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Stratospheric balloons are platforms with great relevance in space missions to reach scientific observations. The payload thermal analyses of such missions are usually focused on the float phase. However, during the ascent phase, the coolest temperatures of the entire mission may be reached, mainly due to the convective cooling in the tropopause. This can be explained by the combination of relative wind speed and the harsh thermal environment. The aim of this work is to evaluate the impact of the thermal environment on the relative wind speed to determine the worst-case thermal analysis. Therefore, in order to perform a robust payload thermal during the ascent phase, the uncertainty in the thermal environment and the relative velocity must be evaluated. The former are reduced by defining the thermal environment based on real-data. The latter are reduced by evaluating the parameters involved in the ascent rate. For this purpose, a dynamic model has been developed to characterise the ascent rate and the horizontal relative velocity of the balloon-borne system. This tool has been validated with flight data from the REXUS/BEXUS programme, with the BEXUS missions launched from Esrange, Kiruna, Sweden from 2014 to 2018. The thermal analysis performed shows a temperature difference greater than 10 °C depending on the thermal worst-case selection. The work here presented reduces the uncertainties of the stratospheric payloads ascent phase thermal analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the development of decarbonization technologies and renewable energy, water electrolysis has emerged as a key technology. The efficiency of hydrogen production and its applications are significantly affected by power stability. Enhancing power stability not only improves hydrogen production efficiency and reduces maintenance costs but also ensures long-term reliable system operation. This study proposes a thermal control method that stabilizes hydrogen output by precisely adjusting the temperature of the electrolysis stack, thereby improving hydrogen production efficiency. Fluctuations in the electrolysis stack temperature can lead to instability in the hydrogen output and energy utilization, negatively affecting overall hydrogen production. To address this issue, this study introduces an innovative system architecture and a novel thermal control strategy combining fuzzy logic control with a long short-term memory neural network. This method predicts and adjusts the flow rate of chilled water to maintain the electrolysis stack temperature within a range of ±1 °C while sustaining a constant power output of 10 kW. This approach is crucial for ensuring system stability and maximizing hydrogen production efficiency. Long-term experiments have validated the effectiveness and reliability of this method, demonstrating that this thermal control strategy not only stabilizes the hydrogen production process but also increases the volume of hydrogen generated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses methods for assessing the condition of contacts and contact connections using thermal imaging and thermal indicator control. The analysis of the criteria used to identify emergency defects of contacts and contact connections based on the results of thermal control during the operation of electrical installations was performed. Based on the research results, an assessment of the conditions for the development of fire-hazardous defects of contacts and contact connections during the operation of electrical installations was carried out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents the preliminary thermal analysis of the SPORT microsatellite, based on its initial configuration. A simplified analysis, using control volumes, is conducted, considering the power dissipated by the equipment and solar radiation as heat sources. Internal conduction and radiation processes between components, as well as radiation into space, are also taken into account. A system of ordinary differential equations is constructed and solved using a simple time-marching method. The results are presented as the average temperatures of the components over a 24-h period and are compared with the numerical simulation of the definitive configuration performed by CFD. The main objective is to apply a quick and simplified version of the thermal lumped method to identify which elements may exceed temperature limits during operation, using the results to adjust the design where those limits are not met. The results are compared with CFD data for the final configuration, showing that the overall temperature behavior is consistent, and that all elements remained below the temperature limits. This validates the use of the methodology in the early phases of nanosatellite design, though some improvements may still be required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Propellant refueling is important for long-term operation of the optical module in orbit. However, its thermal environment is harsher than on previous missions. Therefore, thermal control of the entire process is required. In order to solve the complex heat transfer of propellant refueling process, an integrated thermal model is established, which includes all the equipment such as the compressor, liquid cooler and loop heat pipe. The thermal analysis simulation and system-level thermal tests is presented. Firstly, the heat transfer relationship and temperature variation are analyzed by comparing the results of transient thermal analysis and thermal test in high and low temperature conditions. Then, a variable thermal conductivity simulation method is studied for the transient process from inoperative to operative of the vertical heat pipe due to gravitational factors in the thermal test. Finally, an optimized design scheme for high temperature refueling is proposed and pre-demonstrated in orbit. The results indicate that the transient simulation results are in a good agreement with the test results under the high and low temperatures, which verifies the accuracy and validity of the analysis method and simulation model. When preheating the compressor and starting two sets of loop heat pipes during on-orbit refueling, the maximum temperature of compressor is below 34.1°C, and the total power consumption of preheating is 50 Wh, which meet the design requirement. The investigation provides an important reference for designing the propellant refueling process in the docking of the optical module to the China Space Station (CSS).

