Smart Radiation Device: Design of an Intelligent Material with Variable Emittance

Variable emittance radiator, called SRD, is a thin and light ceramic tile whose infrared emissivity is varied proportionally by its own temperature. Bonded only to the external surface of spacecrafts, it controls the heat radiated to deep space without electrical or mechanical parts such as the thermal louver. By applying this new device for thermal control of spacecrafts, considerable weight and cost reductions can be achieved easily.

In this paper, the new design and the new manufacturing process of the SRD and its optical properties, such as the total hemispherical emittance and the solar absorptance, are described. By introducing this new design and manufacturing process, the weight of the SRD is easily decreased, keeping its strength and the optical properties.