Space Engineering Institute (SEI)

Space Engineering Research CenterTexas Engineering Experiment Station, Texas A&M University

Integrated Thermal Energy Management System (ITEMS)

Team Members: Christie Tipton, Scott Hansen, Sarah Thiele, Nikhil

Bhatnagar, Leanne Kristek, Katelyn Lowe & Jeremy Smith

Mentors: Dr. C. Kurwitz & Dr. K. Hulbert

Project GoalThe ITEMS concept will demonstrate mass saving

and energy storage capabilities inherently associated with phase change by the isothermal sharing of heat between sources and sinks in a

two-phase thermal management system for spacecraft.

Project Objectives

•Build a thermal control system that stores and transfers energy using two-phase, isothermal fluid.

•Calculate the ratio of mass of the system to the energy handling capability.

•Compare this ratio to similar single-phase system• Shows the benefits and efficiency of two-phase flow in active thermal control systems.

•Conduct a similar evaluation using the ratio of power required by the system to energy handling capability of the ITEMS loop and existing systems.

Fall Semester Plan• Research Phase: Modeling and Simulation Teams

– Research single-phase thermal control systems and create working models using MØTRAN software.

• Development Phase: Hardware and Instrumentation Teams – Design and develop demonstration flow loop.

• Model system using MØTRAN for performance prediction under 1g and reduced gravity environments.

– Construct a working two-phase thermal control system, demonstrating the ITEMS concept.

– Set up a DAQ system to monitor the model.

• Submit a flight proposal to Microgravity University.

• Compare test results of two-phase system to analog single phase system.

Research Phase: Modeling Team– Obtained information on:

– External Active Thermal Control System in use on the International Space Station.

– Heat Rejection System used by the Mars Rover Spirit during cruise stage.

– Created data charts of the specifications, and developed simplified visual models using Microsoft Visio.

– Used the information gathered about these systems when planning the design of our model loop.

Research Phase: Simulation Team– Used data from Modeling Team to create

simplified MØTRAN models of EATCS and HRS.

ITEMS Flow Loop

• Created a schematic of the ITEMS flow loop.

– Designed to demonstrate the capabilities of the two-phase thermal system.

• Created a MØTRAN model.– Verify the feasibility of our proposed system

and predict its performance in 1g and 0g environments.

Vortex Separator

Void Fraction Sensor

Ice Bath

DP Cell

Pumps

Electrical Bay

Development Phase: Hardware Team

Development Phase: Instrumentation Team

• Calibrated RTD transmitters and pressure gauges and began using LABVIEW to interface them with the DAQ.

• LABVIEW allows for efficient data interpretation using engineering units in real-time.

• Provides the ability to program with limited programming experience to develop test solutions quickly.

Spring 2010• Goals:

– Finish construction of our test loop and DAQ system used to record experimental data.

– Perform ground testing to evaluate various aspects of two-phase thermal bus and to collect baseline two-phase data for comparison to MØTRAN predictions.*

– Use mass models and specific mass information to compare current thermal management systems to a similar ITEMS centric design.*

– Publish results.*

*If awarded, perform testing under reduced gravity conditions to collect general two-phase flow data as well as demonstrate operation of ITEMS system in a reduced gravity environment