US 12,227,312 B2
System and method for thermal control of powered systems on-board a flight vehicle using phase change materials (PCMs)
Brendon R. Holt, Tucson, AZ (US); Gerald P. Uyeno, Tucson, AZ (US); Vanessa Reyna, Tucson, AZ (US); Olga Vargas, Tucson, AZ (US); Jordan Sawyer, Marana, AZ (US); and Brayden Peery, Vail, AZ (US)
Assigned to Raytheon Company, Arlington, VA (US)
Filed by Raytheon Company, Arlington, VA (US)
Filed on Sep. 17, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/478,440.
Prior Publication US 2023/0087209 A1, Mar. 23, 2023
Int. Cl. B64G 1/58 (2006.01); B64G 1/00 (2006.01); B64G 1/50 (2006.01)
CPC B64G 1/50 (2013.01) [B64G 1/002 (2013.01); B64G 1/58 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of, maintaining a desired operating temperature for a powered system on-board a flight vehicle, the method comprising:
placing a reservoir containing a phase change material (PCM) in direct thermal contact with the powered system on-board the flight vehicle, said PCM having a melting point temperature at or less than the desired operating temperature and said melting point temperature lying between 20° C. and 45° C.;
prior to launching the flight vehicle,
mounting the flight vehicle on a launch platform,
thermocoupling a cold plate to the reservoir, and
using a cooling source to extract heat from the cold plate to lower the temperature of the cold plate to lower the temperature of the PCM to below its melting point to solidify the PCM pre-launch, and
during flight, activating the powered system thereby generating waste heat that is transferred to the reservoir to initiate a phase change of the solid PCM to a liquid state at the melting point temperature thereby maintaining the temperature of the powered device at the desired operating temperature.