Thermal design and flight validation for laser communicator equipment

Abstract

Laser communicator equipment, designed for advanced optical communication, with a large capacity communication, good encryption and lightweight structures, etc., has a wide range of applications. As for the special transmission characteristic of optical communication, laser phase in the transmission path should be accurate, and less thermal deformation for the optical parts is required in the working process, so the laser communicator equipment has a high level requirement for temperature. Large power units cooling, outer two-dimensional rotating units, temperature control for rotating cable, and high temperature stability and equality, bring a challenge for thermal design. Using structure –electric-thermo-optical integration technology, active and passive thermal control methods are adopt in thermal design for laser communicator equipment: heat-conducted plate and heat pipe were adopted for heat transfer of high heat-flux parts, a new passive and active thermal control method to solve cable cryogenic problems, and high precision temperature control methods were applied for key parts. In-orbit data were analyzed, and the results prove the thermal design correct, and bring a way to thermal control for the equipment with high heat flux and running parts.