Date of Defense
25-11-2024 3:00 PM
Location
F1-Room 1043
Document Type
Thesis Defense
Degree Name
Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering (MSME)
College
College of Engineering
Department
Mechanical Engineering
First Advisor
Dr. Mohamed Okasha
Keywords
AlAinSat-1 CubeSat, Bakeout Test, Siemens NX, Simulation, Thermal Analysis, Thermal Cycling Test, Thermal Vacuum Chamber, Transient Analysis, Validation.
Abstract
This thesis investigates the thermal management techniques of AlAinSat-1 during extremely harsh space conditions. It presents a comprehensive analysis of its thermal behavior using numerical techniques and validates the CubeSat's survivability in space via experimental testing. AlAinSat-1 is a nanocube-shaped satellite carrying Earth observation payloads, including RITA (Remote Sensing and Interference Detector with Radiometry and Vegetation Analysis) and Locana. Understanding how the CubeSat behaves in harsh space conditions and maintains thermal stability during its mission is critical to its success. The main aim of this study is to employ finite element analysis (FEA) techniques to simulate the thermal behavior of AlAinSat-1 and then validate the simulated results via experimental testing. However, the validation of simulated results against experimental ones was not achieved due to unexpected circumstances that prevented us from conducting a thermal balance test. Therefore, a different approach to validation is followed. The thermal analysis is conducted using Siemens NX’s software. The CubeSat is modeled and analyzed following a series of stages, including idealization, meshing, assigning thermal properties, assembly, and setting up boundary conditions to examine the satellite's temperature response to environmental conditions. The worst hot and cold scenarios are simulated to ensure the mission's success and CubeSat's functionality. Initial results show that AlAinSat-1 can survive in space. Still, the RITA payload is prone to overheating as the calculated temperature range exceeded the maximum operating temperature limitation, which might cause a failure in the mission. However, after multiple trials, including covering the RITA payload with brackets that serve as shields to protect the payload from overheating, the final results show that AlAinSat-1 can survive extremely harsh space conditions because all of its components operate within the operational temperature range. The calculated simulated temperature for the worst hot case of the RITA payload, which should operate from 0°C to 50°C, decreases from 53.304°C to 34.11°C. Bakeout and thermal cycling tests are conducted on AlAinSat-1 using a small Thermal Vacuum Chamber (TVAC) to validate its survivability in space, ensuring it operates within the designated operational temperature limits. The bakeout test lasts 5 hours at 50°C to remove any volatile contaminants from the CubeSat’s sensitive components, avoiding outgassing materials. Results of the bakeout test showed a 0.1% total mass loss, which indicates the test's success. On the other hand, the thermal cycling test is conducted for four cycles at the range of -20°C and +50°C for a dwell time of 1 hour for each cycle. The thermal cycling test results are used to check if the components of AlAinsat-1 are operating within the operational range as the simulated results are suggesting. The results of the experimental testing agreed with the simulated results; both show that the components of AlAinSat-1 operate within their operational temperature limits.
Included in
ANALYSIS, DESIGN, AND EXPERIMENTAL VALIDATION OF THE THERMAL SUBSYSTEM OF ALAINSAT-1 CUBESAT
F1-Room 1043
This thesis investigates the thermal management techniques of AlAinSat-1 during extremely harsh space conditions. It presents a comprehensive analysis of its thermal behavior using numerical techniques and validates the CubeSat's survivability in space via experimental testing. AlAinSat-1 is a nanocube-shaped satellite carrying Earth observation payloads, including RITA (Remote Sensing and Interference Detector with Radiometry and Vegetation Analysis) and Locana. Understanding how the CubeSat behaves in harsh space conditions and maintains thermal stability during its mission is critical to its success. The main aim of this study is to employ finite element analysis (FEA) techniques to simulate the thermal behavior of AlAinSat-1 and then validate the simulated results via experimental testing. However, the validation of simulated results against experimental ones was not achieved due to unexpected circumstances that prevented us from conducting a thermal balance test. Therefore, a different approach to validation is followed. The thermal analysis is conducted using Siemens NX’s software. The CubeSat is modeled and analyzed following a series of stages, including idealization, meshing, assigning thermal properties, assembly, and setting up boundary conditions to examine the satellite's temperature response to environmental conditions. The worst hot and cold scenarios are simulated to ensure the mission's success and CubeSat's functionality. Initial results show that AlAinSat-1 can survive in space. Still, the RITA payload is prone to overheating as the calculated temperature range exceeded the maximum operating temperature limitation, which might cause a failure in the mission. However, after multiple trials, including covering the RITA payload with brackets that serve as shields to protect the payload from overheating, the final results show that AlAinSat-1 can survive extremely harsh space conditions because all of its components operate within the operational temperature range. The calculated simulated temperature for the worst hot case of the RITA payload, which should operate from 0°C to 50°C, decreases from 53.304°C to 34.11°C. Bakeout and thermal cycling tests are conducted on AlAinSat-1 using a small Thermal Vacuum Chamber (TVAC) to validate its survivability in space, ensuring it operates within the designated operational temperature limits. The bakeout test lasts 5 hours at 50°C to remove any volatile contaminants from the CubeSat’s sensitive components, avoiding outgassing materials. Results of the bakeout test showed a 0.1% total mass loss, which indicates the test's success. On the other hand, the thermal cycling test is conducted for four cycles at the range of -20°C and +50°C for a dwell time of 1 hour for each cycle. The thermal cycling test results are used to check if the components of AlAinsat-1 are operating within the operational range as the simulated results are suggesting. The results of the experimental testing agreed with the simulated results; both show that the components of AlAinSat-1 operate within their operational temperature limits.