Ensuring efficiency and safety is critical when developing charging strategies for lithium-ion batteries. This paper introduces a novel method to optimize fast charging for cylindrical Li-ion NMC 3Ah cells, enhancing both their charging efficiency and thermal safety. Using Model Predictive Control (MPC), this study presents a cost function that estimates the thermal safety boundary of Li-ion batteries, emphasizing the relationship between the temperature gradient and the state of charge (SoC) at different temperatures. The charging control framework combines an equivalent circuit model (ECM) with minimal electro-thermal equations to estimate battery state and temperature. Optimization results indicate that at ambient temperatures, the optimal charging allows the cell's temperature to self-regulate within a safe operating range, requiring only one additional minute to reach 80% SoC compared to a typical fast-charging protocol (high current profile). Validation through numerical simulations and real experimental data from an NMC 3Ah cylindrical cell demonstrates that the simple approach adheres to the battery's electrical and thermal limitations during the charging process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work proposes a colored intelligent thermal control emitter characterized by adjustable structural color development with a reflection spectrum in the visible light range and intelligent thermal control with temperature switching in the mid infrared wavelength band. In the beginning, we investigate an intelligent thermal control emitter based on a multilayer membrane formed by the phase change material vanadium dioxide, metal material Ag, and dielectric materials Ge and ZnS. By incorporating the thermochromic material vanadium dioxide, the structure exhibits a high emissivity of ε H = 0.85 in the range of 3–13 μm wavelength when in the high temperature metallic state, enabling efficient heat radiation. In the low temperature dielectric state, the structure only has a low emission capacity of ε L = 0.07, reducing energy loss. Our results demonstrate that the structure achieves excellent emission regulation ability (Δ ε = 0.78) through the thermal radiation modulation from high to low temperature, maintaining effective thermal control. Furthermore, the thermal control emitter exhibits selective emission of peak wavelength due to destructive interference and shows a certain independence on polarization and incidence angle. Additionally, the integration of structural color adjustment capability enhances the visual aesthetics of the human experience. The proposed colored intelligent thermal control structure has significant potential for development in aesthetic items such as colored architecture and energy-efficient materials. We propose a colored intelligent thermal control emitter characterized by adjustable structural color development with a reflection spectrum in the visible light range and intelligent thermal control with temperature switching in the mid infrared wavelength band. By incorporating the thermochromic material vanadium dioxide, our results demonstrate that the structure achieves excellent emission regulation ability (Δ ε = 0.78) through the thermal radiation modulation from high to low temperature, maintaining effective thermal control. Additionally, the integration of structural color adjustment capability enhances the visual aesthetics of the human experience. The proposed colored intelligent thermal control structure has significant potential for development in aesthetic items such as colored architecture and energy-efficient materials. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gels as compelling soft material shows its promising versatility in actuators, soft electronics, and biomedical sensors. However, most gel materials are too rigid to cope with long‐term changing scenarios and specific needs. Inspired by the switchable behavior of bio‐behavior of muscle, the study reports a thermodynamically controllable and stiffness‐transformative cellulose‐salt gel by simple thermal mixing of hydrous salt, cellulose nanofiber, and polyacrylamide. The achieved cellulosic gel with dynamic microstructure presents an amazing stiffness switchability between crystalline state and melted states of 32.38 to 0.02 MPa, as well as the regulable light transmittance between 41.59% and 93.43%. In addition, this cellulose‐salt gel has excellent thermal controllable behavior. That is, by controlling the crystallization process, the cellulose‐salt gel displays the start‐stop releasing‐energy behaviors on demand. Enabled by these outstanding properties, the study further demonstrates the promising application of cellulose‐salt gel in controllable soft‐rigid coupling thermoelectric device, showing the broader implications for wearable electronics aiming at on‐demand work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two-phase cooling devices are used to remove and dissipate heat from high power-density electronic systems to maintain them within their operating temperature limits. The manufacture of these devices, such as heat pipes, thermosyphons or vapour chambers, involves firstly removing any internal air or non-condensable gases before charging with the required volume of working fluid. This paper presents detailed designs and operating instructions for a single bench-top station for use in a laboratory environment for the vacuum evacuation, degassing and charging of these devices. Two configurations allow for the filling of fluids which are either liquids or gases at standard temperature and pressure conditions. For liquids, the dispensed volume can be measured directly on an integrated burette, while the method of vapour transfer is used for gases.The hardware was demonstrated by filling multiple thermosyphon devices with a number of common working fluids used in two-phase systems, including water, acetone and ammonia. It was shown to deliver precise and repeatable filling volumes with average differences compared to target volumes of 1.7% and 10.5% for liquids and gases respectively. The design is intended to be highly customisable where its size can be modified to accommodate filling volume requirements for different applications.

Black oxide coatings on 6061 Al alloy were produced by plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) process in silicate- and phosphate-rich base electrolytes with addition of ammonium metavanadate (NH4VO3), respectively. The characteristics of PEO processes and resulting coatings were investigated. The thermal control properties of the coatings were measured. The corrosion protection performances of the coatings in an acidic environment were evaluated. Results show that the base electrolytes have significant influence on the PEO discharge behavior, coating characteristics and properties. There are more intensive discharges in silicate-rich electrolyte with addition of NH4VO3 (denoted as “Si–V″) than that in phosphate-rich electrolyte with addition of NH4VO3 (denoted as “P–V”), leading to higher thickness and more defects for the Si–V coating. Both Si–V and P–V coatings are characterized by black color in appearance due to the formation of V-containing compounds. However, the P–V coating has higher contents of V-containing compounds and therefore lower lightness and higher solar absorptance (αs) than the Si–V coating. In addition, the P–V coating exhibits better corrosion protection performance and color durability compared with the Si–V coating in acidic NaCl solution (pH = 3.1⁓3.3) due to the formation of AlPO4 in the coating. It is demonstrated that phosphate-rich base electrolyte with addition of NH4VO3 is a good candidate for getting stable black therm control coatings on Al alloy for practical applications in harsh environment.

This study explores the integration of porous fins with phase-change materials (PCM) to enhance the thermal regulation of photovoltaic-thermal (PVT) systems. Computational simulations are conducted to evaluate the impacts of different porous fin configurations on PCM melting dynamics, PV cell temperatures, and overall PVT system effectiveness. The results demonstrate that incorporating optimized porous fin arrays into the PCM region can significantly improve heat dissipation away from the PV cells, enabling more effective thermal control. Specifically, the optimized staggered porous fin design reduces the total PCM melting time and decreases peak cell temperatures by about 5°C . This is achieved by creating efficient heat transfer pathways that accelerate the onset of natural convection during the PCM melting process. Further comparisons with traditional solid metallic fins indicate that while solid fins enable 12.2% faster initial melting, they provide inferior long-term temperature regulation capabilities compared to the optimized porous fins. Additionally, inclining the PV module from 0° to 90° orientation can further decrease the total PCM melting time by 13 minutes by harnessing buoyancy-driven convection. Overall, the lightweight porous fin structures create highly efficient heat transfer pathways to passively regulate temperatures in PVT systems, leading to quantifiable improvements in thermal efficiency of 16% and electricity output of 2.9% over PVT systems without fins.

