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Active TRL 4 (started at 4, targeting 5)
This project seeks to integrate the Electrodynamic Dust Shield (EDS) with thermal radiators to reject heat and prevent dust buildup on various Thermal Control Coatings (TCC) without significantly impacting thermal performance. Keeping surfaces dust free is essential for thermal radiators as the dust acts as both a blackbody and a thermal insulator, essentially absorbing more sunlight and preventing the radiator from dissipating heat. The lack of heat rejection on dusty surfaces will result in radiator(s) being oversized (mass impact) and could potentially lead to a catastrophic system failure due to overheating. With an EDS integrated into the radiator system, dust impacts can be mitigated.
This project develops solutions to dust contamination of thermal radiators that may be used on critical systems needed for mission success on the Lunar and Martian surfaces, including manufacturing of a scaled-up version of the Thermal Radiator EDS.
Key objective of the project is to test a few commonly used thermal control coatings for EDS compatibility
TREDS is expected to minimize radiator sizing, improve radiator performance, and maximize lifetime of radiators.
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