Development and qualification of a Deployable Radiator in the frame of the European Horizon 2020 Pegasus program

摘要

Two-phase heat transfer systems have long been recognized as a key enabling technology for thermal control in space application, thanks to their thermal characteristics and passive two-phase capillary pumping system. The integration of this thermal control system in a lightweight deployable panel allows IberEspacio to generate a very demanding subsystem for the new generation of satellites: a DePloyable Radiator (DPR). This is a key technology for Thales Alenia Space, and other prime contractors, to increase the platform heat rejection capability, which is needed for the highly dissipative payloads where the satellite market is headed to. Large geostationary satellites, especially Very High Throughput Satellites (VHTS), are consistently evolving towards the need of a radiative surface extension to deal with their increased heat load. Also constellation satellites suffer from a lack of heat rejection surface due to their compact size. This opportunity allowed Thales Alenia Space and IberEspacio to work together on the qualification of a deployable radiator, under the Pegasus project, funded by the European Commission within Horizon 2020. A complete DPR, with an average heat rejection capability of 1 kW, as well as its main building blocks are being qualified. These main blocks are: (1) a lightweight panel with (2) embedded Loop Heat Pipes (LHP) filled with ammonia and (3) a deployment mechanism with flexible LHP (transport) lines. This building block approach allows IberEspacio to develop a scalable and modular DPR technology, that can be tailored to the platform interfaces and thermal requirements. The aim of this paper is to present the main activities (to be) performed during this Horizon 2020 Pegasus project, in order to increase the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of the deployable radiator subsystem.