Micrometeoroid and debris protection system for a thermal control system on a spacecraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12415625-B2
Application number	US-202117372124-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 9, 2021
Priority date	Sep 22, 2020
Publication date	Sep 16, 2025
Grant date	Sep 16, 2025

Abstract

Disclosed is a micrometeoroid and debris protection system (MDPS) for a thermal control system on a spacecraft. The MDPS comprises a radiator face-sheet, a truss attached to the radiator face-sheet, and a thermally transparent bumper disposed on the truss. The thermally transparent bumper shields the radiator face-sheet from micrometeoroids and debris and enables thermal transfer from the radiator face-sheet through the thermally transparent bumper.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A micrometeoroid and debris protection system for a thermal control system on a spacecraft, the system comprising:
a radiator face-sheet;
a truss extending from an outward surface of the radiator face-sheet; and
a thermally transparent bumper disposed on the truss, comprising:
a first surface, oriented away from the radiator face-sheet, configured to reflect radiation from space, and
a second surface, oriented toward the radiator face-sheet, that is thermally transparent to heat energy radiated from the radiator face-sheet, wherein the heat energy from the radiator face-sheet is configured to radiate away from the radiator face-sheet through the thermally transparent bumper.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the truss is part of the radiator face-sheet.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the truss includes a plurality of posts, wherein each post extends in a normal direction from an outer surface of the radiator face-sheet.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the truss is machined into an outer surface of the radiator face-sheet.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the thermally transparent bumper is attached to the truss with thermally transparent adhesive.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the thermally transparent bumper is an optically transparent bumper that is optically transparent in an infra-red range of wavelengths; and
wherein the truss extends in a normal direction from the outward surface of the radiator face-sheet.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the radiator face-sheet radiates infra-red energy over a range of wavelengths of approximately 250 nanometers to 30,000 nanometers, and
the thermally transparent bumper is transparent to wavelengths approximately between 250 nanometers to 30,000 nanometers in accordance with the range of wavelengths of the infra-red energy radiated by the radiator face-sheet.

8. The system of claim 1 , further including a heat-pipe, of the thermal control system, attached to an inner surface of the radiator face-sheet, wherein a combination of the truss and thermally transparent bumper is located on an outer surface of the radiator face-sheet opposite the heat-pipe; and
wherein the thermally transparent bumper shields the radiator face-sheet from micrometeoroids and debris capable of causing a fluid leak from the heat-pipe.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the combination of the truss and the thermally transparent bumper is colinear with the heat-pipe.

10. The system of claim 1 , further including an infra-red coating on the thermally transparent bumper configured to prevent infra-red radiation impinging on the thermal control system,
wherein the outward surface of the radiator face-sheet continuously extends to a juncture with the truss and beyond the juncture with the truss.

11. The system of claim 10 , further including an infra-red coating on the thermally transparent bumper configured to prevent infra-red radiation impinging on the thermal control system,
wherein the truss is white and configured to reflect the infra-red radiation.

12. A method for manufacturing a micrometeoroid and debris protection system for a thermal control system on a spacecraft, the method comprising:
providing a truss to extend from an outer surface of a radiator face-sheet, wherein the radiator face-sheet includes an inner surface attached to the thermal control system and the truss is positioned opposite a location of the thermal control system; and
attaching a thermally transparent bumper on to the truss, the thermally transparent bumper comprising:
a first surface, oriented away from the radiator face-sheet, configured to reflect radiation from space, and
a second surface, oriented toward the radiator face-sheet, that is thermally transparent to heat energy radiated from the radiator face-sheet, wherein the heat energy from the radiator face-sheet is configured to radiate away from the radiator face-sheet through the thermally transparent bumper.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
coating the thermally transparent bumper with an infra-red coating that is configured to prevent infra-red radiation impinging on the thermal control system.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein providing the truss includes machining the truss from the outer surface of the radiator face-sheet.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein attaching the thermally transparent bumper includes attaching the thermally transparent bumper to the truss with a thermally transparent adhesive.

16. A micrometeoroid and debris protection system for a thermal control system on a spacecraft, the thermal control system having a first heat-pipe and a second heat-pipe, the system comprising:
a radiator face-sheet having an inner surface, wherein the first heat-pipe and the second heat-pipe are attached to the inner surface of the radiator face-sheet;
a first truss and a second truss attached to an outer surface of the radiator face-sheet; and
a first thermally transparent bumper disposed on the first truss and a second thermally transparent bumper disposed on the second truss, at least one of the first thermally transparent bumper or the second thermally transparent bumper comprising:
a first surface, oriented away from the radiator face-sheet, configured to reflect radiation from space, and
a second surface, oriented toward the radiator face-sheet, that is thermally transparent to heat energy radiated from the radiator face-sheet, wherein the heat energy from the radiator face-sheet is configured to radiate away from the radiator face-sheet through the at least one of the first thermally transparent bumper or the second thermally transparent bumper.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein a combination of the first truss and the first thermally transparent bumper is located on the outer surface of the radiator face-sheet opposite the first heat-pipe and a combination of the second truss and the second thermally transparent bumper is located on the outer surface of the radiator face-sheet opposite the second heat-pipe.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the first thermally transparent bumper and the second thermally transparent bumper are part of a single thermally transparent bumper that is a solid sheet of material.

19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the first truss and the second truss are part of the radiator face-sheet.

20. The system of claim 17 , further including an infra-red coating on the first thermally transparent bumper and the second thermally transparent bumper, wherein the infra-red coating is configured to prevent infra-red radiation impinging on the thermal control system.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Pang Anthony

Classifications

• B64G1/546

  shielding electronic equipment · CPC title

• B64G1/506 Primary

  Heat pipes · CPC title

• B64G1/226

  Special coatings for spacecraft · CPC title

• B64G1/503

  Radiator panels · CPC title

• B64G1/56 Primary

  Protection against meteoroids or space debris · CPC title