This study proposes a new computational framework for the multi-objective topology optimization of conjugate heat transfer systems using a continuous adjoint approach. It relies on a monolithic solver for the coupled steady-state Navier–Stokes and heat equations, which combines finite elements stabilized by the variational multi-scale method, level set representations of the fluid–solid interfaces and immersed modeling of heterogeneous materials (fluid–solid) to ensure that the proper amount of heat is exchanged to the ambient fluid by solid objects in arbitrary geometry. At each optimization iteration, anisotropic mesh adaptation is applied in near-wall regions automatically captured by the level set. This considerably cuts the computational effort associated with calling the finite element solver, in comparison to traditional topology optimization algorithms operating on isotropic grids with a comparable refinement level. Given that we operate within the constraint of a specified number of nodes in the mesh, this allows not only to improve the accuracy of interface representation and motion but also to retain the high fidelity of the numerical solutions at the grid points just adjacent to the interface. Finally, the remeshing and resolution steps both run within a highly parallel environment, which makes it possible for the proposed algorithm to tackle large-scale problems in three dimensions with several tens of millions of state degrees of freedom. The developed solver is validated first by minimizing dissipation in a flow splitter device, for which the method delivers relevant optimal designs over a wide range of volume constraints and flow rate distributions over the multiple outlet orifices but yields better accuracy compared to reference data from literature obtained using uniform meshes (in the sense that the layouts are more smooth, and the solutions are better resolved). The scheme is then applied to a two-dimensional heat transfer problem, using bi-objective cost functionals combining flow resistance and thermal recoverable power. A comprehensive parametric study reveals a complex arrangement of optimal solutions on the Pareto front, with multiple branches of symmetric and asymmetric designs, some of them previously unreported. Finally, the algorithmic developments are substantiated with several three-dimensional numerical examples tackled under fixed weights for heat transfer and flow resistance, for which we show that the optimal layouts computed at low Reynolds number, that are intrinsically relevant to a broad range of microfluidic application, can also serve as smooth solutions to high-Reynolds-number engineering problems of practical interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract\nHIGHLIGHTSOverheating and non-uniform temperature distributions within the energy storage system (ESS) often reduce the electric capacity and cycle lifespan of lithium-ion batteries. In this numerical work, the thermal design inside the battery cabinet is explored. The battery cabinet has seven-level configurations with the suction fans located on the top of the ESS to efficiently realize heat dissipation. First, the numerical modeling is validated by the available experimental data, and the discrepancy in the maximum temperature increase between the experimental and computational results is found to be 3.2% or 0.64 K. Then, the optimum airflow rates of the fans are determined, where the single-cell model is also compared with the model of seven-level modules (i.e., 1/3ESS cabinet). Finally, the airflow channel widths, air gaps between the battery modules, as well as the air gaps between the 7th level module and the fans are examined. It is indicated for the precise model of 1/3ESS cabinet that: i) The maximum temperature rise of 4.63 K, and the maximum temperature variation of 2.14 K from cell to cell & the temperature uniformity of 2.82 K from module to module are all controlled with the requirements of operating temperature < 313.15 K, and temperature differences < 5.0 K, respectively; ii) The airflow channel width of 3.0 mm and the air gap of 10 mm between two adjacent modules & air gap of 20 mm between 7th level module and six parallel-fans are designed, and the ESS cabinet can increase the batteries of one level caused by the saved inside space.Conduct thermal control design for a rank of storage system numerically.Satisfy maximum temperature rises and temperature differences < 5.0 K.Increase one level batteries for the designed air gap between two adjacent modules.Conduct thermal control design for a rank of storage system numerically.Satisfy maximum temperature rises and temperature differences < 5.0 K.Increase one level batteries for the designed air gap between two adjacent modules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiment "Effect of Marangoni Convection on Heat Transfer in Phase Change Materials" aims to investigate the efficacy of thermal Marangoni convection in augmenting the heat transfer rate of passive phase change materials (PCMs) that incorporate a free surface in microgravity; the so-called thermocapillary-enhanced PCMs. Compared to thermal conduction, thermocapillary flows can increase heat transport by a factor of two or more. In addition to advancing scientific understanding, the experiment seeks to evaluate the practical feasibility of using thermocapillary-enhanced PCMs as passive thermal control devices for space missions and assess possible implementation challenges. By analyzing different PCM samples, the experiment will provide crucial insights into the heat and mass transport mechanisms of thermocapillary flows during melting and solidification. The present article primarily describes the design, thermal control and ground results of the cuboidal cell of the experiment. We illustrate here the comprehensive approach towards developing space experiments adhering to rigorous and demanding scientific and technical requirements. Along with the validation of an initial experiment prototype, the evaluation of ground tests is also addressed. The hardware developed demonstrates an adequate performance, while the obtained scientific results are coherent and compliant with the established requirements; the feasibility of the proposed design is thus demonstrated. • The MarPCM experiment aims to better understand heat and mass transport in PCMs. • Fixed temperatures are applied to PCM samples for controlled melting/solidification. • Cuboidal and cylindrical containers are explored. • The design, thermal control, and ground results of the cuboidal cell are presented. • Experiment prototype is evaluated, showing feasibility for its execution on the ISS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal control is a critical functionality in space applications due to the narrow operation temperature range of the on-board systems, and, on the other hand, due to the harsh environment the spacecraft is subject to. Thermal control systems based on phase change materials have the main advantage that are passive and, if properly designed, are highly reliable and efficient. Some Phase Change Materials (PCMs) – paraffins – have other applications for spacecrafts, such as mechanical actuators, which convert temperature changes to mechanical work. In contrast to thermal control terrestrial applications, space applications have more constraints and must ensure compatibility with more systems. One of the most important constraints in space systems is the mass. The design and choice of thermal regulation systems often boils down to replacing heat dissipation radiators mass with lighter, PCM elements. The review is centered around the main application area of PCMs in space applications, discussing numerical and experimental studies on the design and multi-objective optimization of thermal control systems for spacecrafts. Other PCM applications in spacecraft technology are discussed such as micro-actuators, thermoelectric devices, propulsion systems and thermal protection for reentry vehicles. Not only PCM applications are discussed but also some specific issues which are highly important in the design and effective operation of PCM-based thermal control systems for spacecrafts. Thus, issues such as materials, performance enhancement, stability, compatibility and phase transition process under microgravity or hyper gravity were reviewed. • Phase change materials applications in space systems were reviewed. • Phase change materials applications other than heat storage were discussed. • Microgravity and hyper gravity effects on the phase transition process were discussed. • Thermal efficiency enhancement methods were reviewed. • Corrosion and stability issues were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The operating temperature of integrated magnetic components can be critical. Excessively high temperature can significantly modify the properties of components, especially those of magnetic material, such as saturation magnetization and magnetic permeability. This article introduces an experimental characterization method using two different sensors. We compare the results obtained from these sensors. Initially, the method is validated using a “meander component, and subsequently, it is applied to planar spiral inductors, both with and without magnetic material.

