Space Engineering Institute SEI

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Space Engineering Institute (SEI)
Space Engineering Research Center Texas
Engineering Experiment Station, Texas AM
University
Integrated Thermal Energy Management System
(ITEMS)

• Team Members
• Christie Tipton, Scott Hansen, Sarah Thiele,
  Nikhil Bhatnagar, Leanne Kristek, Katelyn Lowe
  Jeremy Smith
• Mentors Dr. C. Kurwitz Dr. K. Hulbert

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Project Goal

• The ITEMS concept will demonstrate mass saving
  and energy storage capabilities inherently
  associated with phase change by the isothermal
  sharing of heat between sources and sinks in a
  two-phase thermal management system for
  spacecraft.

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Project Objectives

• Build a thermal control system that stores and
  transfers energy using two-phase, isothermal
  fluid.
• Calculate the ratio of mass of the system to the
  energy handling capability.
• Compare this ratio to similar single-phase system
• Shows the benefits and efficiency of two-phase
  flow in active thermal control systems.
• Conduct a similar evaluation using the ratio of
  power required by the system to energy handling
  capability of the ITEMS loop and existing systems.

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Fall Semester Plan

• Research Phase Modeling and Simulation Teams
• Research single-phase thermal control systems and
  create working models using MØTRAN software.
• Development Phase Hardware and Instrumentation
  Teams
• Design and develop demonstration flow loop.
• Model system using MØTRAN for performance
  prediction under 1g and reduced gravity
  environments.
• Construct a working two-phase thermal control
  system, demonstrating the ITEMS concept.
• Set up a DAQ system to monitor the model.
• Submit a flight proposal to Microgravity
  University.
• Compare test results of two-phase system to
  analog single phase system.

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Research Phase Modeling Team

• Obtained information on
• External Active Thermal Control System in use on
  the International Space Station.
• Heat Rejection System used by the Mars Rover
  Spirit during cruise stage.
• Created data charts of the specifications, and
  developed simplified visual models using
  Microsoft Visio.
• Used the information gathered about these systems
  when planning the design of our model loop.

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Research Phase Simulation Team

• Used data from Modeling Team to create simplified
  MØTRAN models of EATCS and HRS.

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ITEMS Flow Loop

• Created a schematic of the ITEMS flow loop.
• Designed to demonstrate the capabilities of the
  two-phase thermal system.
• Created a MØTRAN model.
• Verify the feasibility of our proposed system
  and predict its performance in 1g and 0g
  environments.

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Development Phase Hardware Team
Vortex Separator
Void Fraction Sensor
Electrical Bay
DP Cell
Ice Bath
Pumps
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Development Phase Instrumentation Team

• Calibrated RTD transmitters and pressure gauges
  and began using LABVIEW to interface them with
  the DAQ.
• LABVIEW allows for efficient data interpretation
  using engineering units in real-time.
• Provides the ability to program with limited
  programming experience to develop test solutions
  quickly.

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Spring 2010

• Goals
• Finish construction of our test loop and DAQ
  system used to record experimental data.
• Perform ground testing to evaluate various
  aspects of two-phase thermal bus and to collect
  baseline two-phase data for comparison to MØTRAN
  predictions.
• Use mass models and specific mass information to
  compare current thermal management systems to a
  similar ITEMS centric design.
• Publish results.
• If awarded, perform testing under reduced
  gravity conditions to collect general two-phase
  flow data as well as demonstrate operation of
  ITEMS system in a reduced gravity environment