Abstract
According to the characteristics of science payload, an adaptive design is made for the centrifuge thermal control system of standard experiment rack and the thermal control system is optimized due to the constraints of platform resources. Referring to the operating conditions of in-orbit environment, it compares the advantages and disadvantages of vapor compression refrigeration, the Stirling cycle and thermoelectric cooler. Finally, the two-stage thermal control scheme combined air–liquid heat exchanger with thermoelectric cooler is chose. In consideration of the actual condition in orbit, a ground mirror-image experiment platform is built to carry out the thermal performance experiments of thermal control system under variable working conditions, such as different science payload heat load, different temperature of liquid supply on platform, and voltage change of thermoelectric cooling component. By means of experimental research, it verifies the rationality of the thermal control system and obtains the thermal control parameters status under the in-orbit condition, which improves the safety and reliability of the system. Once the experiment rack is launched with Space Station in the future, the space-ground comparison between the in-orbit equipment and the ground mirror-image experimental platform will provide more data reference for the study of the influence of microgravity.
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The work presented is funded by the China Manned Space National Science and Technology Major Project—Variable Gravity Rack Centrifuge Project.
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Yu Zhang wrote the main manuscript text. Yanlin Zhou and Shikui Dong offered guidance and support. Ke Wang, Qiang Sheng and Caiyun Shao helped to revise manuscript and offered guidance.
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Zhang, Y., Zhou, Y., Dong, S. et al. Optimization for Thermal Control System of Centrifuge and Operating Status Prediction Experiment in Orbit. Microgravity Sci. Technol. 35, 7 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12217-023-10033-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12217-023-10033-4