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ECOSIM is a software tool for continuous simulation of systems which makes possible a combined representation of different physical aspects of a system, such as fluid flows, chemical reactions, electrical phenomena, and analogue and digital controls, in a single model. ECOSIM is a true modular simulation tool. The user can easily develop re-usable submodels and libraries of parametric components in the ECOSIM language and by taking advantage of the abstractions provided by the program. It is also possible to call FORTRAN or C subroutines. Mathematical modelling is based on an underlying differential algebraic equation solver, which overcomes the common drawbacks of simulators based on ordinary differential equation solvers. This permits very rich equation sets to be employed in the model which in turn opens the door to multi-disciplinary simulation. These capabilities make ECOSIM a very powerful tool for the simulation of Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSSs).

ESATAN, a thermal network solver, and ESARAD, a radiative analysis preprocessor, are now used widely throughout the European community for performing satellite thermal analysis. Although these serve the community well it is time to look ahead at the next generation of thermal analysis tool. This paper addresses the problems inherent in the present thermal analysis tools and proposes a specification of a new tool to be developed over the next four years. The major aims of the proposed tool are to provide; complete node and conductor generation, integration of the radiative and thermal analysis processes, a simple interface to other analysis disciplines and a complete and intuitive graphical user interface.

Fuel cells have become a very important part of the energy supply in past, current and future space activities. In the past they have been used in the Gemini missions - their first application in space - and later in the Apollo programme. Fuel cells will be employed in future American, Russian and European space vehicles where significantly larger electrical power generation is envisaged compared to early applications. This increased capacity is linked to a correspondingly larger amount of waste heat which must be managed in turn. Effective study of how best to accommodate such fuel cell systems into a space vehicle and of the impact on other subsystems - e.g. thermal control - requires a suitable simulation tool.