One of the fast-growing electronic integration technologies in the modern high-density microelectronics industry is System-in-Package (SiP). It is expected to accelerate application development when reducing implementation risks with optimized codes. However, monitoring the thermal behavior of every chip in SiPs is challenging. This paper proposes a Novel Peak Source-Scanning (NPSS) algorithm based on the Gradient Direction Sensors (GDS) method. The proposed algorithm can detect and locate thermal peaks on any SiP. Detecting such peaks is vital for thermal monitoring and stress management on high-density semiconductor devices to avoid induced thermo-mechanical stresses. Furthermore, the NPSS algorithm can manage and monitor silicon chips with Multiple Heat Sources (MHS). To assess this algorithm, we used tools from COMSOL Multiphysics® and MATLAB® for Temperature-prediction (Tp), and Temperature-estimation (Te), respectively. Our simulations use the generalized GDS methodology for MHS using the finite element method (FEM) to highlight our NPSS capabilities to predict on-chip thermal peaks with a maximum error of 1.27 K (Kelvin).

Thermal control of small satellites in low earth orbit (LEO) is not easy due to the intermittent heating conditions. The satellites in LEO are sometimes present in the illumination zone and other times in the eclipse zone, which imposes difficulties keeping their temperatures within the safe range. The present study investigates a thermal energy storage panel (TESP) integrated with phase change materials (PCM) to control the temperatures of satellite subsystems. The TESP was made of aluminium with outer dimensions of 100 mm long, 71 mm wide, and 25 mm high. The PCMs used were organic-based materials, which were RT 12, RT 22, and RT 31. The TESP was tested under two thermal powers of 11 W and 14 W. These powers are typical of satellite subsystems. The finite volume method was adopted for thermal analysis of the TESP. The significance of this study is that it provides a detailed computational analysis of the TESP for microsatellites' temperature management under typical LEO conditions. The research outcomes show a significant advancement in the thermal managing performance of PCM-based TESP. RT 22 could reduce the highest temperature by 4.7 % and raise the lowest by 9.5 %. It was observed from the analysis that the PCM with intermediary melting temperature provided better thermal control efficiency. RT 12 reported a lower extreme temperature difference (ETD) and could decrease it by 63.9 % relative to the case with no PCM. At the same time, RT 22 reported an ETD of 23 min and could reduce it by 63 % relative to the case with no PCM at 14 W. The present study concluded that PCMs show great potential as a viable approach for effectively thermally managing devices that experience cyclic thermal fluctuations, such as the subsystems of satellites operating in LEO.

Radiative cooling paints offer a sustainable method for reducing energy demand in buildings. This work investigates the effects of particle volume concentration (PVC) of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and hollow silicon dioxide (SiO2) microparticles in acrylic-based paints on cooling capability. Paint solar reflectance increases as the total PVC increases until a peak PVC is reached. The addition of CaCO3 improves solar reflectance due to an enhancement in near-infrared reflection but decreases thermal emission. The paint, with a total PVC of 0.45 and a CaCO3:SiO2 PVC ratio of 1:1, offers the right balance between solar reflection and thermal emissivity and achieves the best cooling performance. This work demonstrates that the CaCO3-SiO2 paint system allows tuning of the radiative cooling performance.

In the development of decarbonization technologies and renewable energy, water electrolysis has emerged as a key technology. The efficiency of hydrogen production and its applications are significantly affected by power stability. Enhancing power stability not only improves hydrogen production efficiency and reduces maintenance costs but also ensures long-term reliable system operation. This study proposes a thermal control method that stabilizes hydrogen output by precisely adjusting the temperature of the electrolysis stack, thereby improving hydrogen production efficiency. Fluctuations in the electrolysis stack temperature can lead to instability in the hydrogen output and energy utilization, negatively affecting overall hydrogen production. To address this issue, this study introduces an innovative system architecture and a novel thermal control strategy combining fuzzy logic control with a long short-term memory neural network. This method predicts and adjusts the flow rate of chilled water to maintain the electrolysis stack temperature within a range of ±1 °C while sustaining a constant power output of 10 kW. This approach is crucial for ensuring system stability and maximizing hydrogen production efficiency. Long-term experiments have validated the effectiveness and reliability of this method, demonstrating that this thermal control strategy not only stabilizes the hydrogen production process but also increases the volume of hydrogen generated.

