Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Next Energy, cilt.9, 2025 (Scopus)
Thermal control is crucial for ensuring the reliable operation and longevity of electronic devices in microsatellites. Phase change materials (PCMs) offer a promising solution for efficient thermal management in such applications. This study provides a systematic framework for optimizing the mass and volume of PCM-based thermal control units by coupling a comparative analysis of various PCM-filler combinations with a robust Sobol sensitivity analysis. The investigation reveals a critical trade-off between mass and volume. Specifically, configurations using PlusICE with graphite, aluminum, or copper fillers yield the most compact (lowest volume) designs, while glycerol paired with the same high-conductivity fillers provides the most lightweight (lowest mass) solutions among the Pareto-optimal configurations. Conversely, using an inefficient filler like carbon steel can increase total system mass by up to 86% and volume by 74% compared to a graphite-enhanced system, highlighting the critical impact of filler selection. Crucially, the sensitivity analysis quantitatively identifies the primary design drivers: The PCM's latent heat of fusion is the most influential parameter for system mass (total sensitivity index, ST = 0.36), while PCM density is the dominant factor for system volume (ST = 0.81). These findings offer clear, actionable guidelines for engineers, enabling a data-driven approach to material selection and the design of efficient thermal management systems for resource-constrained satellite missions.