Liquid droplet radiator: Design concepts and development logic
Abstract
The results and deduced development logic of an investigation of a Liquid Droplet Radiator (LDR) with a heat rejection capability of 20 kW for aplications in low Earth orbits are presented. Liquid droplet radiators stand out for their efficiency compared to that of conventional radiators. The waste heat is radiated from the cooling fluid directly to the surrounding space. The actual radiator consists of a sheet of droplets of the cooling fluid. The droplets carrying the waste heat emanate from a droplet generator, transfer the waste heat to the space by radiation, and are collected in a droplet collector afterwards. From there the fluid is pumped back, absorbs waste heat in a heat exchanger or cold plate, and returns to the droplet generator. The potential fields of application and the requirements of the LDR are addressed. Details of the droplet generator, droplet sheet and droplet collector are given. A preliminary sizing was performed.
- Publication:
-
, Fluids in Space
- Pub Date:
- June 1992
- Bibcode:
- 1992flsp.rept...61K
- Keywords:
-
- Drops (Liquids);
- Heat Radiators;
- Spacecraft Radiators;
- Spacecraft Temperature;
- Systems Engineering;
- Temperature Control;
- Design Analysis;
- Mathematical Models;
- Working Fluids;
- Engineering (General)