Laser Power Supply Thermo-Structural Analysis for the Mars 2020 Rover

Abstract

Operation of the laser power supply (LPS) module provides the dual challenge of high power dissipation and the need for strict dielectric isolation, while also needing to survive in an environment on Mars that will see a chilly nighttime temperature of -123 °C and a daytime instrument environment in excess of 50 °C. Additionally, power restrictions prevent the use of survival heating during the night. The harsh mechanical vibration environment of launch and landing provides an additional challenge to reliability. A multiphysics simulation was created, taking into account temperature property variations, as well as solving the transient analysis that also included rapid variation in power-pulsing during the operation of the laser. The steady-state analysis employed a more traditional finite element-based analysis, but with provisions for Mars gas convection and thermal radiation.