Designing configurable thermal management system for nanosatellites

• Main Author: Yeo, Qi Run
• Other Authors: Sunil Chandrakant Joshi
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2023
• Subjects: Engineering::Aeronautical engineering
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/168321
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The proliferation of space debris is a critical issue as it increases the risk of collisions with functioning space objects. A significant contributor to this problem is the escalating number of non-functioning space objects resulting from various failures, including the failure of a single component. This study explored the potential to address this issue using 1U configurable subsystems operating in tandem with other subsystems in a satellite constellation. A 1U thermal management system (TMS) or “1U thermosat” was studied as it is one of the essential subsystems of a satellite. By having satellite subsystems functioning in parallel, the overall reliability of the system is increased, and the need to restore the entire system due to a single component failure is eliminated. Additionally, the 1U thermosat can save on the mission cost by its small size and shorter time of development. In this project, various design schemes were presented by adjusting the composition of Silver Teflon and Chemglaze Z306 black paint. Heat transfer calculations were iterated for 4 cycles of orbit propagation in Microsoft Excel to simulate the thermal condition of the thermosat in the space environment. It was found that the thermal surface coating was insufficient to keep the satellite within the survival temperature range at the start. Therefore, a 1.5W heater was added after investigating the heater power requirement at perihelion and aphelion. With the addition of a 1.5W heater, the thermosat was able to survive extreme cold temperatures at the initial stage when electronic components had not accumulated enough heat to sustain the internal environment of the thermosat. The selected design scheme with the addition of a heater was then used to investigate the effect of thermal degradation until the end of life (EOL) of the thermosat. As a result, the thermosat can receive up to 15W of power from other subsystems and dissipate around 32W of heat while maintaining its temperature within the operating range. Beyond that, a radiator can be considered. Ultimately, the completed configuration of the 1U thermosat could serve several satellites within a proximity radius and be integrated into a network of satellite constellations for easy installation and removal in case of partial failure. This implementation is a critical step towards ensuring the sustainability of space activities and mitigating the risk of creating more space debris.