Thermal analysis and radiator's dimensioning of a CuboSat satellite operating in earth orbit

• Grant number: 15/26178-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 01, 2016
• End date: April 30, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Aerospace Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Alexandre Tácito Malavolta
• Grantee: Gabriel Rocha
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Exatas e de Tecnologia (CCET). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The aerospace sector represents a strategic area for national development, offering autonomies conditions in the design and manufacturing of products with high added value in areas such as telecommunications, meteorology and earth imaging. One of the most challenges in aerospace design is temperature control of satellite's payloads in orbit. In this work, the project aims to carry out thermal analysis for the design of an aerospace radiator that ensures typical operating temperatures (-15 °C and + 50 °C) of electronic components located inside a CuboSat satellite in Earth orbit. For this purpose, analytical thermal models for predicting the required radiator area and computational thermal models (using the NX-Space Thermal software) for predicting incidents orbital fluxes and operating temperatures over the CuboSat satellite will be developed. In addition, this work intended to provide the student the opportunity to apply scientific and technological knowledge by using computational mechanics in the analysis of aerospace structures, improving human resources in scientific research and technological areas.