JPH0332520B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Technical Field) The present invention relates to a thermal control device, and in particular to a thermal control device that utilizes thermal expansion diffusion of a material having thermal expansion characteristics.
The present invention relates to a thermal control device that improves its functionality.

(Prior art) Conventionally, for example, in outer space, in a space vehicle such as an artificial satellite that is on a predetermined orbit and carries out a desired mission, the spacecraft is mounted on an artificial satellite due to the thermally harsh space environment. A thermal control system is generally provided to protect various equipment, balance temperature rises caused by the amount of heat generated within the satellite, and create a temperature environment in which the various onboard equipment can operate normally. There is.

As a thermal control method applied to the thermal control system installed in this artificial satellite, for example, the surface of the outer surface of the artificial satellite that is irradiated with sunlight is heated by the temperature inside the artificial satellite due to solar radiation heat. In order to suppress the rise, thermal louvers or thermal blankets are equipped with mechanical operating mechanisms to ensure that the influence of solar radiant heat on the temperature environment inside the satellite is always within an appropriate level. The amount of heat input into the satellite is controlled and regulated to maintain this. However, the above thermal
In the case of louvers, the amount of heat input is controlled and adjusted by opening and closing predetermined blades provided on the heat control panel via a movable mechanism in response to radiant heat input from sunlight. However, there is a drawback that the intervention of the movable mechanism becomes a factor in deteriorating the reliability of the artificial satellite, and as a result, the mission life of the artificial satellite may be shortened. In addition, in the case of thermal blankets, due to the nature of the blanket, the reflectance of thermal radiation from sunlight is constant, so it is not always possible to appropriately control and adjust the amount of heat input in response to changes in the angle of incidence of sunlight. The disadvantage is that it cannot be done.

(Object of the invention) The object of the present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks and to provide an expander container containing a specific material having thermal expansion properties;
By providing an expansion body diffusion section in which the specific substance that expands in response to thermal radiation is diffused in correspondence with the thermal control surface, a movable mechanism is not required, the reliability of the thermal control system is increased, and the system is extremely simple. An object of the present invention is to provide a thermal control method that can improve thermal control characteristics depending on the configuration.

(Structure of the Invention) The structure of the present invention is a thermal control device having means for preventing a temperature rise in a predetermined protected space due to incidence of specific thermal radiation, which exhibits fluidity under a predetermined temperature condition and has thermal expansion property. A thermal expansion container configured to contain a specific material that has properties and also has heat insulation properties and is arranged to face the incidence of the specific thermal radiation, and as part of a structure that holds the space. The thermal expansion container is configured such that the specific substance that thermally expands and diffuses flows in and is filled in response to the incidence of the specific thermal radiation on the thermal expansion container; and an expansion body diffusion section arranged to block the expansion body.

(Embodiments of the Invention) Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIGS. 1a and 1b are conceptual external views of only the main body of an artificial satellite in the case where an embodiment of the present invention is applied to a thermal control system of an artificial satellite.

In FIG. 1, on the thermal control surface of the satellite main body 1, there is an expander container 2 for storing mercury, which is used as an example of the specific substance, and an expander container 2 for storing mercury, which is used as an example of the specific substance, and a container for storing mercury, which expands and diffuses due to sunlight. A thermal expansion diffusion section 3 serving as a saucer is provided. In this embodiment, the expanding body diffusion section 3 is formed as a panel made of a material that is transparent to sunlight, and the mercury contained in the expanding body container 2 is inside the panel. Thin tubes that expand and diffuse due to the radiant heat of sunlight are arranged at predetermined intervals. When sunlight is incident on the thermal control surface, the mercury contained in the expansion body container 2 thermally expands and diffuses inside the capillary tube, thus forming an expansion body diffusion section 3. The permeability of the transparent panel is inhibited by the expanding and diffusing mercury, and furthermore, the mercury expands and diffuses as it is reflected by the mercury in the capillary tubes, and the area of the panel plays the role of a shading blade against sunlight. will come to fruition. In this case, as shown in FIG. 1, the amount of radiant heat input from sunlight differs between the incident solar light 101 and the incident solar light 102 due to the difference in the incident angle, and the incident angle In the case of the solar incident light 102 having a small value, the amount of expansion and diffusion of mercury becomes larger, and the area of the effective light-shielding region of the panel that acts as the light-shielding blade also becomes larger. Therefore, in response to changes in the angle of incidence of sunlight that enters the thermal control surface on which the expanding body diffusion section 3 is formed, the effective light-shielding area of the panel also changes, and the amount of sunlight that is taken into the satellite changes. The amount of heat input is appropriately controlled and adjusted.

In the above explanation, the expansion body diffusion section 3 formed on the thermal control surface is used to diffuse thermally expanding mercury into the inside of the panel made of a material that is transparent to sunlight. The case where the panel is constructed with thin tubes that extend through the tubes has been explained, but instead of the thin tubes, a predetermined gap is provided inside the panel made of a transparent material as described above to allow thermal expansion. It goes without saying that the present invention can be effectively applied to the case where the expanding body diffusion section 3 is configured to diffuse mercury. Further, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, an expander container 2 that stores mercury as a specific substance is provided at the peripheral edge of the thermal control surface of the satellite main body 1. The arrangement is not limited to only the peripheral part as described above, but in relation to the expansion body diffusion part 3 formed on the heat control surface, the radiant heat input by sunlight incident on the heat control surface is It is clear that the sensor may be provided at any location on the heat control surface and in relation to the heat control surface as long as the sensor function for the heat control surface is maintained. Furthermore, it goes without saying that physically similar substances other than mercury may be used as the specific substance.

(Effects of the Invention) As explained in detail above, the present invention provides an expander container that stores a specific material exhibiting fluidity under a predetermined temperature condition and having thermal expansion characteristics on a predetermined thermal control surface; By providing an expansion body diffusion section in which the specific substance that thermally expands upon receiving thermal radiation expands and diffuses, reliability can be improved and thermal control characteristics can be improved without providing a movable mechanism. There is.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIGS. 1a and 1b are conceptual external views of only the main body of an artificial satellite when an embodiment of the present invention is applied to a thermal control system of an artificial satellite. In the figure, 1...Satellite main body, 2...Inflatable body container, 3...Inflatable body diffusion section.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A thermal control device having means for preventing a temperature rise in a predetermined protected space due to incidence of specific thermal radiation, which exhibits fluidity under a predetermined temperature condition, has thermal expansion characteristics, and is heat insulating. a thermal expansion container configured to house a specific substance that also has properties and arranged to face the incidence of the specific thermal radiation, and configured as part of a structure that holds the space; The thermal expansion container is formed so that the specific substance that thermally expands and diffuses flows in and fills the thermal expansion container in response to incidence of specific radiation,
A thermal control device comprising: an expanding body diffusion section arranged to block incidence of the specific thermal radiation. 2. The heat control device according to claim 1, wherein the specific substance is mercury. 3. The thermal control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the specific thermal radiation is sunlight.