The US company 3D Systems is working on new approaches to thermal management in space in two NASA-funded projects with research teams from Pennsylvania State University and Arizona State University. The focus is on additively manufactured metal components that dissipate heat more efficiently while reducing weight and construction volume. High-temperature resistant materials such as titanium and shape memory alloys (SMA) are used.
Extreme temperature fluctuations pose a technical challenge for satellites and space probes. Conventional heat conducting structures such as heat pipes consist of complex capillary systems. The researchers use the laser powder bed process (DMP) from 3D Systems to integrate such structures directly into metallic radiators. Supported by the CAD/CAM software 3DXpert from Oqton, porous wick layers were embedded in the walls of the radiators, enabling passive fluid circulation. These monolithically manufactured radiators reach operating temperatures of up to 230 °C and weigh around 50 percent less than conventional variants.
“Our long-standing R&D partnership with 3D Systems has enabled pioneering research for the use of 3D printing for aerospace applications,” said Alex Rattner, associate professor, The Pennsylvania State University. “The collective expertise in both aerospace engineering and additive manufacturing is allowing us to explore advanced design strategies that are pushing the boundaries of what is considered state-of-the-art. When we complement this with the software capabilities of 3DXpert as well as the low oxygen environment in 3D Systems’ DMP platform, we are able to produce novel parts in exotic materials that enable dramatically improved performance.”
A second project focuses on SMA radiators made of Nitinol, a nickel-titanium alloy with temperature-dependent shape change. When heated, the structure unfolds automatically without additional actuators. The ratio of unfolded to stowed area in the prototypes is six times that of current solutions – a particular advantage for compact satellite platforms such as CubeSats.
“3D Systems has decades of leadership developing additive manufacturing solutions to transform the aerospace industry,” said Dr. Mike Shepard, vice president, aerospace & defense, 3D Systems. “Thermal management in the space environment is an ideal application for our DMP technology. These latest projects, in collaboration with the teams at Penn State, Arizona State, and NASA Glenn Research Center, demonstrate the potential of our DMP technology to create lightweight, functional parts that advance the state-of-the-art in thermal management for spacecraft applications. Thermal management is an extremely common engineering challenge and the DMP process can deliver solutions that are effective for many industries including aerospace, automotive, and high-performance computing/AI datacenters.”
The results show the potential of metallic 3D printing in the aerospace sector, particularly for weight-critical systems with high power requirements. These approaches could also be used in other industries with similar thermal requirements, such as power electronics or aviation.
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