A group of American researchers is conducting experiments on board a CubeSat satellite to study better cooling methods heats.
Controlling the heat generated by electronics in spacecraft faces a number of challenges due to the large amount of heat generated and the lack of convective cooling in a vacuum. Because of this, systems must either efficiently dissipate heat in the form of radiation or limit computation.
In this regard, american researchers from the The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois has created heat sinks containing a wax-based phase transition material. Wax melts within the normal temperature range for electronics. It is able to accumulate energy faster and for longer keep electronic devices cold.
«We test different duty cycles and cooling modes with the fixed radiators installed there. The idea is to gain design information and operational sequences for completely new electronics and computing in space», — explains Professor of Mechanics and Engineering Mickey Clemon.
The experimental unit was placed on board the Waratah Seed WS-1 CubeSat, which consists of several cubic modules measuring 10 cm on each side. This satellite was launched in August last year. The first results showed that the wax significantly extends the operating time of electronic devices in safe temperature ranges. In addition, microgravity does not affect the placement of wax on radiators.
«We have developed several simplified models to predict the performance of these heat sinks, which can be the first guide for designers to test their designs against, instead of creating and testing something in practice», — adds Mickey Clemon.
The researchers are currently planning additional experiments. Their experimental setup is called «Matilda» and is a structure made of 3D-printed metamaterial using wax-based phase transition material for weight reduction and faster heat dissipation from the CPU and GPU.
The results of the study were published in the journal Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer
Source: TechXplore
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