Heat dissipation solutions in aerospace mainly include the following types:
Thermal control coating: The use of coatings with specific thermal radiation properties, such as low absorption and high emittance, on the surface of spacecraft can effectively reduce the absorption of solar radiation and enhance the dissipation of heat to space, helping to maintain the surface temperature of the spacecraft within an appropriate range25.
Insulation material: The use of efficient insulation materials such as multi-layer insulation (MLI) can significantly reduce the transfer of heat, minimizing the entry of external heat and the loss of internal heat. It is often used for the insulation of spacecraft bodies, equipment insulation, etc., to maintain the stability of equipment and cabin temperatures.25.
Heat pipe technology: Utilizing the evaporation and condensation cycle of the working fluid inside the heat pipe, it quickly transfers heat, achieving efficient isothermal performance. It can transfer the heat generated by the equipment from the heat source to the heat dissipation part, effectively balancing the temperature distribution. It is often used in the heat dissipation of equipment such as satellites and space stations.123.
Fluid loop system: The cooling liquid flows through the pipeline by the drive of the circulating pump, absorbing the heat generated by the equipment and transmitting it to the heat sink for heat dissipation. This can achieve precise temperature control, such as the active thermal control fluid loop used by the "Galaxy Aerospace Lingxi 03 Satellite" in China, which can maintain the temperature stability of the single machine under the precise control and adjustment of better than 1℃ level.3.
Air cooling: Utilizing fans and other equipment to accelerate air flow, removing heat, is more common in some avionics bays. By reasonably designing the air duct and fan layout, the heat dissipation efficiency is improved to ensure that the equipment operates within the normal temperature range.25.
Phase change material heat dissipation: Utilizing the characteristic of phase change materials to absorb or release a large amount of latent heat during the phase change process, it is applied to the heat dissipation system. When the device temperature rises, the phase change material absorbs heat and undergoes phase change, thus delaying the temperature rise and playing a certain thermal buffer role.3.
Aerogel Insulation and Heat Dissipation: Aerogels have extremely low thermal conductivity and high porosity, which can not only reduce heat transfer as an insulation material but also allow heat to slowly dissipate through its porous structure to a certain extent. They have important applications in fields such as hypersonic flight vehicles. For example, in the hypersonic flight vehicle cooling solution developed by our National University of Defense Technology, aerogels play an important role.1.
Heat Radiator: The specially designed heat radiators have a larger heat dissipation area and good thermal radiation performance, which can efficiently dissipate heat into space in the form of thermal radiation. It is one of the commonly used heat dissipation devices in spacecraft such as space stations. By reasonably arranging the position and orientation of the heat radiators, the heat dissipation effect can be optimized.25.
Sweating cooling: tiny holes or channels are set on the surface of the aircraft, and when the aircraft is exposed to high temperatures, the cooling fluid is injected into the holes, where it evaporates on the surface and absorbs a large amount of heat, thus achieving the purpose of cooling and temperature reduction. This method is often used in the aerospace field, such as in hypersonic aircraft that face extreme high temperature environments.