The environment in the space is challenging, with extreme and fierce changing thermal radiation and without thermal convection, a comprehensive thermal management and thermal design to the satellites are crucial. Components of spacecrafts and satellites have individual temperature range to be maintained in order to stable functionality during all missions. Temperatures of components of satellites must be carefully controlled with passive and active thermal solutions, in general, challenges to satellites thermal solutions are :
- Limited volume and weight
- Fierce changing thermal radiation
- Without thermal convections
- Reliability consideration
Passive solutions:
Passive thermal solutions requires no additional power from the system, there are several technologies available to designers, heat pipes is one of them with low weight, extremely high heat transfer performance, simplicity and good reliability.
Our methanol heat pipes shown next are press-fit/mechanical joined to an Aluminum block in the center without soldering, which is light, cost effective, and highly reliable over the missions.