Controlling two-phase ammonium loop operation by thermal hydraulic accumulator

Аuthors

Lukoyanov Y. M., Maklakov N. N.^*

Keldysh Research Centre, 8, Onezhskaya str., Moscow, 125438, Russia

*e-mail: maklakov.n@mail.ru

Abstract

The article proposes a regulation method of a two-phase ammonium loop by thermal hydro accumulator. Experimental results with a 3 kW loop are presented.

The two-phase heat transfer ammonia loop with mechanical pumping is intended for the excess heat removal from the liquid coolant circulating in the internal hydraulic loop of the space vehicle in a spacecraft upgraded perspective thermal control systems.

The heat transfer loop main thermo-physical characteristics are the power transferred by the coolant of the evaporator internal hydraulic loop, and the power drawn-off in the condenser, as well as the temperature of the coolant, circulating in the spacecraft internal hydraulic loop at the evaporator outlet.

An experimental installation with thermal loading up to 3 kW was developed for the ground testing of components and the loop as a whole.

The experimental installation allowed feeding the thermal load to the evaporator, removing heat from the condenser, filling the loop with ammonium and removing it. At the experiment the temperature, coolant consumption and pressure measurements were performed under various conditions, set by the auxiliary systems of the experimental installation. While the experiment the loop was positioned horizontally, and all its components were thermally insulated.

The possibility of sustaining a constant temperature of the coolant, circulating in the spacecraft internal hydraulic loop and at the evaporating heat exchanger outlet by a simple control algorithm of heat feeding to the thermal hydraulic accumulator was demonstrated.

The obtained results can simplify significantly developing two-phase ammonia loop with mechanical pumping for the space vehicles thermal control systems.

Keywords:

two-phase mechanically pumped ammonia loop, ground tests, thermal hydraulic accumulator, spacecraft thermal control system

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