The operating temperature of integrated magnetic components can be critical. Excessively high temperature can significantly modify the properties of components, especially those of magnetic material, such as saturation magnetization and magnetic permeability. This article introduces an experimental characterization method using two different sensors. We compare the results obtained from these sensors. Initially, the method is validated using a "meander component, and subsequently, it is applied to planar spiral inductors, both with and without magnetic material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a bright white oxide coating was successfully prepared on 6061 Al alloy by PEO process from an environmentally friendly and low-cost concentrated silicate electrolyte as an alternative for commonly used fluozirconate electrolyte. The characteristics of PEO processes and resulting coatings both in diluted and concentrated silicate electrolytes were investigated by using Optical Emission Spectrometer (OES), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), X-ray Energy Dispersive Spectrometer (EDS) and X-ray Diffraction Spectrometer (XRD). The thermal control properties of the coatings were evaluated by UV-VIS-NIR spectrophotometer and infrared emissivity spectrometer, respectively. The corrosion protection performances of the coatings were investigated by potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) tests. Results show that the discharges in diluted silicate electrolyte are more pronounced than those in concentrated silicate electrolyte. The more intensive discharges in diluted silicate electrolyte are related to plasma electrochemical reactions at the material surface or at the metal-oxide interface, facilitating to a relatively dense structure and complex oxides including α -Al 2 O 3 , γ -Al 2 O 3 and mullite. The weaker discharges in concentrated silicate are associated with the fast silicate anions deposition process, resulting in the formation of amorphous SiO 2 with a porous microstructure and high thickness. The coating prepared in concentrated silicate electrolyte is characterized by a bright white color in appearance and has much lower solar absorptance (α s) of 0.159 and higher emissivity (ε) of 0.90 than the coating prepared in diluted silicate electrolyte with α s of 0.429 and ε of 0.79. However, the coating prepared in concentrated silicate electrolyte has a little inferior corrosion protection performance compared with that prepared in diluted silicate electrolyte due to the more porous microstructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThe innovative thermal management system named Two-Phase Mechanically Pumped Loop (2PMPL) has been investigated to design probes for Venus exploration. This study aims integrating the 2PMPL evaporator inside the probe shell, using the Laser Powder Bed Fusion technique, to reduce the thermal system size and to increase the payload. In this paper, four evaporator designs have been developed and compared to the latest available reference solution. The overall assessment of those designs has been performed by comparing the results of basic Computational Fluid Dynamics analysis, structural behavior, mass and Three-Phase Contact Line (TPCL) length, highlighting specific strengths of each solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Reaching of negative temperatures for various applications such as food industry, medicine or experimental physics implies the use of cryogenic fluids (especially liquid nitrogen) or refrigeration heat pumps. The technological progress in materials science in the last years allowed the development of other methods to obtain low temperatures needed for such applications, by means of using the Peltier effect. The Peltier modules were developed and perfected in last decades, in order to allow temperature differences of 20 ºC to 85 ºC between the two faces of one module when one side is kept at room temperature, and an electric current is supplied. Thus, the possibility of developing devices which allow obtaining and controlling temperatures up to -50 ºC were opened, eliminating all the difficulties related to the use of cryogenic agents, which imply the need of Dewar storage vessels, cryogenic transfer lines and controlling of cryogenic liquid such as liquid helium or liquid nitrogen (with boiling temperature of -196 ºC, at atmospheric pressure) or refrigeration systems. In this work are presented the design, execution and testing results of a thermally controlled enclosure aimed for the calibration of temperature sensors, in the range of -50 to +20 ºC, using Peltier modules. Despite the high electric power consumption of the Peltier modules needed to cool down the enclosure due to the low COP (coefficient of performance) compared to the conventional refrigeration systems, this approach in obtaining negative temperatures presents important advantages such as the lack of maintenance, low volume, simplicity of temperature control and high temperature stability (0.1 ºC). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal control of small satellites in low earth orbit (LEO) is not easy due to the intermittent heating conditions. The satellites in LEO are sometimes present in the illumination zone and other times in the eclipse zone, which imposes difficulties keeping their temperatures within the safe range. The present study investigates a thermal energy storage panel (TESP) integrated with phase change materials (PCM) to control the temperatures of satellite subsystems. The TESP was made of aluminium with outer dimensions of 100 mm long, 71 mm wide, and 25 mm high. The PCMs used were organic-based materials, which were RT 12, RT 22, and RT 31. The TESP was tested under two thermal powers of 11 W and 14 W. These powers are typical of satellite subsystems. The finite volume method was adopted for thermal analysis of the TESP. The significance of this study is that it provides a detailed computational analysis of the TESP for microsatellites' temperature management under typical LEO conditions. The research outcomes show a significant advancement in the thermal managing performance of PCM-based TESP. RT 22 could reduce the highest temperature by 4.7 % and raise the lowest by 9.5 %. It was observed from the analysis that the PCM with intermediary melting temperature provided better thermal control efficiency. RT 12 reported a lower extreme temperature difference (ETD) and could decrease it by 63.9 % relative to the case with no PCM. At the same time, RT 22 reported an ETD of 23 min and could reduce it by 63 % relative to the case with no PCM at 14 W. The present study concluded that PCMs show great potential as a viable approach for effectively thermally managing devices that experience cyclic thermal fluctuations, such as the subsystems of satellites operating in LEO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiative cooling paints offer a sustainable method for reducing energy demand in buildings. This work investigates the effects of particle volume concentration (PVC) of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and hollow silicon dioxide (SiO2) microparticles in acrylic-based paints on cooling capability. Paint solar reflectance increases as the total PVC increases until a peak PVC is reached. The addition of CaCO3 improves solar reflectance due to an enhancement in near-infrared reflection but decreases thermal emission. The paint, with a total PVC of 0.45 and a CaCO3:SiO2 PVC ratio of 1:1, offers the right balance between solar reflection and thermal emissivity and achieves the best cooling performance. This work demonstrates that the CaCO3-SiO2 paint system allows tuning of the radiative cooling performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A switchable plasmonic metasurface is proposed for high contrast optical switching and control at short wavelength infrared regime. The metasurface is made of metal–VO2–metal (MVM) multilayer layer pairs structured centrally with circular cylindrical ring aperture and investigated numerically using FDTD computations. Left circularly polarized (LCP) light excitation shows two resonant reflection dips at ~ 2.5 µm and ~ 1 µm for semiconducting VO2 and single resonant dip at ~ 1 µm for metallic VO2. From the near-field analysis, we attribute the high wavelength reflection dip to the strong confinement of magnetic near-fields at the VO2 regime and the lower wavelength reflection dip to the electric dipole resonance. The change in VO2 phase from semiconducting to metallic or vice versa results in significant reflection switching (ΔR), > 60% for the higher wavelength (2.5 µm) reflection dip. The study also confirms the reflection switching to be polarization independent with large launch angle tolerance (> 10°). The design flexibility is further tested numerically by replacing various metal layers, central discs size, number of layer pairs and periods showing wide workable wavelengths ranging from 1.5 to 3 µm. Structuring the central discs system shows further modulation in the working wavelength and high wavelength reflection switching (ΔR) > 80% with large bandwidth > 500 nm (full width at half-maximum (FWHM)). The proposed metasurface is suitable for optoelectronic device integration for dynamic control and high contrast optical switching at the infrared regime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research study explored the applicability of deep reinforcement learning (DRL) for thermal control based on computational fluid dynamics. To accomplish that, the forced convection on a hot plate prone to a pulsating cooling jet with variable velocity has been investigated. We begin with evaluating the efficiency and viability of a vanilla deep Q-network (DQN) method for thermal control. Subsequently, a comprehensive comparison between different variants of DRL was conducted. Soft double and duel DQN achieved better thermal control performance among all the variants due to their efficient learning and action prioritization capabilities. Results demonstrated that the soft double DQN outperformed the hard double DQN. Moreover, soft double and duel can maintain the temperature in the desired threshold for more than 98% of the control cycle. These findings demonstrated the promising potential of DRL in effectively addressing thermal control systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ensuring efficiency and safety is critical when developing charging strategies for lithium-ion batteries. This paper introduces a novel method to optimize fast charging for cylindrical Li-ion NMC 3Ah cells, enhancing both their charging efficiency and thermal safety. Using Model Predictive Control (MPC), this study presents a cost function that estimates the thermal safety boundary of Li-ion batteries, emphasizing the relationship between the temperature gradient and the state of charge (SoC) at different temperatures. The charging control framework combines an equivalent circuit model (ECM) with minimal electro-thermal equations to estimate battery state and temperature. Optimization results indicate that at ambient temperatures, the optimal charging allows the cell’s temperature to self-regulate within a safe operating range, requiring only one additional minute to reach 80% SoC compared to a typical fast-charging protocol (high current profile). Validation through numerical simulations and real experimental data from an NMC 3Ah cylindrical cell demonstrates that the simple approach adheres to the battery’s electrical and thermal limitations during the charging process.

