MATERIAL WITH EXCEPTIONAL PROPERTIES FOR EXTRAVEHICULAR THERMAL MANAGEMENT

A NEW CLASS OF MICRO-STRUCTURAL MATERIAL, K-MAX, HAS BEEN DEVELOPED WITH EXCEPTIONAL HEAT TRANSFER PROPERTIES THAT CANRELIEVE OR ACCOMMODATE MANY OF THE CONSTRAINTS OF SPACESUIT THERMAL MANAGEMENT. THE LOCAL THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY OF K-MAXCAN BE VARIED RAPIDLY FROM THAT OF A GOOD INSULATOR TO MANY TIMES GREATER THAN THAT OF A METALLIC CONDUCTOR. A COMPLIANT K-MAX BODY COVERING CAN AUTOMATICALLY MAINTAIN LOCAL BODY TEMPERATURE CONSTANT WHEN THE LOCAL HEAT FLOW ANDHEAT REJECTION TEMPERATURE VARY WIDELY. K-MAX CAN BE FORMEDINTO VIRTUALLY ANY SHAPE WITH A WIDE VARIETY OF COMPOSITIONS. A PHASE I PROJECT IS PROPOSED IN WHICH A SURVEY OF SPACESUITNEEDS WILL DEFINE SPECIFIC APPLICATIONS THAT CAN BENEFIT FROM THE USE OF K-MAX, INCLUDING BOTH PASSIVE AND ACTIVE BODY COOLING. A SPECIFIC K-MAX SPACESUIT COMPONENT WILL BE SELECTED FOR DETAILED ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION, AND FOR COMPARISON OF THE K-MAX COMPONENT WITH CONVENTIONAL COMPONENTS. A DETAILED PROGRAM PLAN WILL BE PREPARED FOR PHASE II DEVELOPMENT AND PREPROTOTYPE DEMONSTRATION. A DELIVERABLE MOCK-UP DEMONSTRATOR WILL BE PREPARED IN PHASE ITO CREDIBLY DEMONSTRATE THE NOVEL HEAT TRANSFER PROCESS TO BE EMPLOYED IN PHASE II.