Bradford Engineering B.V. has carried out a development project with the purpose to perform all design and development activities, in order to qualify European single-phase cooling loop equipment that may be used on future very high-power communication satellites, such as the wide range AlphaBus telecommunications platform.
The selection of the coolant fluid was one of the major keys to successful development of the mechanically pumped fluid loop (MPFL). A list of ten different potential coolant fluids were analyzed with the requirement criteria consisting of operating temperature range from -45 ° C to +90 ° C and a non-operational temperature of -100 ° C, in addition to working pressure, compatibility, handling/safety, radiation resistance, freezing, etc.
Commonly used fluids such as ethylene and propylene glycols freeze above the lower radiator temperature limit of -100° C, with the risk of fluid degradation. Ammonia and ammonia/water mixture were removed from the list because of the high working pressure (in excess of 60 bar) and material compatibility concerns. For iso-octane and R134a, large tubing diameters and a larger accumulator volume are required respectively, while iso-octane is highly explosive in nature. Finally, H-Galden ZT85 was selected as the baseline coolant for the MPFL, hence providing the best compromise in terms of performance, system aspects and mass.
H-Galden ZT85 has been submitted to a dedicated qualification program, focusing on fluid degradation caused by radiation environment and thermal cycling. Radiation tests up to 15MRad have verified compatibility with GEO radiation environment for 15 years accumulated total dose. Furthermore, accelerated thermal cycling tests have shown negligible degradation of the fluid characteristics after being subjected to the actual in-orbit thermal cycles.
H-Galden ZT is a HydroFluoroPolyEther developed from the proprietary technology by Solvay Solexis. The fluid is non-flammable, dielectric, thermally and chemically stable and compatible with most materials.
H-Galden ZT was technically supported and supplied to Bradford Engineering by FenS chemicals B.V., a key distributor of Solvay Solexis for all fluorinated fluids.
FenS chemicals B.V., founded in 1990, is a successful supplier of synthetic long life and maintenance lubricants, fluids for heat transfer / precision cleaning and services a broad range of industries throughout Europe with a concentration of their business in the automotive, aviation/aerospace, chemical, defense, electronics, medical, paper, vacuum and food market.
For additional information about H-Galden and Solvay www.fens.nl
Solvay Solexis, an international fluorospecialties producer, offers a full range of high-value products for the most advanced markets as Semiconductors & Electronics, Surface Treatment, Building & Architecture, Wire & Cables, Automotive & Aerospace, Oil & Gas, Batteries, Fuel Cells, etc. The company is actively committed to growing its worldwide position as the leader of innovative fluorinated products maintaining sound environmental and social responsible practices. Solvay Solexis is headquartered in Bollate, Italy. It employs approximately 1,400 people and operates worldwide through commercial sites in Italy, France, Belgium, Germany, United Kingdom, Brazil, Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan, and the United States. The company is a member of the Solvay Group, a global leader in chemicals, plastics, and pharmaceuticals with more than 400 business units in over 50 countries.
For additional information about H-Galden and Solvay Solexis visit our website www.solvaysolexis.com
For Further Information please contact:
Alberta Stella
Marketing Communication Manager
Solvay Solexis Spa
Tel: +39 02 38 35 66 71
alberta.stella@solvay.com
