On the Problem of Rejection of Low-Potential Heat from High-Power Space Systems

Consideration has been given to the problems of organization of the operating process in spacecraft heat-exchange devices for rejecting low-potential heat to outer space. It has been shown that as far as the heat-rejection efficiency and weight-size characteristics are concerned, droplet radiant coolers outperform all the existing designs of heat exchangers. The use of droplet radiant coolers at heat-rejection powers exceeding 100 kW, i.e., at megawatt powers, is particularly efficient. A description of individual elements has been given, and results of investigations of the processes of generation of flows of monodisperse droplets and their collection under ground conditions and under microgravity and high-vacuum conditions have been presented. The latter were investigated from the results obtained in experiments on spacecraft.