Independently-operated zero-carbon full-automatic-control condensation heat transfer experiment system

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of condensation heat transfer experiment devices, in particular to an independently-operated zero-carbon full-automatic control condensation heat transfer experiment system which comprises an energy supply module, a two-phase flow experiment module and a control module. The two-phase flow experiment module and the control module are integrally designed; the energy supply module is a solar energy function module and is used for supplying energy to the two-phase flow experiment module and the control module; the two-phase flow experiment module comprises a closed loop structure, a heating and cooling device, a fluid circulation and control unit, a sensor and visual equipment; the two-phase flow experiment module is used for executing a two-phase flow experiment in a microgravity environment; and the control module is used for performing full-process control, including electric energy management and data processing, on the experiment task. The device is used for carrying out gas-liquid two-phase flow and heat transfer experiments in a microgravity environment. The whole system has the advantages of being compact in structure, green energy self-consistent and high in adaptability, the operation process does not depend on a spacecraft energy platform, and energy self-sufficiency and complete-cycle zero-carbon emission are achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of condensation heat transfer experimental devices, and particularly to an independently operating zero-carbon fully automatic condensation heat transfer experimental system. Background Art

[0002] Two-phase flow has broad application prospects in key systems such as space thermal control, propulsion, and resource regeneration. Due to the significant influence of the microgravity environment on flow characteristics, gas-liquid distribution, and heat transfer behavior, it is necessary to build experimental devices on the space station to conduct two-phase flow experiments under microgravity conditions to reveal the laws that cannot be obtained under ground experimental conditions. However, existing space two-phase flow experimental systems generally rely on the electrical energy provided by spacecraft, which not only burdens the energy system but also increases the carbon footprint, not in line with the goal of green space development advocated by our country.

[0003] On the other hand, the solar electromagnetic radiation energy resources in the space station environment are extremely rich, which is a sustainable, clean, and zero-carbon energy form. Therefore, if solar energy can be used as the sole energy source for the space test system to build a zero-carbon experimental platform, it will have important application value and promotional significance. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The object of the present invention is to address the problems in the background art and propose an independently operating zero-carbon fully automatic condensation heat transfer experimental system. This system realizes autonomous power supply for all electrical loads of the experimental system by integrating a solar power generation module, reduces the dependence on the spacecraft energy system, and achieves zero carbon emissions throughout the cycle.

[0005] The technical solution of the present invention is an independently operating zero-carbon fully automatic condensation heat transfer experimental system, including an energy supply module, a two-phase flow experimental module, and a control module;

[0006] The two-phase flow experimental module and the control module are integrally designed;

[0007] The energy supply module is a solar energy supply module, which is used to supply energy to the two-phase flow experimental module and the control module;

[0008] The two-phase flow experimental module includes a closed loop structure, heating and cooling devices, a fluid circulation and control unit, and sensors and visualization equipment; the two-phase flow experimental module is used to perform two-phase flow experiments under microgravity conditions;

[0009] The control module is used for the full process control of the experimental tasks, including power management and data processing. The control module is used for the full process control of the experimental tasks, including power management and data processing.

[0010] Preferably, the energy supply module includes a deployable solar cell array, a maximum power point tracking controller MPPT, and an energy storage unit;

[0011] The deployable solar cell array uses flexible thin-film solar cell materials; the solar cell array is installed on the outer shell of the experimental platform through hinges and is oriented towards the sun after deployment;

[0012] The maximum power point tracking controller MPPT is used to adjust the working voltage of the solar cell so that it always operates at the optimal power point; it provides a stable voltage output;

[0013] The energy storage unit uses a lithium battery pack or a supercapacitor to store excess energy; when the satellite enters the orbital shadow area, it provides continuous electrical energy for the system to ensure that the experiment does not interrupt or smoothly transitions to the standby state.

[0014] Preferably, the deployable solar cell array is installed on the outside of the spacecraft and forms a power generation array with the spacecraft's solar panels; it supplies power to the two-phase flow experiment module and the control module separately.

