Thesis Defense - Giray Özen (MSME)

Giray Özen – M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering

Asst. Prof. Altuğ Melik Başol – Advisor

Date: 11.07.2025

Time: 10:30

Location: AB1 231

“OPTIMIZATION OF GEO SPACECRAFT EMBEDDED HEAT PIPE RADIATOR PANEL USING GENETIC ALGORITHM FOR EFFICIENT THERMAL PERFORMANCE AND LIGHTWEIGHT DESIGN”

Asst. Prof. Altuğ Melik Başol, Özyeğin University

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Özgür Ertunç, Özyeğin University

Prof. Dr. Barbaros Çetin, Bilkent University

Abstract:

In spacecraft, radiators cool electronic equipment by conducting waste heat away from components and radiating it into space. They are essential for maintaining component temperatures within allowable operational limits. While radiators must provide adequate heat transfer area to manage thermal loads, minimizing their mass is equally important to ensure feasibility in space applications. This study presents an optimization methodology employing a genetic algorithm (GA) for the thermal design of embedded heat pipe radiators and equipment layout in Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) spacecraft. The optimized radiator design and equipment layout of the case studies were validated through thermal analysis using SIEMENS SIMCENTER 3D Space Systems Thermal (SST). In contrast to traditional methods, the developed tool concurrently assesses all relevant design variables to determine the optimal radiator and equipment layout, thereby streamlining the design process. The case study highlights that GA parameters affect optimization results. Larger populations and higher mutation rates increase computation time but enhance accuracy, making the evaluation of multiple GA sets essential for optimal configurations. Parameter sensitivity analysis revealed that increasing the aspect ratio of the radiator enhances thermal performance, although it also increases mass due to the added volume of heat pipe material. As heat pipe spacing decreases, the impact of facesheet thickness on heat rejection diminishes, while mass increases due to replacing low-density honeycomb with higher-density heat pipe material. For longer heat pipes, vapor temperature becomes more influential in improving heat rejection.

Bio:

Giray ÖZEN earned his Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Ege University in 2016. He began his professional career at Vestel Refrigerator Factory, working two years in the R&D department, handling responsibilities such as component management, cooling and acoustic testing, acoustic optimization, and cost reduction. Subsequently, he spent two and a half years at Arçelik (Beko) Factory’s R&D department, expanding his expertise to include new cooling system design, system improvements, customer complaint resolution, and defining system design criteria. For the past four years, Giray has been serving as a Mechanical Engineer at Turkish Aerospace Industries, where he specializes in satellite thermal control systems. His professional responsibilities encompass thermal modelling and analysis, the design and integration of thermal control components, and active involvement in satellite thermal test campaigns.