Technical Paper
A Parametric Study of Parabolic Radiator Shades for Lunar Base Thermal Control Systems
1995-07-01
951525
When permanent bases are established on the moon, various methods may be employed to reject the heat generated by the base. One proposed concept is the use of a vertical thermal radiator operating with a parabolic shade. The shade reduces background environmental heating by several means, thereby, increasing the performance of the radiator. Specifically, the shade focuses the incoming solar radiation in a line above the radiator and through the use of thermal control coatings substantially reduces infrared radiation originating from the lunar surface. To further enhance the performance of the radiator, it is aligned with the moon's equator. Several different parabolic shade geometries were evaluated using the Thermal Synthesizer System (TSS) which allows the full spectrum of specular surfaces to be included in the modeling process.