[0015] Preferably, the enclosed loop structure in the two-phase flow experiment module is made of a transparent material and is used to connect various experimental devices; a certain proportion of working fluid is injected into the loop structure to simulate the two-phase flow phenomena of evaporation, condensation, and bubble formation for simulation experiments.

[0016] Preferably, the heating and cooling devices in the two-phase flow experiment module are a steam generator and a condensation chamber respectively; they are used to achieve the two-phase transformation of the working medium and to conduct experiments on two-phase fluid flow and heat transfer.

[0017] Preferably, the fluid circulation and control unit in the two-phase flow experiment module are a micro pump and a solenoid valve; by controlling the pump speed of the micro pump and the opening and closing of the loop structure, the adjustment of steady-state and non-steady-state experimental conditions is achieved.

[0018] Preferably, the sensors in the two-phase flow experiment module include temperature sensors, pressure sensors, or flow meters, which are used to monitor the fluid state;

[0019] The visualization device includes a micro industrial camera or an image sensor, which is used to capture the changes in the gas-liquid interface and bubble behavior for facilitating later data analysis.

[0020] Preferably, the control module includes an electronic control box, a power management unit, and a data storage and communication interface;

[0021] The electronic control box has a microcontroller built-in and an experimental instruction set built-in; it automatically executes the experimental task process, including power supply and distribution, communication management, message processing, instruction processing, data management, and time code management functions;

[0022] The power management unit dynamically allocates energy according to the solar power supply capacity and the current experimental power consumption; at the same time, it sets multiple operating modes including standard experiment, energy-saving experiment, and standby; to improve the system's self-adaptability;

[0023] The data storage and communication interface is used to save high-frequency experimental data, and use the communication interface to send status information and experimental summary data to the ground platform based on wireless communication.

[0024] Preferably, the control module detects the power supply power of the power supply module and the remaining power of the energy storage unit. When the power supply power of the power supply module or the remaining power of the energy storage unit is sufficient, the two-phase flow experiment module is controlled to start the test process.

[0025] Preferably, after the experiment starts, the heating unit is turned on to electrically heat the heating cavity. The working fluid liquid pre-injected in the heating cavity is gradually heated and evaporated to generate bubbles, forming steam. Due to the microgravity environment, the bubbles expand and drift irregularly in the channel. The steam then flows into the condensation chamber and liquefies under the action of the low-temperature wall surface or the radiation cooling device, condensing into a liquid and flowing back to the heating cavity, constituting a complete closed-loop heat cycle process.

[0026] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial technical effects:

[0027] 1. Realize "zero carbon emissions" during the operation of the experimental system, which is in line with the development trend of green and low-carbon aerospace;

[0028] 2. Utilize the abundant solar energy resources in space to achieve energy self-sufficiency, improving the independence and reliability of the system;

[0029] 3. Reduce the dependence on the main energy system of the spacecraft, which helps to improve the resource utilization efficiency of space missions;

[0030] 4. Can be promoted as a general green energy platform and applied to other space experiments or microgravity research fields. Description of the Drawings

[0031] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of the solar energy supply module and the space two-phase flow experimental system of the present invention

[0032] Figure 2 is one of the working stage flowcharts of the experimental system of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 3 is another working stage flowchart of the experimental system of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 4 is the third working stage flowchart of the experimental system of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the connection relationship of the fully automatic control system electronic control box of the present invention. Detailed Embodiments

[0036] Example 1

[0037] An independently operating zero-carbon fully automatic condensing heat transfer experimental system proposed by the present invention includes an energy supply module, a two-phase flow experimental module, and a control module;

[0038] The two-phase flow experimental module and the control module are integrally designed;

