Enhanced thermal management of cyclically operating T/R module in spatial environment

To ensure the stable operation of high-power transmitter and receiver (T/R) module in the complex aerospace environment, this study presents an integrated thermal buffer combing a vapor chamber (VC) with trapezoidal microgroove wick structure and heat storage container filled by phase change materials (PCMs). A common surface between the two components is manufactured by 3D printer without thermal contact resistance. The effects of gravity and vibration conditions on the thermal management performance are considered. Results show that the sustained operation significantly depends on the heat dissipation efficiency at the VC condensing surface while the tested integrated thermal buffer is capable to guarantee the continuous operation of the simulated T/R module for at least 5 cycles. However, when operating under a higher thermal power, the safely operating cycle drops to three dues to the not fully exploited PCM during fast charging process. Meanwhile, it is found that the high-frequency vibration can maintain the thermal resistance of vapor chamber below 0.15 K/W and suppress the temperature rise rate of simulated T/R module by 1.65 °C/min. Based on the standardized multiple linear regression, the deviation of the PCM's temperature from its melting point might lead to adverse effect on heat transfer performance. Provided that the heat dissipation performance at the condensing surface is maintained, increasing the heat flux or vibration frequency can reduce the average thermal resistance of VC. Among these, the variation in heat flux yields the most significant amelioration.