Spacecraft Heat Rejection Methods: Active and Passive Heat Transfer for Electronic Systems.
Abstract
A Phase I program has been completed which investigated the application of innovative methods for enhance heat transport and storage in avionics, spacecraft and electronics systems. Microencapsulated phase change materials (PCMs) in a two-component water slurry were used with an active liquid-coupled, closed-loop system to provide significant enhancement of both the thermal capacitance and the heat transfer coefficients. The Phase I effort also sponsored the design and testing of a novel, miniature heat exchanger/thermal coupler and demonstrated the conceptual feasibility of removing excess heat from a simulated microelectronics device with internal 500 micron passages. No destruction of the microscopic PCM capsules was observed in the pumping process. In addition, both microencapsulated and pure PCM were used to passively reduce the temperature extremes of electronic components during transient surges as well as demonstrate the effectiveness of a PCM-filled flexible blanket for passive shielding from intense bursts of thermal irradiation of convective loads.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 29, 1986
- Accession Number
- ADA174719
Entities
People
- David P. Colvin
- James C. Mulligan