JP Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer
Volume 21, Issue 1, Pages 133 - 149
(October 2020) http://dx.doi.org/10.17654/HM021010133 |
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PASSIVE THERMAL ANALYSIS OF A CUBESAT BY A FINITE ELEMENT MODELING
A. Akka and F. Benabdelouahab
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Abstract: Orbital spacecraft faces the problem of high thermal gradients or different thermal loads mediated by differential illumination from the Sun. The thermal control of a spacecraft ensures that the temperatures of its various parts are kept within their appropriate ranges. The simulation and prediction of temperatures in a spacecraft during a mission are usually carried out by commercial software packages. These software packages employ “lumped parameter” models that describe the spacecraft as a discrete network of nodes, with one energy-balance equation per node. The purpose of the paper is to present the thermal control subsystem for a picosatellite at a precise altitude in the low Earth orbit. Miniaturization of components enabled small-scale satellite projects, such as the CubeSat, to be used for scientific research in space. Although the integration of compact electronics allowed sophisticated scientific experiments and missions to be carried out in space, the thermal control options for such small satellites were limited. To minimize the mass of the thermal control subsystem while keeping the electronics at safe operating conditions, this paper presents a study of the thermal environment and passive thermal control system of a picosatellite using software that develops and markets finite element analysis, used to simulate engineering problems. This kind of software creates simulated computer models of structures, electronics, or machine components to simulate strength, toughness, temperature distribution, fluid flow, and other attributes. It is used to determine how a product will function with different specifications, without building test products or conducting space tests.
The purpose of this work is mainly based on the application of thermal loads, especially Sun loads, albedo and infrared Earth loads on simple picosatellite geometry and accurately simulate the heat flow in it, to predict its response to orbital conditions. A thermal mathematical equation evolves as and when variables are added, like emissivity and absorptivity, to approach the real state of the space environment. |
Keywords and phrases: passive thermal control, thermal radiation, CubeSat, finite element analysis, emissivity, absorptivity.
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