Pre-Design of a Mechanically Pumped Fluid Loop (MPFL) for High-Power Dissipation in Satellite Wireless Power Transmission Applications

In recent years, the power requirements of space satellites have significantly increased. In low-efficiency applications, this power is converted into heat, which must be efficiently dissipated to ensure proper thermal management. The satellite designed by the start-up company ORiS aims to address the challenge of energy provision for extended lunar missions, including ensuring stable energy support for a lunar base during eclipse periods. This objective is pursued through Wireless Power Transmission (WPT) via laser which, due to the limited efficiency of laser diodes, generates a substantial amount of waste heat - on the order of tens of kilowatts - that must be effectively dissipated. This study focuses on the preliminary design of a Mechanically Pumped Fluid Loop (MPFL) to transfer and dissipate the heat produced by the laser diodes and control the temperatures of the main subsystems. The methodology adopted follows the recommendations of the European Cooperation for Space Standardization (ECSS), particularly those outlined for Phase A & B of system development. This process defines system requirements, operational modes, and mission scenarios to identify the most critical hot and cold conditions. A trade-off analysis compares single-phase and two-phase Mechanically Pumped Fluid Loop, Loop Heat Pipes, and other thermal systems to determine the best heat dissipation approach. The thermal network method (TNM) was utilised to model the satellite in isothermal nodes, which represented a laser diode array, a battery pack, solar panels and avionics. The analysis was conducted within the MATLAB programming environment, in conjunction with simplified CAD modelling. The results obtained enabled preliminary dimensioning of the main components of the MPFL, and an estimation of the geometry and sizes of the radiators. However, further research is required to refine the detailed design of the Thermal Control System and assess its performance under operational conditions.