Effective Emissivity of Dusted A276 and Performance of Electrodynamic Dust Shield

The thermal impact of dust coverage on radiators is a significant concern for missions to the lunar surface. As such, Electrodynamic Dust Shield (EDS), a dust mitigation technology that has been shown to be optically effective at cleaning dust from surfaces, is under investigation for the use on radiator surfaces. Historically for radiators, the EDS is a multilayer Kapton and metal electrode film that adheres to the outside of the radiator panel where the radiator coating is then applied on top. It uses dielectrophoretic and Coulomb forces to remove dust. In order to be more confident in the EDS as a dust mitigation solution for radiators, the impact of EDS on radiator heat rejection capability needs to be assessed. Furthermore, only optical effectiveness, not thermal effectiveness, of EDS’s ability to remove dust from a radiator coupon has been proven. This paper presents preliminary testing conducted at Johnson Space Center to evaluate the thermal impact of the EDS on A276 coated radiator coupons. It also includes results of the thermal effectiveness, measured in effective emittance, after being used to remove low, medium, and high amounts of dust simulant.