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Space Suit Radiator Performance in Lunar and Mars EnvironmentsDuring an ExtraVehicular Activity (EVA), both the heat generated by the astronaut's metabolism and that produced by the Portable Life Support System (PLSS) must be rejected to space. The heat sources include the heat of adsorption of metabolic CO2, the heat of condensation of water, the heat removed from the body by the liquid cooling garment and the load from the electrical components. Although the sublimator hardware to reject this load weighs only 1.58 kg (3.48 lbm), an additional 3.6 kg (8 lbm) of water are loaded into the unit, most of which is sublimated and lost to thus become the single largest expendable during an eight hour EVA. We can significantly reduce the amount of expendable water consumed in the sublimator by using a radiator to reject heat from the Astronaut during an EVA. Last year we reported on the design and initial operational assessment tests of our novel radiator designated the Radiator And Freeze Tolerant heat eXchanger (RAFT-X). Herein, we report on tests conducted in the NASA Johnson Space Center Chamber E Thermal Vacuum Test Facility. Up to 260 W (900 Btu/h) of heat were rejected in Lunar and Mars environments with temperatures as cold as -170 C (- 275 F). Further, the RAFT-X endured several freeze / thaw cycles and in fact, the heat exchanger was completely frozen three times without any apparent damage to the unit.
Document ID
20070013698
Acquisition Source
Johnson Space Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Nabity, James
(TDA Research, Inc. Wheat Ridge, CO, United States)
Mason, Georgia
(TDA Research, Inc. Wheat Ridge, CO, United States)
Copeland, Robert
(TDA Research, Inc. Wheat Ridge, CO, United States)
Libberton, Kerry
(TDA Research, Inc. Wheat Ridge, CO, United States)
Stephan, Ryan
(NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Trevino, Luis
(NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Paul, Heather
(NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Date Acquired
August 23, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2005
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Science And Exploration
Report/Patent Number
07ICES-221
Meeting Information
Meeting: 37th International Conference on Environmental
Location: Chicago, IL
Country: United States
Start Date: July 9, 2007
End Date: July 12, 2007
Funding Number(s)
WBS: WBS 731384.06.04.01.05.10
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAS9-03052
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.
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