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Thermal Performance of Orion Active Thermal Control System With Seven-Panel Reduced-Curvature RadiatorThe active thermal control system (ATCS) of the crew exploration vehicle (Orion) uses radiator panels with fluid loops as the primary system to reject heat from spacecraft. The Lockheed Martin (LM) baseline Orion ATCS uses eight-panel radiator coated with silver Teflon coating (STC) for International Space Station (ISS) missions, and uses seven-panel radiator coated with AZ 93 white paint for lunar missions. As an option to increase the radiator area with minimal impact on other component locations and interfaces, the reduced-curvature (RC) radiator concept was introduced and investigated here for the thermal perspective. Each RC radiator panel has 15 percent more area than each Lockheed Martin (LM) baseline radiator panel. The objective was to determine if the RC seven-panel radiator concept could be used in the ATCS for both ISS and lunar missions. Three radiator configurations the LM baseline, an RC seven-panel radiator with STC, and an RC seven-panel radiator with AZ 93 coating were considered in the ATCS for ISS missions. Two radiator configurations the LM baseline and an RC seven-panel radiator with AZ 93 coating were considered in the ATCS for lunar missions. A Simulink/MATLAB model of the ATCS was used to compute the ATCS performance. Some major hot phases on the thermal timeline were selected because of concern about the large amount of water sublimated for thermal topping. It was concluded that an ATCS with an RC seven-panel radiator could be used for both ISS and lunar missions, but with two different coatings STC for ISS missions and AZ 93 for lunar missions to provide performance similar to or better than that of the LM baseline ATCS.
Document ID
20100040420
Acquisition Source
Glenn Research Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Wang, Xiao-Yen J.
(NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH, United States)
Yuko, James R.
(NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH, United States)
Date Acquired
August 25, 2013
Publication Date
October 1, 2010
Subject Category
Fluid Mechanics And Thermodynamics
Report/Patent Number
NASA/TM-2010-216893
E-17472
Meeting Information
Meeting: Thermal and Fluids Analysis Workshop (TFAWS)
Location: Houston, TX
Country: United States
Start Date: August 16, 2010
End Date: August 20, 2010
Sponsors: NASA Headquarters
Funding Number(s)
WBS: WBS 644423.06.32.01.03
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.
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