Integrated Sublimator Driven Coldplate (ISDC) for Thermal Control Systems

The Integrated Sublimator Driven Coldplate (ISDC) provides the spacecraft thermal control functions of heat acquisition, heat transport, and heat rejection all in one hardware component. As its name implies, one part of the ISDC is a coldplate on which heat- generating equipment is mounted, and another part of the ISDC is a sublimator that rejects heat to space. Depending on the needs of the particular application, the ISDC can be provided in an active or passive variant. For spacecraft requiring an active thermal control system, the ISDC can use a flow-through coldplate and be integrated into a pumped fluid loop. When a passive solution is desired, the flow-through coldplate is replaced with a heat pipe plate, resulting in a passive ISDC-P unit. Both active and passive ISDC variants are modular to allow for system flexibility and the ability to support single or multiple avionics locations. The use of ISDC can also provide increased system fault tolerance and reduced system mass. This paper presents an approach for evaluating system configurations that incorporate ISDC components. Examples are provided to illustrate system benefits.