The performance of mission-critical components and systems within spacecraft and satellites requires the ability to control the local thermal environment. Under conditions of relatively constant component and system loading, this would involve radiative dissipation of both internally and externally generated heat loads and altering thermal balances to provide heating where necessary. As the local thermal load changes with component use, the need arises to alter the heat transfer rates and dissipation within the spacecraft. It is also desirable to be able to evaluate, reconfigure or repair space-based thermal control systems using only ground station commands. These needs can be met using a Plug-and-Play variable-emittance control system where operational analysis and reconfiguration is accomplished via an improved Universal Serial Bus (USB) or space-wire controlled architecture. This paper presents a modular, USB/space-wire-driven thermal control system using a solid-state thin-film infrared variable-emittance device (EclipseVEDTM) from Eclipse Energy Systems, Inc. The paper discusses critical issues including connectivity, device-control scale-up for the advancement of an integrated variable-emittance system, comparison of device weight to other variable emittance systems, the capacity to replace or repair devices in-flight, the survivability of the system in space and the importance of individual device control.


    Access

    Check access

    Check availability in my library

    Order at Subito €


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    Thermal management integration using plug-and-play variable emissivity devices


    Contributors:

    Conference:

    Sensors and Systems for Space Applications III ; 2009 ; Orlando,Florida,United States


    Published in:

    Publication date :

    2009-04-29





    Type of media :

    Conference paper


    Type of material :

    Electronic Resource


    Language :

    English



    Thermal Management Integration Using Plug-and-Play Variable Emissivity Devices

    Shannon, Kenneth / Demiryont, Hulya / Groger, Howard et al. | AIAA | 2008


    Thermal Management Integration Using Plug-and-Play Variable Emissivity Devices

    Shannon, K. / Demiryont, H. / Groger, H. et al. | British Library Conference Proceedings | 2008



    Evaluating Variable-Emissivity Surfaces for Radiative Thermal Control

    Barako, Michael T. / Howes, Austin / Sweatlock, Luke A. et al. | AIAA | 2022

    Free access

    Electrochromic Variable-Emissivity Surfaces

    Rauh, R. David / Cogan, Stuart F. | NTRS | 1988