Dust-Repelling Coating for Thermal Radiators

State-of-the-art (SOTA) EDS technology includes the addition of a dielectric substrate, the EDS electrodes, and a dielectric cover layer. Typically, this multilayer stack-up for thermal radiator EDSs are built as a stand-alone and placed directly on top of the thermal radiator base and covered with the thermal control material. This new coating system represents an alternative EDS approach that integrates with the thermal radiator's thermal control coating system. The approach involves utilizing the thermal control coating in multiple functional capacities within the EDS configuration. The thermal control coating properties are leveraged to provide electrical insulation characteristics suitable for EDS operation while maintaining thermal performance requirements. The EDS configuration incorporates conductive elements positioned within the thermal control coating structure. The thermal control coating is applied using processes compatible with standard thermal radiator construction methods. The conductive elements are integrated during the coating application sequence. This integrated EDS approach incorporated into a thermal radiator system reduces certain components compared to SOTA EDS systems. The reduction in components offers potential benefits in system mass, thermal performance characteristics, and manufacturing complexity. The approach may reduce certain failure modes associated with interface layers and thermal expansion effects. This EDS configuration allows for enhanced flexibility in thermal radiator design parameters. Space is a very unforgiving environment. Charged particles, vacuum, and thermal extremes are just a few of the conditions that make this environment challenging to explore. Lunar dust on the surface of the Moon adds complexity to this situation. Dust can be a health hazard to astronauts if they breathe it in, as well as degrade materials, decrease power generation of solar panels, and cause gasket leaks. It also acts as a blackbody, becoming hot if left in direct sunlight. This is a problem for thermal radiators where the main function is to radiate heat away from an object. If dust lands on the thermal radiator, the unit will less effectively reject heat, and it will overheat. This can lead to mission failure. Therefore, methods to mitigate the accumulation of dust need to be developed. The electrodynamic dust shield (EDS) is capable of actively removing dust from thermal radiator surfaces. NASA scientists and engineeers have invented a novel efficient coating system with EDS capabilities for thermal radiators.