相变材料在航天器上的应用

Application of phase change materials in spacecraft

随着航天技术的发展,航天器内部仪器设备的功耗和热流密度不断增大,给航天器热控设计带来新的困难,但为相变材料的应用提供了机遇。文章针对相变材料在相变过程中具有温度恒定、没有运动部件等特点,重点介绍了相变材料分类、特性及其在航天器热控设计中的应用,分析了相变材料在工程应用中面临的问题,给出了相变材料在航天器热控技术上应用的发展方向。

Phase change materials （PCM） have a high potential heat of fusion, and by the phase change at the relevant temperature, a large amount of energy can be stored or released. The phase change materials enjoy the following two advantages： the stability in the temperature control and the absence of moving parts. With the development of space technology, the power of electronic devices increases rapidly. On a spacecraft, the thermal control subsystems are used to keep electronic devices within specified temperature limits, and the phase change materials offer a possibility to store the thermal energy directly as the potential heat of fusion. This paper presents the classification and characteristics of phase change materials. The applications of phase change materials are discussed mainly in the context of spacecraft. Finally, the problems in the study and application of phase change materials are analyzed, the direction for the future development of phase change materials is pointed out.