PREDICTION OF SPACE VEHICLE THERMAL CHARACTERISTICS
Abstract
The first phase of a program to improve the prediction of spacecraft thermal performance is reported. The study has consisted of measuring actual joint thermal conductance, correlation of the measured joint conductance, programming an improved method of thermal radiation analysis, and performing an experimental comparison of predicted radiation exchange for a simple geometrical system. Three types of structural and three sizes of component mounting joints were tested and the conductances measured. A successful method of correlation was developed for the unfilled component mounting joints. A method of radiation analysis has been programmed which uses directional thermal radiation properties and accounts for the specularity and/or diffuseness of these properties. The results of this program can be readily incorporated into most existing thermal analysis programs. The user has the choice of the specular, the diffuse, or the specular-diffuse assumption. The prediction of radiation exchange using these assumptions for simple geometrical arrangements has been compared to experiment. Although the results were within the over-all experimental tolerances, further improvement in the predicted values is believed possible.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 1965
- Accession Number
- AD0472558
Entities
People
- B. R. Loya
- E. E. Luedke
- J. T. Bevans
- T. Ishimoto
Organizations
- TRW Inc.