Thermal Management for High Power Cubesats

Autor: Yendler, Boris, Meginnis, Ashton, Reif, Adam
Rok vydání: 2020
Předmět:
Zdroj: Small Satellite Conference
Popis: Thermal management systems for small satellites have traditionally been neglected entirely or only considered as an afterthought. This approach to small satellite systems design is no longer acceptable as technology has matured over the past decade and payload operational power has increased. Higher power leads to an increase in waste heat generated on-orbit. Trends in industry indicate that power demand for small satellite class (10-100 kg) can reach up to kilowatt range in the near future. A scalable Thermal Management System (TMS) has been developed which is applicable to small satellites ranging from CubeSats to ESPA class spacecraft. The TMS can handle up to 1 kW of waste heat. The TMS solution leverages breakthroughs in additive manufacturing, flexible heat pipes, and material science to dissipate extremely large quantities of waste heat in a small SWaP system. The system consists of: A rollout deployable radiator maximizing radiation of heat into space. Structurally integrated heat pipes for efficient heat transport; Energy storage based on a Phase Change Material (PCM) for mitigation of extreme temperature excursions to peak power The TMS is a modular system, flexible to be customized to particular mission requirements and spacecraft form factor. The paper discusses the TMS concept, components, and challenges. Performance evaluation is demonstrated. The TMS development has been sponsored by the United States Air Force Research Laboratory.
Databáze: OpenAIRE