Abstract
The volume of magnetic components for space applications, directly related to the launch cost, and their performance are critically influenced by their capability to dissipate the internal electromagnetic power losses. This is the reason why accurate thermal models are required. Furthermore, these models need to be simple and versatile to allow a fast analysis of many different designs. In this study, a specific methodology to analyze inductors and transformers by thermal networks and a simplification based on the Thevenin’s theorem leading to a simple equation are proposed. The specific details to address thermal modelling for space magnetic components are discussed. A generic 50 W Flyback transformer for space applications is analyzed in this study and experimental validation is provided, showing that the proposed method leads to a deviation in the temperature estimation between 1 °C and 5 °C, which is considered quite a good result from the literature review carried out.
Highlights
The spacecraft power systems are designed so that they are fully operational for 15 years [1], exposed to the extreme environmental conditions of space
The verification of the proposed thermal network was achieved through a series of experiments using the setups described in Section 3.1 in which the steady-state temperature increment in each thermocoulple over the Printed Circuit Board (PCB), registered after the thermal balance in the thermocouples was rached, was measured under different electrical configurations
The electrical configuration of each of those experiments can be found in Table 8 whereas the reached steady-state temperature increment over the PCB in each thermocouple are shown in Figures 18–20, being the sample number the number of the experiment in which those values where recorded.Those figures show the estimated temperature increment using the detailed thermal network (Figure 7) labeled as ’Detailed thermal network ’, the proposed simplified network (Figure 17, whose behaviour is characterized by the Equation (21), the label ’Simplified Equation’ in the legend) and the least-squares best-fit line obtained with the Regression Learner Matlab Toolbox, labeled as ’Linear regression’
Summary
The spacecraft power systems are designed so that they are fully operational for 15 years [1], exposed to the extreme environmental conditions of space. Some regulations regarding the thermal limits for the on-board electronic equipment in satellites are defined by the MIL and ECSS standards [2,3,4,5,6]. Complying with these regulations ensures a safe operation from the thermal point of view, but might bring some thermal design challenges. These regulations are considered in this paper; as a result, the magnetic component analyzed in this paper must keep its hotspot temperature below 50 ◦ C over the Printed Circuit Board (PCB) temperature.
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