Speaker
Description
The renewed global interest in large satellite constellations for high-bandwidth communication has accelerated the demand for accurate, efficient, and traceable thermal engineering tools for space programs. This paper presents recent developments in the TMG solver for thermal analysis workflows supporting the ongoing satellite communication space race, with emphasis on constellations operating in Very-Low Earth Orbit (VLEO). The study focuses on thermal design assessment during critical mission phases, including launch and early orbit, where rapid environmental transitions and coupled conductive-radiative effects can drive design margins and hardware qualification decisions.
A key contribution of this work is the development of a built-in reporting tool for allowable temperature margins within Simcenter 3D Space Systems Thermal. The tool enables thermal analysts to rapidly evaluate component-level temperature compliance across steady-state and transient load cases, identify hot and cold margin drivers, and communicate results in a structured and repeatable format. By consolidating margin calculations, allowable temperature limits, and case-by-case thermal results, the reporting capability reduces manual post-processing effort and improves consistency across design reviews, subsystem assessments, and program-level reporting.
The paper also presents a new graphical heat-flow representation capability that supports interpretation of conductive and radiative energy exchanges within the thermal model. Used together, the temperature-margin reporting tool and heat-flow visualization provide analysts with a more efficient way to diagnose critical thermal paths, understand the impact of boundary conditions, and prioritize design changes early in the development cycle. These capabilities are particularly valuable for spacecraft programs requiring frequent design iterations, large numbers of analysis cases, and clear traceability between simulation results and thermal requirements.
Representative steady-state and transient analyses are presented for launch and early-orbit scenarios relevant to VLEO communication spacecraft. The results demonstrate how automated margin reporting and heat-flow visualization can support rapid assessment of thermal compliance, improve communication between thermal analysts and system stakeholders, and strengthen confidence in early thermal design decisions. These developments enhance the efficiency, reliability, and scalability of spacecraft thermal control system analysis, contributing to high-throughput workflows needed for future satellite constellation programs.