Articulating radiator system

Abstract

Radiator systems are provided. A radiator system may have a housing having a support structure, one or more stationary panels connected to the support structure and having insulation, and an internal volume at least partially defined by the one or more stationary panels, by a first opening, and by a second opening, a plurality of articulating radiator panels, each articulating radiator panel being movably connected to the support structure, having an inner surface with one or more coolant channels and/or one or more heat pipes, having an exterior surface opposite the inner surface, and having insulation, and a movement mechanism connected to the support structure and the plurality of articulating radiator panels, and configured to move each of the articulating radiator panels with respect to the support structure.

1 . A radiator system, comprising:
 a housing having a support structure, one or more stationary panels connected to the support structure and having insulation, and an internal volume at least partially defined by the one or more stationary panels, by a first opening, and by a second opening;   a plurality of articulating radiator panels, wherein each articulating radiator panel is movably connected to the support structure, has an inner surface with one or more coolant channels and/or one or more heat pipes, has an exterior surface opposite the inner surface, and has insulation; and   a movement mechanism connected to the support structure and the plurality of articulating radiator panels, and configured to move each of the articulating radiator panels with respect to the support structure, wherein:
 a first articulating radiator panel is positioned adjacent to the first opening, 
 the first articulating radiator panel is configured to be positioned in a first open position and a first closed position, 
 in the first closed position, the first articulating radiator panel covers the first opening, faces the interior volume, and is configured to thermally insulate the interior volume at the first opening, 
 in the first open position, the first articulating radiator panel does not cover the first opening, the one or more coolant channels and/or one or more heat pipes of the first articulating radiator panel are configured to radiate heat into the environment outside the housing, and the internal volume is exposed to the environment outside the housing through the first opening, 
 a second articulating radiator panel is positioned adjacent to the second opening, 
 the second articulating radiator panel is configured to be positioned in a second open position and a second closed position, 
 in the second closed position, the second articulating radiator panel covers the second opening, faces the interior volume, and is configured to thermally insulate the interior volume at the second opening, and 
 in the second open position, the second articulating radiator panel does not cover the second opening, the one or more coolant channels and/or one or more heat pipes of the second articulating radiator panel are configured to reject heat into the environment outside the housing, and the internal volume is exposed to the environment outside the housing through the second opening.) 
   
     
     
         2 . The radiator system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 in the first closed position, the one or more coolant channels and/or one or more heat pipes of the first articulating radiator panel are configured to radiate heat into the interior volume, and   in the second closed position, the one or more coolant channels and/or one or more heat pipes of the second articulating radiator panel are configured to radiate heat into the interior volume.   
     
     
         3 . The radiator system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 in the first closed position, the first articulating radiator panel is configured to reduce thermal energy in the internal volume from exiting through the first opening, and   in the second closed position, the second articulating radiator panel is configured to reduce thermal energy in the internal volume from exiting through the second opening.   
     
     
         4 . The radiator system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 in the first open position, the housing is configured such that thermal energy is configured to exit through the first opening to the environment outside the housing, and   in the second open position, the housing is configured such that thermal energy is configured to exit through the second opening to the environment outside the housing.   
     
     
         5 . The radiator system of  claim 1 , wherein the movement mechanism is configured to move the first articulating radiator panel and the second articulating radiator panel at the same time. 
     
     
         6 . The radiator system of  claim 1 , wherein the movement mechanism is configured to move the first articulating radiator panel independently of the second articulating radiator panel. 
     
     
         7 . The radiator system of  claim 1 , wherein the first articulating radiator panel is configured to move between the first open position and the first closed position by rotating about a first axis by about 130 degrees. 
     
     
         8 . The radiator system of  claim 1 , wherein the second articulating radiator panel is configured to move between the second open position and the second closed position by rotating about a second axis by about 60 degrees. 
     
     
         9 . The radiator system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first articulating radiator panel is configured to be positioned by the movement mechanism in a plurality of partially open first positions, and   the second articulating radiator panel is configured to be positioned by the movement mechanism in a plurality of partially open second positions.   
     
     
         10 . The radiator system of  claim 1 , wherein when the first articulating radiator panel is in the first closed position and the second articulating radiator panel is in the second closed position, the interior volume is insulated such that less than 10% of heat loss occurs between the interior volume and the environment outside housing. 
     
     
         11 . The radiator system of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more second coolant channels and/or one or more second heat pipes positioned in the interior volume, wherein:
 in the first open position, the one or more second coolant channels and/or one or more second heat pipes are configured to radiate heat into the environment outside the housing through the first opening, and   in the second open position, the one or more second coolant channels and/or one or more second heat pipes are configured to radiate heat into the environment outside the housing through the second opening.   
     
     
         12 . The radiator system of  claim 11 , further comprising a module positioned in the interior volume, wherein:
 the module has a radiative external surface configured to radiate heat into the interior volume,   the one or more second coolant channels and/or one or more second heat pipes are in contact with the radiative external surface of the module,   in the first open position, the module is configured to radiate heat into the environment outside the housing through the first opening, and   in the second open position, the module is configured to radiate heat into the environment outside the housing through the second opening.   
     
     
         13 . The radiator system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first articulating radiator panel is configured to rotate back and forth between a first partially open position and a second partially open position, and   the second articulating radiator panel is configured to rotate back and forth between a third partially open position and a fourth partially open position.   
     
     
         14 . The radiator system of  claim 13 , wherein the rotating back and forth by the first articulating radiator panel and the second articulating radiator panel is configured to shake off dust and debris. 
     
     
         15 . The radiator system of  claim 1 , wherein the movement mechanism comprises one or more shape memory alloys. 
     
     
         16 . The radiator system of  claim 1 , wherein the inner surface of each articulating radiator panel has the one or more coolant channels. 
     
     
         17 . The radiator system of  claim 1 , wherein the inner surface of each articulating radiator panel has the one or more heat pipes. 
     
     
         18 . The radiator system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 in the first closed position, the first articulating radiator panel is configured to cover and seal the first opening and thereby reduce the ingress of dust or debris through the first opening, and   in the second closed position, the second articulating radiator panel is configured to cover and seal the second opening and thereby reduce the ingress of dust or debris through the second opening.