Performance Analysis Of A Self-Driven Adaptive Cold-Plate, An Experimental Approach

Effective thermal management system is critical for the safety, maintainability and reliability of the operation of space vehicles. The objective of the present study is to improve the current space-based active fluid loop (AFL). A self-driven adaptive cold-plate (SDACP) was proposed in this paper. The innovation relies on a novel energy-saving wax-actuated thermal switch assembly (TSA) which is highly integrated and competent in fulfilling multiple missions including temperature sensing, mechanical manipulation and flow regulation, decreasing the required power input in temperature control process and thus enhancing the overall operating economy. Ground-based validation experiments were organized to evaluate its temperature control precisions. Comparative studies were conducted at the same time to investigate the influence of the physical properties of actuators using different waxes on the thermal control performances.