DEVELOPMENT AND FLIGHT OPERATION OF LHP USED FOR COOLING NICKEL-CADMIUM BATTERIES IN CHINESE METEOROLOGICAL SATELLITES FY-1

摘要

In 1995 TAIS Ltd developed and manufactured Thermal Control System (TCS) on base of Loop Heat Pipes {LHP) for Nickel-Cadmium Batteries (NCB) Cooling. This TCS was ordered by Shanghai Institute of Spacecraft Engineering for Chinese meteorological satellite of FY-1 type. Now two FY-1 satellites with LHP are successfully operating in orbit for five years. The design schematics of TCS, the results of thermal vacuum tests, description of Nickel-Cadmium batteries TCS layout on board FY-1 C meteorological satellite, test results of TSC integration into satellite and flight telemetry data are presented in this paper.