Radiative heat dissipation of a Lunar Base thermal control system in severe space environments

• Published in: Applied thermal engineering 2024-12, Vol.257, p.124408, Article 124408
• Main Authors: Zhang, Kai, Sun, Peijie, Lv, Xiaojing, Weng, Yiwu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Characteristic analysis; Low gravity; Lunar Base; Radiator; Thermal control system
• ISSN: 1359-4311
• DOI: 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2024.124408

•Innovative optimal Lunar Base zone balancing solar radiation and heat dissipation.•Radiative heat dissipation capability of radiator is obtained at diurnal cycle.•Characteristics of radiator in low gravity and vacuum are studied by CFD.•Off-design performances are analyzed considering the effects of Qh and Ts.•Meeting demands of Lunar Base cooling and heat dissipation in extreme environments. Harsh diurnal temperature difference variations on the lunar surface, exceeding 270 K, pose significant challenges for the sustainable operation of equipment and life support systems in a Lunar Base. This study addresses these challenges by innovatively identifying the optimal latitude range for a Lunar Base, considering the combined effects of solar irradiance, Earth’s reflection, and lunar surface scattering. A novel thermal control system, integrating an Organic Rankine Cycle for power generation and an ejector refrigeration cycle, has been developed to utilize waste heat from the equipment module for cooling the manned module. Comprehensive CFD simulations have been conducted to characterize the radiator’s performance in microgravity and vacuum conditions, relevant to the lunar environment. Results indicate that the suitable zone for Lunar Base is between 35°N and 45°N with good ability to dissipate waste heat and provide cooling capacity. The thermal control system effectively meets the cooling and heat dissipation requirements of a Lunar Base under extreme conditions, providing cooling capacities between 10.26 kW and 17.02 kW for waste heat levels ranging from 28 kW to 35 kW, and consistently delivering over 14.98 kW of cooling and 44 kW of radiation heat dissipation with heat sink temperatures from 4 K to 200 K. The radiator’s performance is significantly influenced by both heat sink temperatures and inlet velocity. Increasing heat sink temperatures from 4 K to 200 K results in the decrease of the radiator’s average heat transfer coefficient from 88.88 W/(m2·K) to 78.74 W/(m2·K). The single radiator achieves its peak radiation heat dissipation at 24.17 W and maximum radiation intensity of 294.35 W/m2 at an inlet velocity of 0.065 m/s. This study can provide a foundation for the location selection of Lunar Base, the configuration of thermal control systems, and the performance of radiators, contributing valuable technical insights for the establishment of a permanent Lunar Base.