High Temperature Latent Heat Thermal Energy Storage to Augment Solar Thermal Propulsion for Microsatellites

Abstract

Solar thermal propulsion (STP) has over 50 years of developmental history and offers a compromise between thrust and efficiency. No solar thermal spacecraft have been flown due to complicated architecure, system scale and adverse mission impact. It is proposed here that a bi modal solar thermal microsatellite has the potential to greatly increase the operating envelope of the platform. The development of high temperature latent heat thermal energy storage is currently an enabling technology.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 01, 2014
Accession Number
ADA614023

Entities

People

  • David B. Scharfe
  • Gilpin
  • Marcus P. Young
  • Matthew R.
  • Rebecca N. Webb

Organizations

  • Air Force Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Air Force Research Laboratories
  • Electric Propulsion
  • Energy
  • Energy Storage
  • Experimental Data
  • Hall Effect
  • Heat Energy
  • High Temperature
  • Latent Heat
  • Materials
  • Microsatellites
  • Payload
  • Predictive Modeling
  • Propellants
  • Solar Furnaces
  • Thrusters

Readers

  • Space Exploration and Orbital Mechanics.
  • Systems Analysis and Design
  • Thermal Physics or Thermal Science.

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Hall-Effect Thruster
  • Space - Satellites