Thermal analysis modeling and on-orbit temperature prediction for a microsatellite with multilayer insulation

A practical modeling method for conducting thermal analysis of a microsatellite with multilayer insulation (MLI) was proposed by introducing a new concept for the fitted conductivities of MLI blankets. A finite element (FE) model was first established, in which the MLI blankets are simplified as homogeneous materials with the thermal conductivities initially given. Subsequently, the conductivities were adjusted and determined using an optimization problem that minimized the root mean square (RMS) of temperature residuals between the test data and analysis results based on the current FE model. The FE model with the determined conductivities (i.e., fitted conductivities) was used for thermal analysis. By making comparisons between thermal balance test data and steady-state analysis results of a microsatellite, the rationality and validity of the proposed modeling method were evaluated. Based on the proposed method, the analysis model was further utilized for microsatellite on-orbit temperature prediction. The results revealed that the thermal control scheme with MLI meets the mission requirements.