3-1. Optimal Design of Thermal Energy Storage for Space Power HAMID TORAB Summary Thermal energy storage (TES) has been utilized in most thermal systems where temporal variations in the quantity of energy available do not coincide with the load demand. Encapsulated phase change material (PCM) thermal energy storage may be used to reduce the total volume and mass of the heat rejection system in pulsed space power supplies. The storage system receives waste heat generated during high power sprint operation. The stored energy will then be dissipated into space using a radiator during the non-operational period. Since the non-operational period is much longer than the operational period, the use of a storage system allows the radiator to be made significantly smaller. This study is concerned with optimization of high temperature TES using encapsulated PCM. The PCM considered in this study is lithium hydride. The heat transport fluid is assumed to be lithium. The goal of this optimization is to minimize the volume of the TES for a given operating condition. Introduction Themal energy storage is used in thermal systems which exhibit temporal variations in the quantity of energy available that do not coincide with thermal load demand. The flexibility of the energy utilization system and the continuity of its function can be greatly increased by using an efficient method of thermal energy storage. Packed beds provide an effective means of energy storage. The energy density of packed beds may be greatly enhanced if a phase change material is utilized. These storage systems can be used to reduce the size of the heat rejection system in pulsed space power (PSP) supplies. Waste heat is generated during the high-power sprint operation of PSP supplies, and should be dissipated into space via the radiator. Utilization of a thermal energy storage system under certain conditions could significantly reduce the size of the radiator. Using this concept, the waste heat generated during high power sprint mode operation is rejected to the thermal storage and thus into space via a radiator over the longer non-operational period of the orbit. By using thermal energy storage, the dissipation time can be increased by one order of magnitude. The total radiator capacity needed for waste heat dissipation into space can then be reduced drastically as compared to the case where no thermal energy storage is used. The addition of a thermal energy storage system will be advantageous Hamid Torab, Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Gannon University, Erie, PA 16541, USA.
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