[0039] The energy supply module is a solar energy function module for supplying energy to the two-phase flow experimental module and the control module; the energy supply module includes a deployable solar cell array, a maximum power point tracking controller MPPT, and an energy storage unit; the deployable solar cell array uses flexible thin-film solar cell materials, which have the characteristics of light weight, small folding volume, and large deployment area; the solar cell array is installed on the outer shell of the experimental platform through hinges and automatically unfolds and is oriented towards the sun using springs or shape memory alloys to improve power generation efficiency; the maximum power point tracking controller MPPT is used to adjust the working voltage of the solar cells so that they always operate at the optimal power point, providing a stable voltage output to ensure that the power quality of the subsequent stage meets the requirements of the experimental load; the energy storage unit uses a lithium battery pack or a supercapacitor to store excess energy; when the satellite enters the orbital shadow area (i.e., the area without sunlight), it provides continuous electrical energy for the system to ensure that the experiment does not interrupt or smoothly transitions to the standby state.

[0040] In this embodiment, the deployable solar cell array is installed on the outside of the spacecraft and forms a power generation array with the spacecraft solar panels; it supplies energy to the two-phase flow experimental module and the control module separately.

[0041] The two-phase flow experimental module includes a closed loop structure, heating and cooling devices, a fluid circulation and control unit, and sensors and visualization devices; the two-phase flow experimental module is used to perform two-phase flow experiments in a microgravity environment; the closed loop structure in the two-phase flow experimental module is made of transparent polymer materials, which are used to connect various experimental devices to achieve full-process visualization of the experiment; a certain proportion of working fluid is injected into the loop structure to simulate two-phase flow phenomena such as evaporation, condensation, and bubble formation for simulation experiments. The heating and cooling devices in the two-phase flow experimental module are a steam generator and a condensation chamber respectively; they are used to achieve the two-phase transformation of the working medium and to conduct fluid two-phase flow and heat transfer experiments. The fluid circulation and control unit in the two-phase flow experimental module are a micro pump and a solenoid valve; by controlling the pump speed of the micro pump and the opening and closing of the loop structure, the adjustment of steady-state and non-steady-state experimental conditions is achieved. The sensors in the two-phase flow experimental module include temperature sensors, pressure sensors, or flow meters, which are used to monitor the fluid state;

[0042] The visualization devices include a micro industrial camera or an image sensor, which are used to capture the changes in the gas-liquid interface and bubble behavior for convenient later data analysis.

[0043] The control module is used for the full - process control of the experimental tasks, including power management and data processing. The control module includes an electronic control box, a power management unit, and a data storage and communication interface; the electronic control box has a built - in microcontroller with a built - in experimental instruction set; it automatically executes the experimental task process, including power supply and distribution, communication management, message processing, instruction processing, data management, and time code management functions;

[0044] The power management unit dynamically allocates energy according to the solar power supply capacity and the current experimental power consumption; at the same time, it sets multiple operating modes including standard experiment, energy - saving experiment, and standby; to improve the system's self - adaptability; the data storage and communication interface is used to save high - frequency experimental data and send status information and experimental summary data to the ground platform based on wireless communication using the communication interface.

[0045] The system has the ability of autonomous operation, and the specific operation process is as follows:

[0046] 1. In the initial stage, the solar energy supply module starts generating electricity and charging the energy storage unit

[0047] 2. After the control module determines that the battery level reaches the experimental threshold, it starts the two - phase flow experimental module;

[0048] 3. The heater induces a gas - liquid interface in the fluid, and the sensor and camera synchronously collect data;

[0049] 4. The data is stored in real - time and transmitted downwards regularly or in a triggered manner;

[0050] 5. When entering the orbit dark area, the system automatically switches to the low - power mode or delays the next experiment.

[0051] In the above - mentioned system, the power provided by the solar energy supply module is distributed to the experimental module and the control module through the intelligent power management system to ensure the stability and efficient operation of the experiment. To ensure the continuity of the system operation, the energy storage unit will provide short - term power supply when entering the orbit dark area to achieve the uninterrupted or orderly stop of the experimental system operation.

