Session
Pre-Conference Workshop Session VI: Advanced Concepts III
Location
Utah State University, Logan, UT
Abstract
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.
Thermal Management for High Power Cubesats
Utah State University, Logan, UT
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.
