Small-GEO Satellite: Electrical Propulsion Sub-System (EPPS) Thermal Design and Lessons Learnt

摘要

Small-GEO is a general-purpose small geostationary satellite platform that is givingEuropean industry the opportunity to play a significant role in the commercial telecommarket. Small-GEO has been developed by an industrial team managed by OHB System SE.The Thermal Control System (TCS) Critical Design Review (CDR) close-out wassuccessfully closed and the integration tasks have just been accomplished. The satellite isnow on his way to Thermal Vacuum (TVAC) test facility. Small-GEO foresees threedifferent types of propulsion systems, namely chemical, electrical and cold gas. This paperdescribes the Satellite Platform Electrical Propulsion Sub-System (EPPS) thermal controlwhich uses mainly passive concepts complemented with heaters either thermostatically orsoftware regulated. The sizing cases used to design the thermal control system will bepresented as well as the final predictions both for transfer and geostationary phases. TheEPPS design is mainly connected to the GEO phases. The EPPS provides, with electricpropulsion thrusters, the impulse for orbit control, as well as for dissipation of excessangular momentum that is accumulated in the reaction wheels. An overview of the sizingfiring scenarios will be presented; they involve not only the thrusters but the control unitsand the related piping too. Then the most relevant results will be shown and discussed. Thelast part of the paper deals with the problems encountered, the solutions adopted and thelessons learnt during the design and optimization steps.