Browsing by Author "Mabakachaba, Boitumelo Mafalo"

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    Carbon, magnesium implantation and proton irradiation on pulsed laser deposited thermochromic thin film of VO2
    (University of Western Cape, 2020) Mabakachaba, Boitumelo Mafalo; Maaza, M.; Arendse, Christopher
    When the spacecrafts orbit in space, it is subjected to significant thermal cycling variation. Thermal regulation of the spacecraft temperature is required to ensure a good operation of the small crafts such as CubeSats and the on-board equipment while minimizing the weight. Three methods employed for the Smart Radiator Devices (SRD) are (i) mechanical louvers, (ii) electrochromic coatings and (iii) thermochromic coatings (which is of interest in this study). Based on the characteristics of the thermochromic coatings, the passive smart radiator device is by far the most efficient option since there are no mechanical moving components and also no electric energy needed for the craft to operate.