Thermal distortion analysis of the Space Station solar dynamic concentratorA method was developed to evaluate the thermal distortion of the Space Station Solar Dynamic Concentrator and the effects of thermal distortion on concentrator optical performance. The analytical method includes generating temperature distributions with TRASYS and SINDA models, interfacing the SINDA results with the SINDA-NASTRAN Interface Program (SNIP), calculating thermal distortion with a NASTRAN/PATRAN finite element model, and providing flux distribution maps within the receiver with the ray tracing OFFSET program. Temperature distributions, thermally induced slope errors, and flux distribution maps within the receiver are discussed. Results during a typical orbit indicate that temperatures of the hexagonal panels and triangular facets range between -18 and 99 C (-1 to 210 F), facet rotations are less than 0.2 mrad, and a change in facet radius due to thermal flattening is less than 5 percent. The predicted power loss with thermal distortion effects was less than 0.3 percent. The thermal distortion of the Solar Dynamic concentrator has negligible effect on the flux distribution within the receiver cavity.
Document ID
19890027970
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Trudell, Jeffery J. (NASA Lewis Research Center Cleveland, OH, United States)
Jefferies, Kent S. (NASA Lewis Research Center Cleveland, OH, United States)
Baumeister, Joseph F. (NASA Lewis Research Center; Analex Corp. Cleveland, OH, United States)
Dalsania, Vithal (NASA Lewis Research Center; W. L. Tanksley and Associates, Inc. Cleveland, OH, United States)