Project Title:

Space-Based Solar Water Heater

09.19-8581
Space-Based Solar Water Heater
Remtech, Inc.
3304 Westmill Drive
Huntsville
AL
35805
Somers
Richard E.

50,000

Manned spacecraft on long missions or permanently in orbit (e.g., Space Station)
will require hot water for housekeeping chores such as clothes and dish washing and
bathing.  The ECLS system will also require significant amounts of hot water.  If
this water is electrically heated, many additional square feet of the photovoltaic
(PV) array will be needed.  An attractive alternative is to mount a solar collector
on the vehicle (e.g., Space Station habitat module).  Solar collectors are from 40%
to 80% efficient while PV arrays are about 8% to 15% efficient and are much more
expensive.  Earth-based solar water heater designs are well documented and may be
applied to space-based systems.  The performance of several potential solar collector
systems have been completed for use as a solar water heater using the Space Station
as a guide and one preliminary design chosen.  Systems evaluated include flat-plate
collectors, concentrators, pumped heat transfer liquids and heat pipes.

Abstract: