Analysis on Influence of Gravity on Convection Heat Transfer in Manned Spacecraft during Terrestrial Test

How to simulate experimentally the air flow and heat transfer under microgravity on the ground is important, which has not been completely solved so far. Influence of gravity on air natural convection results in convection heat transfer on ground difference from that on orbit. In order to obtain air temperature and velocity deviations of manned spacecraft during terrestrial thermal test, dimensionless number analysis and numerical simulation analysis are performed. The calculated temperature distribution and velocity distribution of the horizontal test cases are compared to the vertical cases. The results show that the influence of gravity is neglected for facility drawer racks and more obvious for vertical cabins.

Authors:

• Wang Jing
• Tao Tao
• Li Xiyuan
• Pei Yifei

Keywords:

• Gravity
• Convection heat transfer
• Manned spacecraft
• Dimensionless number
• Numerical simulation

References:

[1] Huang Ben-cheng, Ma You-li. "Space Environment Test Technology of
Spacecraft," Beijing: National Defence Industry Press, 2002.1.
[2] Hakan F. Oztop, Ihsan Dagtekin. "Mixed Convection in Two-sided
Lid-driven Differentially Heated Square Cavity," International Journal
of Heat and Mass Transfer, 47, 2004: 1761-1769.
[3] Michael J. Putten, Maurice H. Putten, Anton F. Putten. "Thermal Flow
Measurements at Gr/Re2>>1 by Silicon Anemometry," IEEE
Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement, 1999, 48(3):724-
729
[4] H.A. Mohammed, Y.K. Salman. "Experimental Investigation of Mixed
Convection Heat Transfer for Thermally Developing Flow in a
Horizontal Circular Cylinder," Applied Thermal Engineering 27, 2007,
1522-1533.
[5] Y.S. Tian, T.G. Karayiannis. "Low Turbulence Natural Convection in
An Air Filled Square Cavity Part I: The Thermal and Fluid Flow Fields,"
International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 43, 2000: 849-866.
[6] Y.S. Tian, T.G. Karayiannis. "Low Turbulence Natural Convection in
An Air Filled Square Cavity Part II: The Turbulence Quantities,"
International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 43, 2000: 867-884.
[7] Zhang Xue-xue, Liu Jing, Meng Yi. "Ground Test Simulating of Air
Heat Convection in Manned Space Capsule," Journal of Tsinghua
University (Science and Technology), 1999, 39 (6): 67-70.
[8] Liang Xin-gang, Guo Zeng-yuan, Liu Yun-long, et al. "Ground-based
Technology for Simulation of Ventilative Heat Transfer in
Micro-gravity," Science in China, Ser. A, 1997, 27 (11): 1010-1013.
[9] Huang Jia-rong. "The Suppression of Natural Convection Using
Pressure-reducing Method in Vacuum Thermal Balance Test Of Manned
Spacecraft," Space Environment Engineering, 2004, 21(1):37-43.
[10] Zhao Rui, Cheng Wen-long, Liu Qi-nie, et al. "Study on Criterion of
Critical Pressure in Spacecrafts Using Lowering Pressure Method,"
Journal of Astronautics, 2010, 31(2):598-601.
[11] A. A. M. Delil. "Thermal-Gravitational Modeling and Scaling of Heat
Transport Systems for Applications in Different Gravity Environments:
Super-Gravity Levels & Oscillating Heat Transfer Devices," NLR-TP-
2000-213, 2000.
[12] Tian Wen-hua. "Similitude Theory and Experimental Investigation in
Thermal Scale Model of Spacecraft," AIAA-80-1534.
[13] Zhong Qi, Liu Qiang. "A Numerical Investigation on Heat Transfer and
flow in a pressured cabin of spacecraft," Journal of Astronautics, 2002,
23(5):44-48.
[14] Xu Xiao-ping, Zhong Qi, Fan Han-lin, Li Jin-dong. "Integrated Flow
heat and mass transfer analysis in large spacecraft," Chinese Journal of
Space Science, 2004, 24(4):295-301.
[15] Yang Shi-ming, Tao Wen-quan. "Heat Transfer 4th Edition," Higher
Education Press, Beijing, 2006.8.