Gas particle radiator

Abstract

The performance of a new space radiator concept, the gas particle radiator (GPR), is studied. The GPR uses a gas containing submicron particles as the radiating medium contained between the radiator's emitting surface and a transparent window. For a modest volume fraction of submicron particles and gas thickness, it is found that the emissivity is determined by the window transmittance. The window must have a high transmittance in the infrared and be structurally strong enough to contain the gas-particle mixture. When the GPR is compared to a proposed titanium wall, potassium heat pipe radiator, with both radiators operating at a power level of 1.01 MW at 775 K, it is found that the GPR mass is 31 percent lower than that of the heat pipe radiator.