedded heatpipes or spreader heatsinks.   
     
     
         17 . The spacecraft of  claim 15 , wherein the radiator panel includes a plurality of facets. 
     
     
         18 . The spacecraft of  claim 17 , wherein the facets are arranged such that each facet forms a side of a segment of a polygon. 
     
     
         19 . The spacecraft of  claim 15 , wherein the radiator panel has a curved cross-section. 
     
     
         20 . The spacecraft of  claim 15 , wherein the mounting panel is a planar radiator panel having a heat-rejecting surface.