Artificial satellite and method for filling a tank of propellent gas of said artificial satellite

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9902507-B2
Application number	US-201615546118-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 22, 2016
Priority date	Jan 27, 2015
Publication date	Feb 27, 2018
Grant date	Feb 27, 2018

Abstract

Disclosed is artificial satellite including: a mounting structure supporting equipment-bearing walls; a launcher-adapter rigidly connected to the mounting structure; a first radiator; and at least one first system for transporting heat by a fluid, including at least one duct having a first heat-exchange section and a second heat-exchange section, the second heat-exchange section being capable of being in thermal contact with the first radiator. The first heat-exchange section is in thermal contact with at least one portion of the launcher-adapter. Also disclosed is a method for filling a tank of propellant gas of the artificial satellite.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Artificial satellite ( 2 ) having a longitudinal axis (A-A) that extends in the launch direction, said artificial satellite ( 2 ) comprising:—a mounting structure ( 14 ) supporting equipment-bearing walls ( 4 , 8 , 6 , 10 , 12 ),—a launcher-adapter ( 16 ) rigidly connected to the mounting structure ( 14 ),—a first radiator ( 26 ),—at least one first system ( 42 ) for transporting heat by a fluid comprising at least one first heat-exchange section ( 50 ) and a second heat-exchange section ( 52 ), said second heat-exchange section ( 52 ) in thermal contact with said first radiator ( 26 ), wherein said first heat-exchange section ( 50 ) is in thermal contact with at least one portion of the launcher-adapter ( 16 ) to allow for heat exchanges between the launcher-adapter ( 16 ) and the first radiator ( 26 ).

2. Artificial satellite ( 2 ) according to claim 1 , that comprises a profile ( 36 ) rigidly connected to the launcher-adapter ( 16 ), said profile ( 36 ) extending in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (A-A) of the satellite, and wherein said profile ( 36 ) supports and is in thermal contact direct with at least one portion of the first heat-exchange section ( 50 ).

3. Artificial satellite ( 2 ) according to claim 2 , wherein an equipment-bearing wall, referred to as anti-Earth equipment-bearing wall ( 12 ), is fastened to the launcher-adapter ( 16 ) by the intermediary of said profile ( 36 ).

4. Artificial satellite ( 2 ) according to claim 1 , wherein at least one portion of the first heat-exchange section ( 50 ) is in thermal contact direct with an equipment-bearing wall, referred to as anti-Earth equipment-bearing wall ( 12 ); said anti-Earth equipment-bearing wall ( 12 ) fastened to the launcher-adapter ( 16 ).

5. Artificial satellite ( 2 ) according to claim 4 , that comprises a profile ( 36 ) rigidly connected to the launcher-adapter ( 16 ), said profile ( 36 ) extending in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (A-A) of the satellite ( 2 ).

6. Artificial satellite ( 2 ) according to claim 1 , wherein said first heat-exchange section ( 50 ) comprises several sections ( 54 ) fastened to one another to form a half-polygon or a polygon ( 56 ).

7. Artificial satellite ( 2 ) according to claim 1 , wherein said first heat-exchange section ( 50 ) has the shape of a half-circle ( 86 , 87 ) or the shape of a circle.

8. Artificial satellite ( 2 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the first system for transporting heat ( 42 ) comprises a main duct ( 80 , 81 ) in the shape of an omega and at least one auxiliary duct ( 82 , 83 , 84 , 85 ) in the shape of an L; at least one portion of the main duct ( 80 , 81 ) forming said first heat-exchange section ( 50 ), at least one portion of the auxiliary duct ( 82 , 83 , 84 , 85 ) forming said second heat-exchange section ( 52 ).

9. Artificial satellite ( 2 ) according to claim 1 , which comprises a tank ( 39 ) of propellant gas and wherein the launcher-adapter ( 16 ) is a cylindrical body ( 35 ); said tank ( 39 ) of propellant gas arranged inside said cylindrical body ( 35 ); said tank ( 39 ) in thermal contact with the launcher-adapter ( 16 ).

10. Artificial satellite ( 2 ) according to claim 9 , wherein the tank ( 39 ) is mounted directly on the launcher-adapter ( 16 ).

11. Artificial satellite ( 2 ) according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one second system for transporting heat ( 70 , 71 ) by a fluid; said second system for transporting heat ( 70 , 71 ) comprising a first section ( 74 ) and a second section ( 76 ); said second section ( 76 ) in thermal contact with said first radiator ( 26 ) and said first section ( 74 ) in thermal contact with a set of electrical accumulators ( 24 ).

12. Artificial satellite ( 2 ) according to claim 2 , that comprises an adhesive strap ( 58 ) made from a thermally-conductive material; said adhesive strap ( 58 ) rigidly connected, both to the first heat-exchange section ( 50 ) and, as well as to at least one portion of said profile ( 36 ).

13. Artificial satellite ( 2 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the first heat-exchange section ( 50 ) comprises at least two heat pipes ( 44 , 45 ) arranged, one next to the other, along a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (A-A) of the satellite.

14. Artificial satellite ( 2 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the first heat-exchange section ( 50 ) comprises at least two heat pipes ( 44 , 45 ) arranged one next to the other, along a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis (A-A) of the satellite.

15. Artificial satellite ( 2 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the first system for transferring heat ( 42 ) comprises at least one heater ( 46 ) in thermal contact with the second heat-exchange section ( 52 ), and a control unit ( 48 ) able to control the turning on of said at least one heater ( 46 ).

16. Method of filling a tank ( 39 ) of an artificial satellite ( 2 ) according to claim 1 ; further comprising the following steps:
cooling ( 66 ) of the tank ( 39 ) by the first radiator ( 26 ); and
filling ( 68 ) of the tank ( 39 ) with propellant.

17. Artificial satellite ( 2 ) according to claim 2 , wherein said first heat-exchange section ( 50 ) comprises several sections ( 54 ) fastened to one another to form a half-polygon or a polygon ( 56 ).

18. Artificial satellite ( 2 ) according to claim 3 , wherein said first heat-exchange section ( 50 ) comprises several sections ( 54 ) fastened to one another to form a half-polygon or a polygon ( 56 ).

19. Artificial satellite ( 2 ) according to claim 4 , wherein said first heat-exchange section ( 50 ) comprises several sections ( 54 ) fastened to one another to form a half-polygon or a polygon ( 56 ).

20. Artificial satellite ( 2 ) according to claim 5 , wherein said first heat-exchange section ( 50 ) comprises several sections ( 54 ) fastened to one another to form a half-polygon or a polygon ( 56 ).

Assignees

• Airbus Defence & Space Sas

Inventors

• Walker Andrew Nicholas

Classifications

• B64G1/503

  Radiator panels · CPC title

• B64G1/506 Primary

  Heat pipes · CPC title

• B64G1/402

  Propellant tanks; Feeding propellants · CPC title

• B64G1/645

  Separators · CPC title

• B64G1/641

  Interstage or payload connectors (docking systems B64G1/646) · CPC title