Vacuum Thermal Test Device for Two-Phase Fluid Loop
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a lack of standardized testing methods for evaluating the heat transfer capacity and blocking performance of gravity-driven two-phase fluid loops, particularly in vacuum environments and when combined with isotopic heat sources, which is crucial for ensuring the reliable operation of spacecraft heat control systems.
Innovation Solution
A vacuum heat performance testing device and method that utilizes temperature sensors and temperature-controlled heaters to evaluate the heat transfer capacity and blocking performance of two-phase fluid loops at different working temperatures, including the use of a simulated heat source and multilayer heat insulation to maintain a vacuum environment and simulate on-orbit conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a gravity-driven two-phase fluid loop is used for spacecraft heat control, then heat transfer capacity is improved, but there is a lack of standardized testing methods to evaluate its performance
Solution Approach 1:
The testing device is divided into multiple independent modules: vacuum chamber, temperature control system, heat transfer test section, and data acquisition system. Each module can be independently configured and adjusted, allowing systematic evaluation of the two-phase fluid loop without requiring a complex integrated testing setup.
2Measurement precision
If vacuum testing is conducted to evaluate performance in space environment, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A vacuum chamber serves as an intermediary environment that simulates space conditions without requiring actual space deployment. The chamber provides controlled vacuum conditions while allowing ground-based testing, thus achieving precise measurement of heat transfer performance in space-equivalent environment without the complexity of in-orbit testing.
Solution Approach 2:
The testing device creates a simplified copy of the space environment through vacuum conditions and controlled thermal boundaries. This allows evaluation of the two-phase fluid loop performance under space-like conditions using ground-based equipment, avoiding the need for complex in-orbit testing apparatus.
3Measurement precision
If multiple temperature sensors are deployed to monitor working medium state, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple temperature sensors are integrated into a unified data acquisition system that simultaneously monitors temperature at various points in the two-phase fluid loop. The sensors are combined with the vacuum chamber and control systems to form a coordinated measurement network, enabling comprehensive temperature field mapping without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Comprehensively evaluates the heat transfer and blocking performance of two-phase fluid loops, ensuring they meet temperature requirements and maintain balanced working conditions, thereby enhancing the reliability of spacecraft heat control systems.
Implementation Method 1
a two-phase fluid loop technology is a spacecraft heat control technology emphatically developed at home and abroad in recent twenty years
Implementation Method 2
a gravity-driven two-phase fluid loop system is a key technology for solving the problem that a rover and a lander in a Chang'e lunar exploration project cannot stay over the night on the moon
Implementation Method 3
heat insulation assemblies are mounted on the two-phase fluid loop and are used for avoiding heat transfer between a vacuum environment and parts of the two-phase fluid loop
Implementation Method 4
temperature sensors are mounted on the evaporator, the steam pipeline, the condensation pipeline, the liquid reservoir, the control valve and the liquid pipeline for detecting a temperature of each part of the two-phase fluid loop
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4
AI summary
Provided are a vacuum thermal performance test device for a two-phase fluid loop, and a test method, for testing and evaluating the heat transfer capability and the blocking performance of a two-phase fluid loop at different operating temperatures. The test device comprises a heat dissipation plate (11), a temperature control heater, a multi-layer heat insulation assembly, a temperature sensor, a simulation heat source (15) and a loop support (17). The operating temperature of a two-phase fluid loop is altered by controlling the temperature of an evaporator (1) and the temperature of the heat dissipation plate (11). The test method tests the heat transfer and blocking capabilities of the vacuum thermal performance of a gravity-driven two-phase fluid loop. The arrangement of the temperature sensor is beneficial for the observation of the state of an ammonia working medium within the two-phase fluid loop, each component within the two-phase fluid loop is examined as to whether a temperature requirement is satisfied, and the two-phase fluid loop is also examined as to whether balance is achieved.