Analysis and Design of a Spray Cooling Thermal Control System for Spacecraft High Power Density Components

Paper number

IAC-06-C2.P.2.03

Author

Dr. Wei Yao, China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), China

Year

2006

Abstract

Some high power density components with heat fluxes more than 100 W/cm2, such as laser diode, LSI/VLSI chips, and power electronics, will be applied in the future spacecrafts. New technologies should be developed to realize high heat flux removal. Because a spray cooling thermal control system (SCTCS) has intensive and accurate control capability of high heat flux removal, it is considered to be one of the most promising techniques for future high power density components cooling in spacecraft. In addition, spray cooling also can be applied to space technologies such as emergency cooling, quenching and rapid cooling in microgravity materials processing. 
   In a SCTCS, a fine liquid droplets mist is generated by an atomizer. These droplets impinge on and remove heat from a heated surface by effective boiling and evaporating process, and then a very high heat transfer coefficient can be achieved. Normally, spray cooling has been shown to sustain a heat flux approximately an order of magnitude higher than pool boiling using the same working fluid. It has the ability of high heat flux removal while maintaining low surface superheat.
   However, due to the intrinsic complexity of involved mechanisms, until now, there is no comprehensive model established for the spray cooling heat transfer. In this paper, the heat transfer mechanism of spray cooling was analyzed and an analytical model was developed to calculate the spray cooling heat transfer coefficient. The parametric effects, such as mass flow rate, droplet diameter, subcooling, and thermal properties were studied. Then the feasibility and key problems for its space application were discussed. Design and test of a SCTCS were also presented in this paper. 

Abstract document

IAC-06-C2.P.2.03.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-06-C2.P.2.03.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

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