While cool coatings have recently received much attention for building applications, their impact on building energy consumption strongly depends upon climatic conditions. Herein we evaluate the energy, cost, carbon, and interior comfort impact of cool coatings applied to a residential multifamily building across 32 climate zones in the United States by applying advanced cool coating properties to established building energy models. The model not only considers promising cool coating properties based upon recent experiments but also an ideal cool coating. Our calculations show that the ideal cool coating can achieve annual cooling energy savings of up to 6.64 kWh/m2 (Phoenix, AZ), annual net utility cost savings up to $1.16/m2 (Brawley, CA), and net annual carbon emission savings up to 7.7 % (Phoenix, AZ). We also estimate the change in interior temperature for buildings without space cooling systems and show that cool coatings make buildings in the warmest climate zones in the U.S. without space cooling more comfortable by 30 % to 50 % on a cooling degree days basis. Using analysis of variance, we examine the statistical relationships between building performance metrics and climatic parameters. The presented methodology enables evaluation of cool coating application to buildings in various climate zones across the world.

Thermal performance of densely populated underground buildings is normally influenced by various factors, including the surrounding rock (SR), ventilation, and indoor heat sources. It is recognized that little experimental studies on thermal control for the above building was reported. In this article, a full-size 50-person mine refuge chamber (MRC) was newly constructed to test the thermal performance under natural convection and ventilation. The heat ducts were used to simulate the heat released from human body. Experimental results indicated that: (1) the intensity of the heat transfer between rock and air increases with the rise in heat source rate and ventilation temperature (VT), while it decreases as the initial surrounding rock temperature (ISRT) increases; (2) when considering the joint temperature control of pre-cooled SR, it is recommended to reduce the VT linearly during the evacuation period in order to ensure the thermal safety of personnel. During the non-refuge period, the cold amount should be stored as far as possible into the shallow SR body to make full use of it; (3) to ensure the thermal safety of an MRC with a capacity of 30 people for 96 h, cooling measures are required when the ISRT exceeds 21.3 °C. In addition, when the ISRT reaches 27.6 °C, the per capita ventilation is 0.19 m3/min, and the temperature is 26 °C, which can also meet the requirements. This study provides experimental verification as a basis for future research on underground space temperature control considering the influence of SR.

