SOLID STATE MICROMACHINED PUMP FOR SPACE POWER SYSTEM THERMAL MANAGEMENT

MICROMACHINED LIQUID PUMPING AND CONTROL DEVICES FOR SPACE THERMAL-MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS ARE THE FOCUS OF THIS PROJECT. BY USING RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN MICROMACHINING, IT MAY BE POSSIBLE TO FORM VOLTAGE-ACTUATED FLUID-CONTROL ELEMENTS USING PHOTO LITHOGRAPHY AND SEMICONDUCTOR-PROCESSING TECHNIQUES. GENERICALLY, DEVICES MADE IN THIS WAY OFFER THEPOSSIBILITIES OF ENHANCED CONTROL, MASSIVE REDUNDANCY IN TERMS OF FUNCTION, AND LOW COST BECAUSE OF THE SEMICONDUCTOR"WAFER-LIKE" MANUFACTURING APPROACH. THE PHASE I PROGRAM ISINTENDED TO SHOW FEASIBILITY THROUGH A COMBINATION OF FUNCTIONAL MODELING, THE CONSTRUCTION OF PROTOTYPE MICROMACHINED HARDWARE, AND TESTING. MICROMACHINED LIQUID PUMPING AND CONTROL DEVICES FOR SPACE THERMAL-MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS ARE THE FOCUS OF THIS PROJECT. BY USING RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN MICROMACHINING, IT MAY BE POSSIBLE TO FORM VOLTAGE-ACTUATED FLUID-CONTROL ELEMENTS USING PHOTO LITHOGRAPHY AND SEMICONDUCTOR-PROCESSING TECHNIQUES. GENERICALLY, DEVICES MADE IN THIS WAY OFFER THEPOSSIBILITIES OF ENHANCED CONTROL, MASSIVE REDUNDANCY IN TERMS OF FUNCTION, AND LOW COST BECAUSE OF THE SEMICONDUCTOR"WAFER-LIKE" MANUFACTURING APPROACH. THE PHASE I PROGRAM ISINTENDED TO SHOW FEASIBILITY THROUGH A COMBINATION OF FUNCTIONAL MODELING, THE CONSTRUCTION OF PROTOTYPE MICROMACHINED HARDWARE, AND TESTING.