A Brayton cycle solar dynamic heat receiver for space

The detailed design of a heat receiver developed to meet the requirements of the US Space Station Freedom, which will be assembled and operated in low Earth orbit beginning in the mid-1990s, is described. The heat receiver supplies thermal energy to a nominal 25 kW closed-Brayton-cycle power conversion unit. The receiver employs an integral thermal energy storage system utilizing the latent heat of a eutectic-salt phase-change mixture to store energy for eclipse operation. The salt is contained within a felt metal matrix which enhances heat transfer and controls the salt void distribution during solidification