TixAlyN coatings for temperature control of spacecraft

Maria Brogren; Geoffrey L. Harding; Richard Karmhag; Gunnar A. Niklasson; Carl-Gustaf Ribbing; Lars Stenmark

doi:10.1117/12.360120

7 September 1999 Ti_xAl_yN coatings for temperature control of spacecraft

Maria Brogren, Geoffrey L. Harding, Richard Karmhag, Gunnar A. Niklasson, Carl-Gustaf Ribbing, Lars Stenmark

Proceedings Volume 3738, Advances in Optical Interference Coatings; (1999) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.360120
Event: Optical Systems Design and Production, 1999, Berlin, Germany

Abstract

Thermal control is an important issue in small-scale satellite design, and thin film coatings suit the limited mass and volume constraints. Group IVB transition metal nitride films meet the criteria that the satellite surface must be mechanically and chemically stable, and electrically conducting. Thin film Ti_xAl_yN_z coatings have been investigated and tailored for temperature control. The films were deposited by reactive sputtering on aluminum substrates in N₂/Ar-atmosphere. The solar absorptance, (alpha) , and thermal emittance, (epsilon) , were calculated from spectral reflectance measurements. It was found that an optimization of film composition leads to a reduced equilibrium temperature. The composition temperature. The composition Ti_0.16Al_0.41N_0.43 has a flatter reflectance curve than TiN, and was found to be close to optimal. By varying the film thickness, interference effects could further reduce the equilibrium temperature. A 650 nm Ti_0.16Al_0.41N_0.43 film showed a reflectance interference minimum positioned at the maximum of the blackbody spectrum, resulting in an increased emittance. Neglecting internal heat contributions, the lowest calculated equilibrium temperature was 34.6 degrees C for this film.

Citation Download Citation

Maria Brogren, Geoffrey L. Harding, Richard Karmhag, Gunnar A. Niklasson, Carl-Gustaf Ribbing, and Lars Stenmark "Ti_xAl_yN coatings for temperature control of spacecraft", Proc. SPIE 3738, Advances in Optical Interference Coatings, (7 September 1999); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.360120

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