SmallSat Thermal Control

As SmallSats take on increasingly complex missions, their power requirements and heat outputs need to be adjusted accordingly. Electric propulsion systems, high-bandwidth communications, and other high-power devices are pushing the limits of what conventional thermal management technologies can handle. This leads to a need for improved thermal management systems that are lightweight, compact, and highly reliable.

The LGST Laboratory is developing a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) fluid loop for SmallSat thermal control. In contrast with Mechanically-Pumped Fluid Loops (MPFL), the MHD approach does not require moving parts to operate, limiting the number of failure modes of the system and simplifying its architecture. The high thermal and electrical conductivity and low vapor pressure of liquid metals lead to lighter heat exchangers and power requirements of the order of tens of mW, ultimately reducing the mass per unit of transferred heat of the system. As of today, we have demonstrated heat transfer rates of up to 13.8 W/K using lab prototypes. We are currently working with the Georgia Tech Research Institute to explore the applications of this technology to hypersonic reentry systems.

Student Lead:

Samuel T. Hart, Evan Sánchez

Journal Articles:

  • S. Hart, C. Awald, G. Lightsey, Á. Romero-Calvo, “Magnetohydrodynamically Pumped Liquid Metal Loops for CubeSat Thermal Control”, Int. J. of Heat and Mass Transfer, under review

Conference Papers & Presentations:

Patents:

  • Á. Romero-Calvo, “Magnetohydrodynamically Pumped Liquid Metal Loops for Spacecraft Thermal Control”, US Application No. 63/504,558, May 2023.