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The Thermal Environmental Control (TEC) of the Fluid Science Laboratory (FSL): a combined (Water/Air) thermal design solution for a Columbus Active Rack
Technical Paper
2001-01-2374
ISSN: 0148-7191, e-ISSN: 2688-3627
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Language:
English
Abstract
The Fluid Science Laboratory (FSL) is an advanced multi-user facility for conducting fluid physics research in microgravity conditions. It will be installed in the Columbus module of the International Space Station (ISS) scheduled for launch in 2004. FSL is being developed by a European industrial team, led by ALENIA SPAZIO of Italy, and managed by the European Space Agency (ESA).
The FSL Thermal Environment Control (TEC) establishes a defined thermal environment during the complete experiment duration to keep the experiment and the supporting subsystems within their thermal requirements.
The TEC is further subdivided into three sections.
The Air Cooling Section is based on the Avionics Air Assembly (AAA) which generates air streams inside the Facility to collect, by forced convection, the waste heat from the electronics belonging to the various Subsystems.
The Secondary Water Loop (SWL) cooling Section provides the cooled water to the Experiment Container. It is a complete thermal control loop hosted in its dedicated drawer.
The Primary Water Loop (PWL) Section routes the cooling fluid of the Columbus Laboratory Active Thermal Control Subsystem (ATCS) to the Heat Exchangers of the Secondary water and the Air loops.
In this work, the Thermal Control of the Facility will be presented and analyzed. The FSL Integrated Thermal Mathematical Model, enabling the investigation of the thermal behavior of the three TEC Sections in the frame of the whole Facility, will be explained.