Engineered living materials (ELMs) exhibit desirable characteristics of the living component, including growth and repair, and responsiveness to external stimuli. Escherichia coli (E. coli) are a promising constituent of ELMs because they are very tractable to genetic engineering, produce heterologous proteins readily, and grow exponentially. However, seasonal variation in ambient temperature presents a challenge in deploying ELMs outside of a laboratory environment because E. coli growth rate is impaired both below and above 37 °C. Here, a genetic circuit is developed that controls the expression of a light‐absorptive chromophore in response to changes in temperature. It is demonstrated that at temperatures below 36 °C, the engineered E. coli increase in pigmentation, causing an increase in sample temperature and growth rate above non‐pigmented counterparts in a model planar ELM. On the other hand, at above 36 °C, they decrease in pigmentation, protecting the growth compared to bacteria with temperature‐independent high pigmentation. Integrating the temperature‐responsive circuit into an ELM has the potential to improve living material performance by optimizing growth and protein production in the face of seasonal temperature changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) coatings with the color of black or white have good prospects in thermal control application. However, it still remains a challenge for obtaining the PEO coatings on Al alloys to achieve high whiteness that in turn could give adequate low absorption thermal control characteristic. Herein, a bright white oxide coating mainly composed of ZrO 2 was successfully prepared on 6061 aluminium alloy by PEO process from a fluorozirconate electrolytic solution. The microstructure and composition of the coating were studied by SEM, EDS, XRD and XPS. The thermal control properties were measured by UV-VIS-NIR spectrophotometer and infrared emissivity spectrometer, respectively. The stability of thermal control properties of the coating was also evaluated by simulated space environmental tests. The corrosion protection performances of the coating were investigated by potentiodynamic polarization and salt spray tests. Results show that the oxide coating is composed of t -ZrO 2 as well as a little of m -ZrO 2 and γ -Al 2 O 3 with a porous microstructure. The coating exhibits low solar absorptance (α s) of 0.205 and high emissivity (ε) of 0.84, which is comparable for the typical space white paints. In addition, the coating owns excellent stability in thermal control properties under simulated space environments. The coating has a good durability in corrosive environment though it provides only slight improvement in corrosion resistance of 6061 aluminium alloy due to the presence of many larger micropores in the coating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, three kinds of newly flexible positive temperature coefficient (PTC) materials are fabricated by a simple preparation method. Due to introducing the hybrid filler of carbon nanotube and carbon black, these materials exhibit remarkable PTC effect including the PTC intensity of more than four‐orders magnitude and the resistivity‐temperature coefficient of 154%/°C. The Curie points of PTC materials are regulated to room‐temperature range by the low melting phase and influenced by melting onset temperatures of their solid–liquid phase change. With the help of transmission electron microscope, the micro‐capsule structure of the phase change regions is observed, and the hybrid conductive fillers randomly distribute in the blend matrix to construct three‐dimensional conductive network. Using the PTC materials as a heating element, the equilibrium temperature of the controlled device can be maintained around their Curie point without any control method. Moreover, the adaptive thermal control effect becomes more obvious with the increase of ambient temperature and initial heating power. Furthermore, the thermal control accuracy fluctuates within 0.15°C without any external control method, and is improved to round 0.08°C in combination with the switch control method. This study provides a new method for the thermal control of electronic devices in the requirement of lightweight and miniaturization at low temperature environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Present as well as future challenges of space exploration point to the need for improved thermal control systems. The "Effect of Marangoni Convection on Heat Transfer in Phase Change Materials" experiment, which is approved by ESA for execution on board the International Space Station, aims to contribute directly to current knowledge and basic understanding of heat and mass transport in phase change materials (PCMs) that incorporate a free surface in reduced gravity. The experiment will apply fixed temperatures to opposite ends of PCM samples held in cuboidal and cylindrical containers in order to drive controlled melting and solidification cycles that will be observed by means of optical cameras. The recorded images will be complemented by thermal measurements at key positions along the samples, which will allow different thermocapillary flow regimes to be distinguished according to their temporal dynamics. It is anticipated that thermal Marangoni (thermocapillary) convection will increase the heat transfer rate in these PCM devices by a significant factor (on the order of two or more) compared to melting governed by thermal diffusion (conduction). If the PCM designs prove robust, the experiment results can be expected to lead to substantial improvements in future designs for passive PCM applications in space missions. • MarPCM aims to analyze heat and mass transport in PCMs. • PCM samples are subjected to controlled temperatures. • Cuboidal and cylindrical PCM geometries are studied. • Marangoni flows will increase the melting rate wrt. conduction. • MarPCM is approved by ESA for execution on board the ISS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reveals the thermal control mechanism of a ventilated–closed block layer composite embankment structure by analyzing the heat transfer and temperature change based on the measured data of the high-grade highway experimental engineering in the Beiluhe area of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. During the cold season, natural convection occurred in the block layer when the upper boundary temperature was approximately 2 °C lower than that of the bottom boundary. In addition, heat from the foundation was transferred upwards through the block layer via heat convection. During the warm season, air inside the block layer was almost static, and external heat was transferred downwards through the block layer via heat conduction. The equivalent thermal conductivity of the block layer in the cold season was approximately 17.4 times that of the warm season, and heat release through the block layer was 9.65 times that of heat absorption, exhibiting a thermal semiconductor effect. The results show that the frozen soil foundation was in net exothermic state, the permafrost table continuously rose, and the mean annual soil temperature continuously decreased above 14 m depth. This research can contribute to thermal control technology development and construction scheme selection of expressway in permafrost regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results show that the lidar in cold orbital conditions has a temperature increase of about 38 degrees Celsius due to thermal design. Also, the range of temperature fluctuations before applying thermal design in the cold state of temperature changes in a circuit is about 14 degrees and after designing these fluctuations have been reduced to about 5 degrees. In hot conditions, the temperature conditions have improved a lot after the design and the maximum operating temperature is about 27 degrees the average temperature has decreased by about 22 degrees, while the temperature fluctuations have also decreased by 21 degrees. A significant temperature increase has occurred in the receiver after applying the thermal design in cold conditions, which is still within the allowed range. This is despite the fact that in hot conditions, after applying the thermal design, there was no significant change in the temperature of the receiver. In the case of the reflector, the conditions are completely different, so the minimum temperature in cold conditions has increased by 42 degrees and the maximum temperature has decreased by 7 degrees in hot conditions. In addition, temperature changes have become more uniform in both cases.

