A LIGHTWEIGHT CARGO CARRIER SPACECRAFT THERMAL CONTROL SYSTEM DESIGN TECHNOLOGY

摘要

Cargo carrier spacecraft is an unmanned transfer vehicle for cargo transportation to space station, also a habitable module while it is berthed to space station. The thermal control system of cargo carrier spacecraft is used to maintain the spacecraft structure, avionics, cabin air temperature and the cabin air velocity within required limits. In order to increase cargo transportation capability by reducing cargo carrier spacecraft platform mass, a lightweight thermal control system is developed, which is based on combination of passive thermal measures with active convection and heating. The characteristics of thermal control system, heat loss of the pressurized cabin, air temperature control are analyzed and discussed in detail. The thermal control system was verified by system level thermal balance test and thermal analysis. The pressurized cabin air temperature can be maintained between 12.8 °C and 25.7 °C,pressurized cabin avionics temperature between 11.6 °C and 34.4 °C, unpressurized module avionics temperature between -7.6 °C and 28.1°C during both hot and cold test cases. All test temperature can be maintained within the required limits and the thermal control system can adapt well to pressurized cabin heat load variations from 240W to 990W. The thermal control system mass is merely 2% of the spacecraft total mass. The marked advantage of such a thermal control system design is lower mass and cost compared to any active thermal control system.