Thermal Design of a Spaceflight Plant Chamber Payload 2003-01-2583
PGBA, a 0.08m2 / 27 liter spaceflight plant chamber payload employs two temperature-controlled liquid coolant loops to control the temperature and humidity of the sealed plant chamber independently. Cabin-air cooled thermoelectric heat pumps control the temperature of the water-alcohol coolant fluid in each loop, which is circulated by small, low-power, magnetically-coupled positive displacement gear pumps, designed to meet NASA safety requirements. Pulse-width-modulated DC current control circuits, controlled by two PI software controllers, maintain temperature and humidity accurately. The coolant loops feature bellows-based expansion vessels to accommodate thermal expansion and pressure fluctuations. Pressure sensors monitor the proper function and performance of the system. Pressure decay tests and unique fill procedures should ensure leak and air bubble-free operation.
Citation: Hoehn, A., Clawson, J., Freeman, J., Genova, J. et al., "Thermal Design of a Spaceflight Plant Chamber Payload," SAE Technical Paper 2003-01-2583, 2003, https://doi.org/10.4271/2003-01-2583. Download Citation
Author(s):
Alex Hoehn, James Clawson, Jake Freeman, Jon Genova, Kevin Gifford, Louis Stodieck
Affiliated:
BioServe Space Technologies, NASA Research Partnership Center, University of Colorado at Boulder
Pages: 12
Event:
International Conference On Environmental Systems
ISSN:
0148-7191
e-ISSN:
2688-3627
Related Topics:
Coolants
Pressure
Pumps
Humidity
Gears
Marine vehicles and equipment
Sensors and actuators
Computer software and hardware
SAE MOBILUS
Subscribers can view annotate, and download all of SAE's content.
Learn More »