The use of scale models in ground tests reproducing heat transfer in space

摘要

It is suggested to use the method of experimental investigation of temperature conditions at the spacecraft with application of their reduced thermal models based on the similarity criteria formulated under the assumption of the mathematical nodal model of the studied object. Usually thermal-vacuum experiments with full-size object have tight time constraints due to a significant cost. However, on the basis of result of this limited experiment we can specify the parameters of the scale model developed using the nodal mathematical model. This correction ensures the compliance between the results of full-size and scale experiments. After that the scale thermal experiment can supplement the fullscale experiment due to investigation of thermal conditions, which cannot be reproduced experimentally in the full-scale experiment because of the limited resources. The suggested method will significantly expand the possibility to get reliable experimental data about the temperature modes of space objects without a considerable increase in costs.