Principle Verification of a Power-Free, Zero-Gravity Refrigeration Cycle Using Solar Heat

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 22K18858
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 24:Aerospace engineering, marine and maritime engineering, and related fields
• Research Institution: Nagoya University
• Principal Investigator: Nagano Hosei 名古屋大学, 工学研究科, 教授 (10435810)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 渡邉 紀志 名古屋大学, 工学研究科, 特任講師 (60569979)
• Project Period (FY): 2022-06-30 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 冷凍機 / 熱制御 / 無電力駆動

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we established the principle of a new refrigeration cycle that produces a cold heat source from a high-temperature heat source obtained by absorbing solar heat for the thermal design of spacecraft, and developed an original physical model of this cycle. Based on the physical model, we designed and built a prototype of a refrigeration machine that operates on the ground, and conducted performance tests to confirm the validity of the model. Based on the validated physical model, we confirmed the feasibility of a passive refrigerator driven only by solar heat input on the lunar surface, which has a low gravity environment of about 1/6 that of the Earth, and obtained numerical data for the basic design.

Free Research Field

航空宇宙工学，船舶海洋工学およびその関連分野

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

太陽エネルギーは宇宙空間に存在する貴重なエネルギー源であるにもかかわらず，宇宙機熱設計においては排除すべき存在であるが，太陽光熱は有用なエネルギー資源であるので太陽光熱を積極利用した新しい熱制御概念が求められている．太陽熱を用いた直接冷却手法が創出され確立されれば，宇宙機の省エネルギー化，適用可能性の拡大につながるため，宇宙機熱制御工学の体系の変革，ならびに冷凍工学分野への新たな原理提案につながるため研究成果の学術的意義や社会意義は大きい．