WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF LOW-COST, SMALL, RAPIDLY CONFIGURABLE SPACECRAFT, THE NEED FOR ROBUST, VERSATILE,…

Public award description

WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF LOW-COST, SMALL, RAPIDLY CONFIGURABLE SPACECRAFT, THE NEED FOR ROBUST, VERSATILE, READILY DEPLOYABLE, AND EASILY GROUND-TESTABLE THERMAL CONTROL TECHNOLOGIES BECOMES EVER MORE CRITICAL. PASSIVE TWO-PHASE THERMAL CONTROL TECHNOLOGY, THAT IS, HEAT PIPES, DEFINES THE CURRENT STATE-OF-THE-ART, YET IT IS CLEAR THAT THIS TECHNOLOGY ALONE WILL NOT MEET THE NEEDS OF FUTURE SPACECRAFT. DRAMATIC IMPROVEMENTS IN THE VERSATILITY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF HEAT PIPES ARE POSSIBLE WITH A SMALL AMOUNT OF MECHANICAL PUMPING ASSISTANCE. WITH THE SEPARATION OF THE LIQUID PUMPING AND HEAT TRANSFER FUNCTIONS, GREATER DESIGN FREEDOM AND SYSTEM OPTIMIZATION IS ALSO AFFORDED. HOWEVER, BEFORE PUMP-ASSISTED HEAT PIPES CAN BECOME A VIABLE ALTERNATIVE, SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN PUMP LIFETIME AND ROBUSTNESS IS NEEDED. LYNNTECH PROPOSES TO DEVELOP A LONG-LIFE, ROBUST, LOW-POWER, HIGH PRESSURE-RISE, ELECTROCHEMICALLY-DRIVEN MICROPUMP FOR USE IN PUMP-ASSISTED HEAT PIPES.