DEVELOPMENT OF A THERMAL DESIGN MODEL FOR A SMALL SPACECRAFT WITH AN INTEGRATED HEAT PIPE

Abstract

Thermal management is essential to ensure maximum performance and mission success. The temperature conditions apply to each payload component and to the spacecraft as a whole. These specifications may include a range of operating temperatures, exceeding which may lead to deterioration or irreversible damage to a part of the satellite. Heat pipes are very useful for cooling satellites and temperature stabilization due to their lighter weight, low maintenance, and high durability. The aim of the research is to achieve a deeper comprehension of the heat pipe thermodynamic processes and design new satellite heat transfer network. For this goal, a lumped parameter model for network of heat pipes has been developed with the finite element model to conduct a combined thermal assessment and address significant technical difficulties, such as spacecraft cooling. The proposed model can be improved and used as an effective heat transfer system of the satellite in the future. Keywords: heat pipe, lumped parameter model, heat transfer, satellite, thermal equilibrium