Using a monophasic fluid loop simulation software for thermal control in spacecraft

Abstract In the field of spacecraft technologies, the thermal control system is a vital subsystem that interacts with all other subsystems within a satellite. Creating a satellite thermal control system involves design, analysis and testing processes. Typically, the thermal design and analysis of satellites are performed using commercial software tools. However, during the preliminary design phase, satellite manufacturers often utilize in-house developed software instead. In this study, a monophasic fluid loop simulation software (MFLSS) tool model was developed with 13 nodes to enable quick trade studies, and was tested against ESATAN-TMS software tools to compare temperature predictions. The main goal of employing the monophasic fluid loop simulation software tool is to rapidly estimate temperature values rather than to replace commercial software. The monophasic fluid loop simulation software tool provided satisfactory temperature results compared to ESATAN-TMS, differing by 1.5 °C or less.