US12398704 - Thermally-enhanced and deployable structures

The patent describes a thermally-enhanced deployable structure that utilizes shape-memory materials and heat pipes to manage thermal energy, particularly in flight vehicles with solar collectors. The system includes shape-changeable hinges that enable the structure to adapt its form while effectively transferring thermal energy along the hinges.

Claim 1

1. A system comprising: a flight vehicle; one or more deployable panels, each deployable panel comprising multiple solar collectors disposed on the deployable panel; and one or more shape-changeable hinges coupled to the one or more deployable panels and the flight vehicle; wherein each of the one or more shape-changeable hinges comprises: a lid; a body; one or more morphable regions forming a first portion of the lid and the body, the one or more morphable regions comprising one or more shape-memory materials configured to cause a shape of the hinge to change; one or more adiabatic regions disposed adjacent to the one or more morphable regions and forming a second portion of the lid and the body, wherein the one or more adiabatic regions are coated with one or more insulative materials; one or more heat pipes embedded in the one or more morphable regions and the one or more adiabatic regions, the one or more heat pipes configured to receive thermal energy from the solar collectors and transfer the thermal energy at least partially along a length of the hinge, the one or more heat pipes having a shape formed by one or more first indentations formed in an inner surface of the lid and one or more second indentations formed in an inner surface of the body, the one or more first indentations and the one or more second indentations aligning with each other to form the one or more heat pipes; and wherein only the one or more morphable regions include the one or more shape-memory materials and the one or more adiabatic regions are formed from one or more other materials having high thermal conductivity. a flight vehicle; one or more deployable panels, each deployable panel comprising multiple solar collectors disposed on the deployable panel; and one or more shape-changeable hinges coupled to the one or more deployable panels and the flight vehicle; wherein each of the one or more shape-changeable hinges comprises: a lid; a body; one or more morphable regions forming a first portion of the lid and the body, the one or more morphable regions comprising one or more shape-memory materials configured to cause a shape of the hinge to change; one or more adiabatic regions disposed adjacent to the one or more morphable regions and forming a second portion of the lid and the body, wherein the one or more adiabatic regions are coated with one or more insulative materials; one or more heat pipes embedded in the one or more morphable regions and the one or more adiabatic regions, the one or more heat pipes configured to receive thermal energy from the solar collectors and transfer the thermal energy at least partially along a length of the hinge, the one or more heat pipes having a shape formed by one or more first indentations formed in an inner surface of the lid and one or more second indentations formed in an inner surface of the body, the one or more first indentations and the one or more second indentations aligning with each other to form the one or more heat pipes; and a lid; a body; one or more morphable regions forming a first portion of the lid and the body, the one or more morphable regions comprising one or more shape-memory materials configured to cause a shape of the hinge to change; one or more adiabatic regions disposed adjacent to the one or more morphable regions and forming a second portion of the lid and the body, wherein the one or more adiabatic regions are coated with one or more insulative materials; one or more heat pipes embedded in the one or more morphable regions and the one or more adiabatic regions, the one or more heat pipes configured to receive thermal energy from the solar collectors and transfer the thermal energy at least partially along a length of the hinge, the one or more heat pipes having a shape formed by one or more first indentations formed in an inner surface of the lid and one or more second indentations formed in an inner surface of the body, the one or more first indentations and the one or more second indentations aligning with each other to form the one or more heat pipes; and wherein only the one or more morphable regions include the one or more shape-memory materials and the one or more adiabatic regions are formed from one or more other materials having high thermal conductivity.

Google Patents

https://patents.google.com/patent/US12398704

USPTO PDF

https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/12398704