International Space Station THC/IMV Development Test and Analytical Model Correlation

The International Space Station (ISS) Temperature and Humidity Control (THC) system has been reconfigured from the Space Station Freedom (SSF) configuration to meet new interface requirements and to implement a new “parasitic” air cooling scheme. This scheme provides Lab THC cooled air to Node 1, and more critically integrates Node 1 ports at different stages of space station assembly.

A joint development test of the complex U.S. Lab and Node 1 integrated THC/IMV ducting system was conducted in the summer of 1995 at the McDonnell Douglas test facility in Huntington Beach, California. The purpose of the test was to show overall capability of the ducting system to meet basic requirements, and to provide detailed flow and pressure drop performance data for individual duct segments.

This paper provides correlations of the test data with analytical data obtained from a computerized model of the THC/IMV ducting system. The applications of the correlated and adjusted math model include analyses for ground testing support, flight qualification, and flight support.