OTIS SPACEHeatBank
Thermal storage for intermittent spacecraft heat loads
We are designing HeatBank as a sealed thermal-storage cartridge for equipment that produces short periods of excess heat. A phase-change material would absorb heat during operation and release it when the cooling system has capacity.
Intended applications
HeatBank is intended for processors, imaging payloads, and communications equipment with intermittent power demand. A suitable operating profile must allow the stored heat to discharge between bursts.
Design scope
Temporary heat storage
Buffer excess heat within a temperature range selected for the payload and its cooling interface.
Conductive heat path
Connect the heat source, storage material, and discharge path through an internal heat-transfer structure.
Storage-state monitoring
Use instrumentation and a thermal model to estimate remaining storage capacity and recovery between operating periods.
Integration requirements
These inputs will determine the design and evaluation scope.
- The heat generated during a burst, its duration, and how often it repeats.
- The allowable temperature range at the payload interface.
- The time and cooling conditions available between operating periods.
- Mass, volume, mounting, containment, and lifetime requirements.
Development and evaluation
Initial product focus
Development will evaluate candidate materials, containment, heat transfer, and repeated cycling. Tests will measure the complete cartridge, including its housing and conductive structure.
The store must recover under the mission’s actual operating conditions. HeatBank will not remove the need for a radiator or another heat-rejection path.
Related products
Discuss HeatBank with our team
Share your heat-load profile, interface temperatures, and available recovery time.