Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-07
2001-04-10
Picard, Leo P. (Department: 2835)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C361S676000, C361S677000, C361S678000, C361S689000, C361S688000, C361S689000, C361S690000, C361S694000, C361S698000, C361S699000, C174S016100, C174S016300, C165S080300, C165S080400, C165S185000, C312S223200, C454S184000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06215658
ABSTRACT:
DESCRIPTION
1. Technical Field
The present invention refers to a structure for housing equipment pieces in a space vehicle, as electronic equipment responsible of the operation of the satellite or payload like signal transponders, television cameras, transmitters.
More particularly the invention refers to a structure for supporting, containment and heat sinking that decreases the mechanical solicitations suffered by said equipment and allows an efficient heat sinking of the electronic components therein contained.
The interior of telecommunication satellites and similar space vehicles is substantially occupied, besides the fuel reservoirs, by a variety of boxes of electronics, that is closed and sealed boxes housing devices and electronic circuits, which must be fixed to the structure of the satellite and electrically connected to each other and to external devices. Said boxes of electronics, generally known as payload, comprise for instance batteries, signal transponders, data handling equipment, converters, etc.
Into the structure of the space vehicle, each box has a fixed position, defined by a certain number of constraints as the dimensions, the heat dissipation, the centre of gravity, the rigidity or the immunity from electromagnetic interference. The boxes are usually connected each other by a plurality of electric conductors or wiring.
2. Background Art
The known systems for lodging and fixing such boxes of electronics into a satellite or similar vehicle have the drawback of subjecting the equipment to amplification load rising by dynamic coupling environment. More particularly, a dynamic coupling is said to exist when a source of force (or acceleration) applies to the satellite a given force or acceleration (input force), and the equipment is subjected to a force or acceleration (output force) that is larger than that of the source. A relatively high level of force (or acceleration) applied to the payload requires the use of special and complex structures for mounting the payload, increasing the overall mass of the satellite and the relative cost.
Moreover if the electronic equipment must dissipate, during the normal operation, large quantities of heat it is necessary to provide, into the inside of the structure that houses the equipment, a system for dissipating the heat and cooling.
A first system normally used for this purpose consists for instance in immersing the sealed equipment in a cooling liquid, interposing some rigid spacers and exploiting the conduction between the liquid and the external walls of the structure through the use of a pump. This method however results often inadequate because of the high weight of the overall system.
A second system provides the transmission of the heat through honeycomb panels, made of aluminium, coupled to the active equipment and therein constrained by means of inserts provided in the same panels.
The thermal power, generated by the electronic active boxes, is therefore conveyed by conduction through a face of the box, normally the face which is in contact with the panels, and, again by conduction, through the honeycomb panels and subsequently radiative eliminated in the empty space.
This solution however presents some drawbacks, the heat exchange surface between the boxes and the honeycomb panels is limited, in fact only one face of the equipment contributes in dissipating the thermal power generated.
Moreover the structural coupling between the boxes of electronics and the external structure is rigid, due to the locking screws of the equipment, originating the problem of the dynamic amplification of the accelerations during the satellite launching and the consequent necessity of over-dimensioning both the containing structures for the electronic components and the assembling method used for the electronic boards into the equipment, therefore increasing the weight, limiting the payload and effectiveness/costs ratio.
Being known that, in order to optimise the costs of a space program, it is necessary to maintain the satellite weight as lower as possible, maximise the heat dissipation of the electronic components and possibly make use of materials and components qualified for terrestrial use, that are conformed to mechanical solicitations and thermal specifications relatively modest, it is therefore necessary to apply new technologies.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A first object of the present invention it is therefore to provide a structure for the heat exchange, having performances similar to that of the traditional aluminium honeycomb panels, but that can be applied on several faces of the equipment box and which is not rigid, having elastic and shock absorbing properties for dynamically de-coupling the equipment from the containing structure of the satellite.
A second object of the present invention it is to render the mechanical solicitations of a space vehicle lowest possible avoiding every rigid mechanical joint between the equipment boxes and the main structure of the satellite.
Moreover, thanks to the insertion of the electronic equipment in a pressurised hermetic box containing air at terrestrial pressure, and thanks to a forced ventilation system, an efficient heat exchange, between the inside and the outside of the container, is obtained by convection.
These and other objects are reached by the structures according to the present invention, as claimed in the enclosed claims.
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Chervinsky Boris L.
Negesat di Boer Fabrizio & C.S.N.C.
Paul & Paul
Picard Leo P.
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