[0052] This system is mainly used to achieve the power conversion and power supply functions of various scientific instruments, and at the same time has the ability to communicate and cooperate with the experimental main control unit. It can receive broadcast time codes, data injection, and bus instructions from the experimental main control unit and perform corresponding operations accordingly; at the same time, it can also send the collected digital signals and various engineering parameters back to the experimental main control unit according to the specified communication protocol. The system has the ability to collect analog and digital signals between the system and hardware, and can control a variety of scientific instruments to carry out scientific experiment operations according to the set process. In addition, the system has a fault status monitoring function, which can report the status word to the experimental cabinet controller and cooperate to carry out corresponding fault handling work according to the fault plan. It also supports on-orbit program uploading and updating, and realizes remote program changes through the experimental cabinet controller; and can transmit engineering data and scientific data to the application information system through the experimental cabinet controller to achieve effective data downlink.

[0053] Based on the above content, this embodiment has the following technical advantages:

[0054] Zero carbon emissions: The system does not rely on any external electric energy throughout the process, and only uses space solar radiation to achieve power supply, truly realizing green experiments;

[0055] Modular design: The three major functional modules have clear division of labor, which is convenient for later expansion, iteration or adaptation to other experimental tasks;

[0056] Energy self-consistency and intelligent regulation: Adopt the maximum power point tracking controller + intelligent scheduling strategy to improve energy utilization efficiency and cope with orbital period changes;

[0057] Adapt to microgravity characteristics: The experimental module is specially designed for the unstable two-phase flow and irregular interface characteristics under space microgravity;

[0058] Wide applicability: It can be used in many frontier application directions such as space thermal control technology verification, capillary transport research, and propulsion fluid modeling.

[0059] Embodiment 2

[0060] In this embodiment, the two-phase flow experimental module includes a closed loop structure, heating and cooling devices, a fluid circulation and control unit, and sensors and visualization devices; the two-phase flow experimental module is used to perform two-phase flow experiments in a microgravity environment, such as Figure 1As shown in the figure, the steam generator is sequentially connected to a flow meter, a micro pump 1, a liquid storage tank, a micro pump 2, a post-condenser, a solenoid valve 5, a condensation chamber CEM-1, and a solenoid valve 1 through a loop structure; at the same time, several branches are provided, including a liquid supply pipeline composed of a small flow inlet, a solenoid valve 3, and the condensation chamber CEM-1; a condensation loop composed of the condensation chamber CEM-1, a solenoid valve 2, and a condenser; the condenser is also provided with a two-phase cabinet fan for heat dissipation. The sensor and the visualization device form a control and data acquisition module for collecting relevant data.

[0061] The space microgravity two-phase flow zero-carbon experimental system described in the present invention has an operating logic based on the collaborative mechanism of solar self-power supply, closed-loop thermal cycle, and intelligent control. The system continuously receives solar radiation in the space orbital environment, collects solar energy through a configured high-efficiency solar cell array, and is optimized for output by a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) controller, so that the collected energy can be supplied to the experimental load in real time or stored in a high specific energy lithium battery pack. This energy storage unit is used for power compensation during orbital shading to ensure the continuity and stability of the system.

[0062] The control module detects the power supply power of the power supply module and the remaining power of the energy storage unit. When the power supply power of the power supply module or the remaining power of the energy storage unit is sufficient, it controls the two-phase flow experimental module to start the test process.

[0063] Preferably, after the experiment starts, the heating unit is turned on to electrically heat the heating cavity. The working fluid liquid pre-injected in the heating cavity is gradually heated and evaporated to generate bubbles, forming steam; due to the microgravity environment, the bubbles expand and drift irregularly in the channel; the steam then flows into the condensation chamber and liquefies under the action of a low-temperature wall surface or a radiation cooling device, condensing into a liquid and flowing back to the heating cavity, constituting a complete closed-loop thermal cycle process.

