Comparison of various thermal control methods for equipment — S/C panel interfaces

Abstract

Temperature control of equipment with high heat dissipation is an important issue in spacecraft thermal design. Removal of excess heat from a unit that is operating and to prevent it from reaching temperatures above the operating range may require use of thermal control means. The aim of this paper is to present the results of a parametrical study which compares the effect of various thermal control methods, including interface filler material, thermal doubler and heat pipe application, on temperature levels of the equipment and satellite structural panels. An analysis case without use of any thermal control methods, i.e. dry contact, is also included in the study for comparison purposes. A simple test problem representative of a satellite having a high dissipative unit on board is modeled. Pre-processing and post-processing steps of the analysis are carried out on MSC. Patran. MSC. Sinda is used as the numerical solver. A comparison of the temperature results of the scenarios that involve thermal control methods with respect to the results of the dry contact case show that heat pipe application is the most effective approach in terms of decreasing the equipment temperature. Using thermal fillers at the equipment — panel interface improves the quality of contact, keeping the temperature of the equipment at lower levels. Placing a thermal doubler at the interface has similar effect on temperature levels in comparison to the thermal filler, by spreading the heat to a larger area.