Modares Mechanical Engineering

Modares Mechanical Engineering

Construction of a Space Panel Radiator Equipped with a Heat Pipe Based on the Optimization of the Maximum Uniformity of Temperature Distribution Against the Minimum Mass

Document Type : Original Research

Authors
amir amini
Abdollah Fani Sani
Isar Dashti Gohari
Mohammad Sadegh Berenjkoub
Saeed Asghari
ranian Space Research Center
10.48311/MME.24.4.203
Abstract
Waste heat dissipation from spacecraft subsystems is crucial due to spatial limitations (no convective heat transfer, limited electrical power, lightweight, and high reliability). Radiators are often responsible for collecting and dissipating this waste heat into cold space. Panel radiators are widely used in various satellites, including scientific, communication, and remote sensing satellites. In scientific satellites, panel radiators are used to dissipate heat generated by scientific instruments such as cameras and spectrometers. In communication satellites, panel radiators are used to dissipate heat generated by power amplifiers. In remote sensing satellites, panel radiators are used to dissipate heat generated by sensors and processors. High efficiency, light weight, and high reliability are the advantages of using this equipment. The main challenge in using it is to provide sufficient heat dissipation area and uniformity of the surface temperature when radiating waste heat to the cold environment (space). The use of heat pipes in the panel radiator structure provides this uniformity. A heat pipe radiator consists of a sandwich panel with an embedded network of heat pipes. Increasing the number of heat pipes reduces the temperature gradient across the radiator surface but increases the radiator weight. Due to the importance of equipment lightness in space systems, optimization of the number of pipes and their geometric arrangement in the radiator should be such that maximum temperature uniformity on the surface and minimum radiator weight are achieved. The objective of this research is to optimize the performance of a radiator (maximum temperature uniformity on the surface) to achieve minimum weight while considering the weight and size constraints imposed by the system designer as requirements. Initially, a mathematical model is developed and solved numerically, and the effect of design parameters on the performance of a panel radiator, including face and core thickness, spacing between heat pipes, mass, and surface area, is comprehensively investigated. Based on the simulation results, considering the weight limitations and existing face and core thicknesses, the maximum allowable spacing between heat pipes is calculated to achieve maximum efficiency of the panel radiator. A network of heat pipes with this characteristic was produced and used in the panel sandwich. The results obtained from testing the manufactured panel radiator were compared with the design efficiency to validate the model. Based on the experimental results, an efficiency of 89% was obtained at a root temperature of 39°C. The error of this efficiency with the efficiency calculated from the theory is about 3%.
Keywords
Heat Transfer
space
Panel Radiator
Heat pipe
Optimization

Subjects

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Modares Mechanical Engineering
Volume 24, Issue 4
March 2024
Pages 203-213