Estimating Payload Internal Temperatures and Radiator Size for Multimegawatt Space Platforms

摘要

A conceptual space platform consists of a payload, a power conditioning unit (PCU), and two radiators: the main radiator and a secondary radiator. A computer program was written to determine the required size of the two radiators and the temperatures of the PCU and payload for a given platform power level. An iterative approach is necessary because the required size of the main radiator depends on the size of the secondary radiator and vice versa. Also, the temperatures of the payload and PCU depend on the size of the radiators. The program user can subdivide the two radiators into any number of nodes to increase the accuracy of the radiant heat transfer solution. The use of more nodes also allows better prediction of the nonlinear temperature drop that occurs across the radiators as the working fluid deposits the platform's waste heat in the radiator. View factor expressions are automatically calculated for different choices of the number of nodes. The user can also select different separation distances between the various platform structures. A model is included to couple the radiant and conduction heat transfer that occurs between the payload and its meteoroid shell and between the PCU and its shell. Also, the program allows the use of a refrigerator to cool the payload. If a refrigerator is used, the program determines the amount of additional thermal power needed to run the refrigerator. The results of parametric calculations are included to demonstrate the use of the program. (ERA citation 12:049155)