We explore the preliminary design of a space habitat thermally controlled using phase change materials (PCMs). The PCM is used to maintain a suitable, habitable temperature inside the habitat by isolating it from the external solar radiation. The system is studied numerically considering only diffusive heat transport (conduction), a scenario with practical application to microgravity or reduced gravity environments. The system dynamics are explored for a wide range of governing parameters, including the length of the PCM cell L, the thermo-optical properties—absorptivity α and emissivity ε—at the external boundary of the habitat wall exposed to solar radiation, the eclipse (illumination) fraction τe (τi) of the solar cycle, and the PCM used. We find that the thermo-optical properties at the external radiated boundary, characterized by the absorptivity–emissivity ratio (α/ε), play a key role in the system response and largely define the optimal design of the habitat. This optimum balances the heat absorbed and released by the PCM during repeated illumination and eclipse cycles.

Abstract Engineered living materials (ELMs) exhibit desirable characteristics of the living component, including growth and repair, and responsiveness to external stimuli. Escherichia coli (E. coli) are a promising constituent of ELMs because they are very tractable to genetic engineering, produce heterologous proteins readily, and grow exponentially. However, seasonal variation in ambient temperature presents a challenge in deploying ELMs outside of a laboratory environment because E. coli growth rate is impaired both below and above 37 °C. Here, a genetic circuit is developed that controls the expression of a light‐absorptive chromophore in response to changes in temperature. It is demonstrated that at temperatures below 36 °C, the engineered E. coli increase in pigmentation, causing an increase in sample temperature and growth rate above non‐pigmented counterparts in a model planar ELM. On the other hand, at above 36 °C, they decrease in pigmentation, protecting the growth compared to bacteria with temperature‐independent high pigmentation. Integrating the temperature‐responsive circuit into an ELM has the potential to improve living material performance by optimizing growth and protein production in the face of seasonal temperature changes.

In this study, a novel hybrid PCM-based active heat sink is proposed for temperature control management of transient high heat flux shock electronic devices. The temperature control features of the novel hybrid PCM-based active heat sink are numerically studied under the periodic heat flux condition. Impacts of parameters, including phase-change temperatures, heat transfer coefficient, heat sink parameters, and porosity of the porous metal structure embedded in PCM, are numerically investigated. Then the thermal control performance ratio is evaluated. Results reveal that the innovative hybrid PCM-based active heat sink achieves an outstanding temperature management performance when compared to a heat sink without PCM. And the temperature is reduced by more than 10 K. Increasing the height and width of the heat sink can make the temperature distribution more consistent, but an excessive increase seems unnecessary. Compared with pure PCM, When the porosity of porous metal structure decreases from 0.96 to 0.76, the initial melting time of PCM is delayed by 38.7%, and the solidification time is accelerated by 30.2%.

Cold wire gas metal arc (CWGMA) additive manufacturing (AM) is more productive and beneficial than the common electric arc processes currently used in wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM). Adding a non-energised wire to the gas metal arc (GMA) system makes it possible to overcome a process limitation and decouple the energy input from the material feed rate. Two novel process control methods were proposed, namely, arc power and travel speed control, which can keep the required geometry accuracy in WAAM through a broad range of thermal conditions. The reinforcement area of the bead is kept constant with accurate control over the height and width while still reducing the energy input to the substrate; decreasing penetration depth, remelting, and the heat-affected zone (HAZ); and reaching a dilution lower than 10%. This work also presents improved productivity compared to all the other single-arc energy-based processes with a demonstrator part built using 9.57 kg h−1 with CWGMA AM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stratospheric ballooning flights are becoming more relevant due to these platforms can place payloads to an altitude above almost 99% of the atmosphere, where the environmental conditions are very similar to the space ones. From a thermal point of view, during the ascent phase convection is very relevant and, despite what a priori may be thought, depending on the element considered, convection may not be negligible at the float phase. With this in mind, the Thermal Analysis Support and Environment Characterization Laboratory (TASEC-Lab) was born. It is an experiment based on COTS, which consists in a 3U CubeSat-like experiment, which was launched onboard a stratospheric balloon in León (Spain) on 16th, July 2021. The upper unit of the 3U box contains a heated plate, with the aim of quantifying the relevance of convection during the flight. In this paper, the relevance of convection during the ascent phase is described, the correlation of in-flight temperature measurements with those provided by the thermal mathematical model developed in ESATAN-TMS is performed, using the air mass flow inside the cavity as a fitting parameter with a fitting error lower than 5 °C during the ascent phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CubeSats have become in the last decade ideal platforms to demonstrate new technology or to facilitate access to space due to the reduction in development time and costs. However, one of the main problems is the short lifetime of their missions. In many cases, it is due to the lack of correct thermal design and thermal analysis or even no thermal analysis at all. Specifically, the solar panel thermal design affects the global satellite behavior as the electric power supplied by the solar cells depends on their temperature. Typically, the solar panel thermal design is reduced to use its backside as a radiator (if they are deployable). This paper presents a new thermal solar panel assembly using an intermediate layer of PGS (Pyrolitic Graphite Sheet), which at room temperature has a thermal conductivity 3.8 times greater than pure copper, between the solar cells and the solar panel support, in order to homogenize the solar cells temperature. The new design is compared to the standard design developing the GMM (Geometrical Mathematical Model) and TMM (Thermal Mathematical Model) of a CubeSat 6U located in LEO using ESATAN-TMS. The proposed design gets a reduction of up to 5 °C in the temperature variation of the solar cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]