You’re absolutely right. Ive seen a few mentions of research into phase changing materials for heat transfer, but I think the technology is still in its infancy. Would be cool to see a static PCM heat exchanger. Might be possible to leverage sun exposure/shading for more favorable ∆T? Been a bit since senior Heat Transfer.
PCMs are already used but also have their limits. They’re heavy and only help if you’re consistently going through temperature swings like behind Earth’s shadow. Depending on your Beta angle, which changes as the earth revolves around the sun and your orbit precesses, you could be exposed to sun 24/7, so PCM wouldn’t help much.
You’re absolutely right. Ive seen a few mentions of research into phase changing materials for heat transfer, but I think the technology is still in its infancy. Would be cool to see a static PCM heat exchanger. Might be possible to leverage sun exposure/shading for more favorable ∆T? Been a bit since senior Heat Transfer.
PCMs are already used but also have their limits. They’re heavy and only help if you’re consistently going through temperature swings like behind Earth’s shadow. Depending on your Beta angle, which changes as the earth revolves around the sun and your orbit precesses, you could be exposed to sun 24/7, so PCM wouldn’t help much.