Session
Session II: Advanced Concepts I
Location
Utah State University, Logan, UT
Abstract
Small satellites often face thermal control challenges due to their restricted power and low thermal capacitance (leading to wide temperature swings). Smart Radiator Devices (SRDs) provide a spacecraft with improved passive thermal control over traditional radiator materials as their thermal properties change with temperature. SRDs reduce the power consumed by a satellite’s thermal control system as they facilitate rapid radiative heat transfer when the spacecraft is hot while suppressing radiation when cold, thereby reducing the heater power required to maintain acceptable temperatures. The SRD emissivity variations also reduce the spacecraft temperature variability due to their tighter thermal control. In this paper, we study the benefits of an SRD that transitions emissivity from low to high at approximately 25⁰C, increasing its radiative heat transfer and allowing the host spacecraft to cool more quickly. We performed thermal vacuum testing on an SRD mounted to a representative model of a CubeSat panel. We discuss the results of this testing, the lessons learned through this process, and the next steps with this research.
An Experimental Study of a Smart Radiator Device for Enhanced Passive Thermal Control of Small Spacecraft
Utah State University, Logan, UT
Small satellites often face thermal control challenges due to their restricted power and low thermal capacitance (leading to wide temperature swings). Smart Radiator Devices (SRDs) provide a spacecraft with improved passive thermal control over traditional radiator materials as their thermal properties change with temperature. SRDs reduce the power consumed by a satellite’s thermal control system as they facilitate rapid radiative heat transfer when the spacecraft is hot while suppressing radiation when cold, thereby reducing the heater power required to maintain acceptable temperatures. The SRD emissivity variations also reduce the spacecraft temperature variability due to their tighter thermal control. In this paper, we study the benefits of an SRD that transitions emissivity from low to high at approximately 25⁰C, increasing its radiative heat transfer and allowing the host spacecraft to cool more quickly. We performed thermal vacuum testing on an SRD mounted to a representative model of a CubeSat panel. We discuss the results of this testing, the lessons learned through this process, and the next steps with this research.
