Advanced Thermal Control Systems / Advanced Capabilities Project Office

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Advanced Thermal Control Systems Enhance Astronaut Comfort and Safety

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The hardware onboard a spacecraft gives off a lot of heat during operation. Since fluids and heat transfer behave differently in low and micro gravity environments, special equipment must be used to radiate this excess heat into space safely and efficiently.

To help maintain a suitable and comfortable environment for the crew and hardware, NASA’s Glenn Research Center is supporting the Active Thermal Control Systems Project. Glenn was chosen to support Johnson Space Center (project lead) because of the center’s expertise in fluid and combustion behavior in microgravity environments and in composite materials.

Glenn and Johnson have partnered with the Jet Propulsion Lab and Goddard Space Flight Center on this project. They are also receiving support from several contractors including Hamilton Sundstrand, Paragon and Mainstream.

Thermal control systems have existed on all manned spaceflights and will be required on future lunar and Martian outposts. The thermal control process consists of three primary elements: heat acquisition, heat transport and heat rejection. All three elements are being improved under the current project to reduce the weight, volume and complexity of current systems in use on the Space Shuttle and International Space Station. In addition, the future exploration vehicles and outposts require systems that will last throughout extended missions.

Glenn is currently developing two new heat exchangers that are more lightweight and more efficient than previous models.

Advanced Composite Radiator.

The Advanced Composite Radiator is made of composite material instead of aluminum, which makes this heat exchanger very lightweight. Aluminum tubes that carry cooling fluid are carefully bonded to a composite sheet. (Aluminum is used to reduce the risk of fluid leakage.) Heat is then transferred from the fluid in the tubes to the composite material. Finally, the heat is radiated into space.

Glenn has completed testing to ensure the strength of the bonding of the composite material. In September 2007, the composite radiator will be put into an integrated test system at Johnson to verify the effectiveness of heat transfer in comparison to other devices.

The Compact Flash Evaporative Heat Exchanger uses a fine spray from a unique atomizer initially designed to remove heat from the electronics in large supercomputers. The atomizer is a plate containing small holes that create fine droplets when water is forced through them. The objective is to evaporate as much liquid as possible as it hits the hot surface of the heat exchanger. Smaller droplets of water evaporate faster and significantly increase the effectiveness of the heat transfer process.

The atomizer (spray plates) for the evaporative heat exchanger is being tested in a vacuum facility at Glenn. Like the composites, the atomizer will be sent to Johnson to be added to the integrated test system at the end of September 2007.

Compact Flash Evaporative Heat Exchanger.

Thermal control is an essential element of the spacecraft and outposts inhabited by humans. To ensure the comfort and safety of the crew and equipment, Glenn is developing two new types of advanced technology heat exchange systems. These technologies will reduce the weight and increase the efficiency of thermal control systems for future exploration missions.

Contact at NASA Glenn Research Center
Chief, Advanced Capabilities Project Office: Ann P. Over
Space Flight Systems Directorate / Advanced Flight Projects Office
216-433-6535