METHOD FOR SIMULATION OF EXTERNAL HEAT TRANSFER CONDITIONS OF SPACE VEHICLES IN THERMAL VACUUM CHAMBER Russian patent published in 2023 - IPC B64G7/00 

FIELD: thermal vacuum testing of spacecraft.

SUBSTANCE: to simulate the conditions of external heat exchange of spacecraft in a thermal vacuum chamber, a solar radiation simulator is assembled from separate sections of autonomous heaters and placed inside the thermal vacuum chamber together with the test object. In sections of autonomous heaters, an array of point sources of radiation is used. Radiation sources of autonomous heaters are equipped with optical elements and can consist of several types with different spectral characteristics. The test object is brought to hot and cold temperatures using a solar simulator and a cooled grate, respectively. The power of sections of independent heaters is regulated separately by a single control system. A uniform working field is obtained by mixing the radiation of point sources. The control system uses feedback based on the readings of the sensors of the level of energy illumination and the spectrum on the surface of the test object.

EFFECT: increase in the reliability and energy efficiency of thermal vacuum tests, a reduction in time costs and labour intensity in the preparation of thermal vacuum tests.

3 cl, 5 dwg