Computational and Experimental Technique for Selecting Chamber Parameters for Thermal Condition Testing of Onboard Equipment in Unpressurised Spacecraft

Abstract

We present a combined computational and experimental technique for selecting chamber parameters for testing thermal conditions of onboard equipment mounted in unpressurised spacecraft compartments. The task was to determine criteria ensuring that the temperature field of the equipment inside the craft stays identical to the temperature field of the same equipment inside the climate chamber, equipment thermal emissions being equal. This makes it possible to partially replace expensive and labourintensive thermal condition testing of onboard equipment in thermal vacuum chambers with climate chamber testing. We supply comparative thermal test results of a standard onboard equipment unit in a thermal vacuum chamber and a climate chamber at temperatures derived by means of the computational and experimental technique presented Spacecraft, temperature control systems, thermal vacuum chamber, climate chamber, onboard equipment, unpressurised compartment, Electrical, Electronic and Electromechanical (EEE) parts