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Phase Change Material Heat Exchanger (PCM HX)

Phase Change Material  Heat Exchanger (PCM HX)
Phase Change Material Heat Exchanger (PCM HX)

Our Phase Change Material Heat Exchanger (PCM HX) was launched to the International Space Station aboard SpaceX’s Dragon cargo craft on July 18. Today, the hardware was unbagged and installed by Astronaut Kate Rubins. Over the next several weeks, the technology will undergo testing in microgravity. Heat exchangers freeze or thaw a material to sustain critical temperatures inside a spacecraft, thus protecting crew members and equipment. The PCM HX stores energy by thawing a phase change material, in this case wax, using hot coolant. That energy is later rejected by the spacecraft’s radiator, then refreezes the wax and prepares it for the next spike of heat load. This new type of heat exchanger could help offset heat experienced by the Orion spacecraft and better regulate temperatures. To learn more about this technology:

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-to-begin-testing-next-generation-of-spacecraft-heat-exchangers