[0064] During this process, multiple groups of sensors integrated in the system will collect real-time data including temperature, pressure, flow rate, and image data, and the embedded controller will complete synchronous storage and preliminary processing. Some data can be transmitted back to the ground receiving platform through a wireless communication system for remote monitoring and experimental analysis. The entire experimental process can achieve timed startup, status perception, task switching, and energy protection under the scheduling of the control system. When the system determines that the power is insufficient or enters the orbital dark area, it will automatically switch to the low-power standby mode, suspend the experimental process, and only maintain the minimum monitoring function, waiting to restart the experimental process after the power supply is restored.

[0065] Based on the full utilization of solar energy resources, the present invention constructs a zero-carbon experimental platform that adapts to microgravity conditions, has self-consistent energy, high integration of experiments, and full automation, and can achieve efficient research on two-phase flow and phase change behavior in the space environment.

[0066] Embodiment 3

[0067] In this embodiment, in order to ensure that the two-phase flow experimental system realizes zero-carbon operation in the space environment and meets the energy self-consistency during the whole process of the experiment, the present invention conducts systematic matching and calculation design between the power generation capacity of the solar array and the system power consumption.

[0068] According to the system electrical configuration, the total electrical load during the experimental operation stage is controlled within 400W, including the energy consumption of subsystems such as heating devices, condensation systems, fluid drive components, control and data acquisition systems, etc. Considering that the system operation needs to have a certain redundancy capacity and also needs to charge the energy storage battery to meet the short-term power demand during the orbital eclipse (dark area), the system requires that the actual power generation power of the solar array should not be less than 450W.

[0069] Based on the fact that the space solar constant is about 1361W / m 2 , triple-junction gallium arsenide solar cells are proposed to be used as the power generation core, and its photoelectric conversion efficiency in the space environment is about 30%. Therefore, the theoretical peak power generation power per unit area is about:

[0070] Power generation power density = 1361W / m 2 ×30% ≈ 408W / m 2

[0071] In order to obtain a power generation capacity of 450W, the required area of the solar array is about:

[0072] Required area = 450W ÷ 408W / m 2 ≈ 1.10m 2

[0073] Considering actual working conditions such as attitude change, incident angle offset, long-term efficiency decay, occlusion loss, and power transmission loss between systems, the present invention makes a 20% - 30% redundant configuration for the area of the solar array in the design. Therefore, the final determined area of the solar panel is about: 1.4 - 1.5m 2

[0074] The solar array panels with this area can be installed on the surface of the experimental device or its external structural frame through deployment, folding, or integrated arrangement methods to ensure that sufficient solar irradiation can always be obtained for system power supply and battery charging during on-orbit operation, thereby realizing the long-term, continuous, and low-carbon space experimental operation ability.

[0075] The on-orbit experimental process is divided into three stages: energy collection and management stage, experiment startup and execution stage, and energy protection and system switching stage. The specific situations are as follows:

[0076] 1. The system unfolds and automatically positions the solar array;

[0077] 2. Start the experiment after the energy storage unit is charged to the set threshold;

[0078] 3. The control module executes heating, flow regulation, and data acquisition according to the preset program;

[0079] 4. If entering the orbital dark area, the system automatically adjusts the experiment rhythm according to the power or enters the standby mode;

[0080] 5. The experimental data of the full cycle is returned to the ground for analysis via wireless communication or storage media.

[0081] Through the above method, the present invention realizes a space microgravity experimental platform with a compact structure, self-sufficient energy, and zero carbon emissions, which is suitable for long-term in-orbit scientific experiments.

[0082] The above has described in detail the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. Various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention within the scope of knowledge of those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains.

Claims

1. An independently operating zero-carbon fully automatic condensing heat transfer experimental system, characterized in that, It includes an energy supply module, a two-phase flow experiment module, and a control module; The two-phase flow experiment module and the control module are integratedly designed; The energy supply module is a solar energy function module, which is used to supply energy to the two-phase flow experiment module and the control module; The two-phase flow experiment module includes a closed loop structure, heating and cooling devices, a fluid circulation and control unit, as well as sensors and visualization devices; The two-phase flow experiment module is used to perform two-phase flow experiments in a microgravity environment; The control module is used for the full-process control of the experimental tasks, including power management and data processing.

