Aligned carbon nanotube material and digital design tools are helping to overcome thermal management problems in satellites
Carbice Corporation is collaborating with Blue Canyon Technologies to supply aligned carbon nanotechnology (CNT) material for small satellites including nanosatellites, microsatellites, and ESPA-class satellites.
The collaboration sees Carbice’s aligned CNT material – Carbice Space Pad – being integrated into nearly all satellites from Blue Canyon Technologies. It has demonstrated on-orbit success for critical government missions and customers and is scheduled to launch in early 2024 on MethaneSAT, an advanced methane-tracking satellite in space that will offer high-resolution quantification and tracking of total global emissions to find and fix leaks faster and document the progress.
Harsh Space Environment
Spacecraft face the harshest environments for thermal management, with intense radiation, large temperature variations, and limited ways for heat to move. Carbice Space Pad is said to be a reliable material with the kind of thermal properties required for such environments that combine high-power dissipation performance with ease of use.
Traditional thermal interface materials (TIMs) such as grease and liquid silicone rubber can damage parts during Assembly, Integration and Test (AI&T) and cause delays in production. Carbice Space Pad negates this damage and delay by saving existing material from being discarded and avoiding an increased schedule risk. By reducing and eliminating scrap due to rework and destruction, Carbice Space Pad is a more sustainable TIM that enables longer-term performance in orbit.
The material also benefits from the inclusion of “Carbice SIM” predictable interface software that is able to predict Space Pad performance with accuracy, offering exact pressure distribution analysis. With such analysis available for different component structures and the ability to simulate its use in different applications, Carbice SIM can be used as a means of reducing the amount of time spent on thermal vacuum testing, a crucial environmental climatic test for the space industry.
According to Jennifer Cech Young, Director of Thermal Systems Engineering at Blue Canyon Technologies, collaborating with Carbice strengthens the company’s ability to launch quickly and expand the limits of what’s possible in space.
“Our critical satellite programmes have launched successfully in part due to the choice of material when integrating Space Pad. In our experience, aligned CNTs from Carbice are the most reliable advanced material for managing thermal systems, and we are thrilled to continue using it on nearly all Blue Canyon satellites for the future,” she says.
Defence Systems
Aligned carbon nanotubes have also been recognized by the US Department of Defence as a “technology of special interest” for mission critical applications in American security systems. A US House Armed Services Committee vote last year elevated aligned CNTs as a special interest technology, leading to further exploration in its use for aerospace & defence applications because of its thermal properties, as well as industrial power and data applications which are critical to national security.
Previously having been used on the International Space Station, Carbice Space Pad has also shown demonstrated success on satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO), GEO orbits, and constellations.
In addition to Carbice Space Pad, Carbice Pad is a proven thermal interface material (TIM) delivering stronger surface area cooling performance for the industrial power and data sectors.
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