The optimum radiator configuration in hot lunar thermal environments is one in which the radiator is parallel to the ground and has no view to the hot lunar surface. However, typical spacecraft configurations have limited real estate available for top-mounted radiators, resulting in a desire to use the spacecraft s vertically oriented sides. Vertically oriented, flat panel radiators will have a large view factor to the lunar surface, and thus will be subjected to significant incident lunar infrared heat. Consequently, radiator fluid temperatures will need to exceed approx.325 K (assuming standard spacecraft radiator optical properties) in order to provide positive heat rejection at lunar noon. Such temperatures are too high for crewed spacecraft applications in which a heat pump is to be avoided. A recent study of vertically oriented radiator configurations subjected to lunar noon thermal environments led to the discovery of a novel radiator concept that yielded positive heat rejection at lower fluid temperatures. This radiator configuration, called the Upright Lunar Terrain Radiator Assembly (ULTRA), has exhibited superior performance to all previously analyzed concepts in terms of heat rejection in the lunar noon thermal environment. A key benefit of the ULTRA is the absence of louvers or other moving parts and its simple geometry. Analysis of the ULTRA for a lunar extravehicular activity (EVA) portable life support system (PLSS) is shown to provide moderate heat rejection, on average, at all solar incident angles assuming an average radiator temperature of 294 K, whereas prior concepts exhibited insignificant heat rejection or heat absorption at higher incident angles. The performance of the ULTRA for a lunar lander is also discussed and compared to the performance of a vertically oriented, flat panel radiator at various lunar latitudes.


    Access

    Access via TIB

    Check availability in my library


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    Potential of a New Lunar Surface Radiator Concept for Hot Lunar Thermal Environments


    Contributors:

    Conference:

    38th International Conference on Environmental Systems ; 2008 ; San Francisco, CA, United States


    Publication date :

    2008-01-01


    Type of media :

    Conference paper


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English




    Potential of a New Lunar Surface Radiator Concept for Hot Lunar Thermal Environments

    Ochoa, Dustin A. / Trevino, Luis A. / Vogel, Matthew R. et al. | SAE Technical Papers | 2008



    Space Suit Radiator Performance in Lunar and Mars Environments

    Mason, Georgia R. / Paul, Heather L. / Nabity, James A. et al. | SAE Technical Papers | 2007


    Lunar Surface Innovation Extreme Environments

    Kevin Somervill / Benjamin Greenhagen / Jamie Porter | NTRS


    Unfurlable Radiator for Lunar Base Heat Rejection

    Donovan, Kenneth G. / Gernert, Nelson J. | SAE Technical Papers | 1994