2. The independently operating zero-carbon fully automatic condensation heat transfer experimental system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The energy supply module includes a deployable solar cell array, a maximum power point tracking controller MPPT, and an energy storage unit; The deployable solar cell array uses flexible thin-film solar cell materials; the solar cell array is installed on the outer shell of the experimental platform through hinges and is oriented towards the sun after deployment; The maximum power point tracking controller MPPT is used to adjust the working voltage of the solar cell so that it always operates at the optimal power point; it provides a stable voltage output; The energy storage unit uses a lithium battery pack or a supercapacitor to store excess energy; when the satellite enters the orbital shadow area, it provides continuous electrical energy for the system to ensure that the experiment does not interrupt or smoothly transitions to the standby state.

3. The independently operating zero-carbon fully automatic condensation heat transfer experimental system according to claim 2, wherein, The deployable solar cell array is installed on the outside of the spacecraft and forms a power generation array with the spacecraft's solar panels; it supplies energy to the two-phase flow experiment module and the control module separately.

4. The independently operating zero-carbon fully automatic condensation heat transfer experimental system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The closed loop structure in the two-phase flow experiment module is made of transparent material and is used to connect various experimental devices; a certain proportion of working fluid is injected into the loop structure to simulate two-phase flow phenomena such as evaporation, condensation, and bubble formation for simulation experiments.

5. The independently operating zero-carbon fully automatic condensation heat transfer experimental system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heating and cooling devices in the two-phase flow experiment module are a steam generator and a condensation chamber respectively; they are used to achieve the two-phase transformation of the working medium and to conduct fluid two-phase flow and heat transfer experiments.

6. The independently operating zero-carbon fully automatic condensation heat transfer experimental system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fluid circulation and control unit in the two-phase flow experiment module is a micro pump and a solenoid valve; by controlling the pump speed of the micro pump and the opening and closing of the loop structure, the adjustment of steady-state and non-steady-state experimental conditions is realized.

7. The independently operating zero-carbon fully automatic condensation heat transfer experimental system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sensors in the two-phase flow experiment module include temperature sensors, pressure sensors, or flow meters, which are used to monitor the fluid state; The visualization devices include a micro industrial camera or an image sensor, which are used to capture the changes in the gas-liquid interface and bubble behavior for facilitating later data analysis.

8. The independently operating zero-carbon fully automatic condensing heat transfer experimental system according to claim 1, wherein The control module includes an electric control box, a power management unit, and a data storage and communication interface; The electric control box has a microcontroller built-in with an experimental instruction set; it automatically executes the experimental task process, including power supply and distribution, communication management, message processing, instruction processing, data management, and time code management functions; The power management unit dynamically allocates energy according to the solar power supply capacity and the current experimental power consumption; at the same time, it sets multiple operating modes including standard experiment, energy-saving experiment, and standby; to improve the system's self-adaptability; The data storage and communication interface is used to save high-frequency experimental data and uses the communication interface to send status information and experimental summary data to the ground platform based on wireless communication.

9. The independently operating zero-carbon fully automatic condensing heat transfer experimental system according to claim 2, wherein The control module detects the power supply power of the power supply module and the remaining power of the energy storage unit. When the power supply power of the power supply module or the remaining power of the energy storage unit is sufficient, it controls the two-phase flow experiment module to start the experimental process.

10. The independently operating zero-carbon fully automatic condensation heat transfer experimental system according to claim 9, characterized in that, After the experiment starts, the heating unit is turned on to electrically heat the heating cavity. The working fluid liquid pre-injected in the heating cavity gradually heats up and evaporates to generate bubbles, forming steam. Due to the microgravity environment, the bubbles expand and drift irregularly in the channels. The steam then flows into the condensation chamber and liquefies under the action of the low-temperature wall surface or the radiation cooling device, condensing into a liquid and flowing back to the heating cavity, constituting a complete closed-loop thermal cycle process.

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