Master's Thesis Proposal

Evan Sanchez

(Advisor: Dr. Álvaro Romero-Calvo)

"Magnetohydrodynamic Liquid Metal Cooling for Hypersonic SmallSat Reentry" 

 

Thursday, January 30  

12:00 p.m.
Engineering Science and Mechanics Building 108
 

Abstract
The rapid development of CubeSat technologies is expected to render current thermal control methods
increasingly ineffective. As more power-hungry subsystems are adopted, novel heat transport strategies
will become necessary to keep spacecraft components in their design temperature ranges. The
magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) liquid metal loop was recently conceived to address this need. The device
induces a Lorentz force in an electrically conductive liquid by running an electrical current through the
fluid in the presence of a magnetic field. By removing mechanical parts, the MHD pump can eliminate
failure points and increase the robustness of the system. Liquid metals have high electrical and thermal
conductivity, and high volumetric specific heat. Combining these properties results in a device with dense
and reliable energy transfer that is ideally suited to the SmallSat environment. In this thesis, the MHD
liquid metal loop is applied to the management of thermal loads during atmospheric CubeSat reentry,
supporting a platform that serves as a testbed for hypersonic research. MHD liquid metal cooling is
implemented to provide an active and reliable heat management method to reduce the thermal loads on
the drag shield. It is hypothesized that, by drawing heat away from the shield and transporting it directly
to the radiator, it is possible to reduce the mass and volume of the Entry, Descent, and Landing subsystem.
The heat transfer capabilities of the liquid metal loop will be validated using a prototype system to
continue the feasibility study of this approach. The Phase A design of the thermal control system will be
based on the results from numerical and experimental efforts.
 

Committee
• Dr. Álvaro Romero-Calvo – School of Aerospace Engineering (advisor)
• Dr. Krishan Ahuja– School of Aerospace Engineering
• Dr. John Dec – School of Aerospace Engineering