Session
Technical Session VIII: Advanced Technologies I
Abstract
Limitations on electrical power for survival heating and reduced thermal mass can often lead to challenges in maintaining allowable flight temperature limits and ensuring temperature stability for microspacecraft hardware. To address these thermal issues, technologies such as variable-emittance thermal radiators based on thin-film electrochromic materials are being investigated at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for microspacecraft applications. Electrochromic materials feature the ability to alter their reflectance in the infra-red wavelengths in response to changes in an applied bias voltage. As a result, thin-film electrochromic materials can be packaged as low-mass, low-power devices that possess the same thermal control functionality as conventional mechanical louvers. The present paper details work done at JPL to develop a microspacecraft thermal control architecture featuring an electrochromic radiator as the primary thermal control device. The microspacecraft application is an ultra-low mass (less than 3 kg) free-flying microsatellite designed for host-vehicle inspection. An electrochromic surface developed by Ashwin-Ushas Corporation is used to control the waste heat lost to space by modulating the effective emittance of the thermal radiator.
Presentation Slides
Electrochromic Radiators for Microspacecraft Thermal Control
Limitations on electrical power for survival heating and reduced thermal mass can often lead to challenges in maintaining allowable flight temperature limits and ensuring temperature stability for microspacecraft hardware. To address these thermal issues, technologies such as variable-emittance thermal radiators based on thin-film electrochromic materials are being investigated at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for microspacecraft applications. Electrochromic materials feature the ability to alter their reflectance in the infra-red wavelengths in response to changes in an applied bias voltage. As a result, thin-film electrochromic materials can be packaged as low-mass, low-power devices that possess the same thermal control functionality as conventional mechanical louvers. The present paper details work done at JPL to develop a microspacecraft thermal control architecture featuring an electrochromic radiator as the primary thermal control device. The microspacecraft application is an ultra-low mass (less than 3 kg) free-flying microsatellite designed for host-vehicle inspection. An electrochromic surface developed by Ashwin-Ushas Corporation is used to control the waste heat lost to space by modulating the effective emittance of the thermal radiator.
