FUTURE NASA SPACECRAFT MAY REQUIRE MEANS TO TRANSPORT THERMAL ENERGY BETWEEN STRUCTURAL MODULES CONNECTED IN ORBIT.

FUTURE NASA SPACECRAFT MAY REQUIRE MEANS TO TRANSPORT THERMAL ENERGY BETWEEN STRUCTURAL MODULES CONNECTED IN ORBIT. THESE MODULES MAY BE ALLOWED TO ROTATE OR GIMBAL, AND THE THERMAL TRANSPORT SYSTEM WOULD HAVE TO ACCOMODATE SUCH MOTION. A THERMAL TRANSPORT SYSTEM ADDRESSING THIS NEED WOULD FEATURE A FLUID TO FLUID CONTACT HEAT EXCHANGER HAVING PRESSURE ACTIVATED COMPLIANT SKINS FOR LOW THERMAL CONTACT RESISTANCE AND A COMPACT DUAL FLUID SWIVEL. THIS SYSTEM IS CAPABLE OF FULL ROTATION AND GIMBAL MOTION. IT CAN BE MATED AND DEMATED SEVERAL TIMES WITHOUT THE USE OF TOOLS AND WITHOUT DECOUPLING FLUID LINES. THE OBJECTIVES OF THE EFFORT ARE TO DEMONSTRATE THE SYSTEM HARDWARE AND IDENTIFY AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT. TOWARD THESE ENDS, THE WORK IN PHASE I WILL CONSIST OF AN ANALYSIS TO PREDICT PERFORMANCE, APPROPRIATE DETAIL DESIGN, FABRICATION AND TEST OF THE PROPOSED HARDWARE. INITIAL ANALYSIS INDICATES HEAT TRANSFER RATES OF 480 BTU/HR- F (250 WATTS/ C) PER SQUARE FOOT OF HEAT EXCHANGER FRONTAL AREA IS EXPECTED AT LOW FLUID FLOW RATES.