Electronics Protection - Summer 2016 - (Page 30)

Industry News Thermacore k-Core Technology Cools NASA's Earth Science Satellite Observatory When NASA launched its environmental research satellite on January 31, 2015, it carried sensitive Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) instrumentation that utilized mission-critical cooling components from k Technology, a Division of Thermacore, Inc. ThermaCore-k-CoreThe SMAP mission is designed to help scientists understand the links between Earth's water, energy and carbon cycles. Functioning as an Earth observatory in space, the satellite improves the ability of weather forecasters and climate scientists to monitor and predict natural hazards, such as floods, landslides and droughts. SMAP soil moisture data are used by agricultural and water resource managers to develop water and climate models. The SMAP project is managed for NASA by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), with participation by the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). Throughout the SMAP mission, internal heat generated by the satellite's electronics must continually be rejected into the cold and vacuum of outer space. To meet this difficult thermal challenge while maintaining strict weight and size limits, NASA called upon Thermacore's thermal management and engineering expertise to develop a unique heat spreader - also known as a "doubler" - to cool a critical electronics bus panel. Instead of using typical aluminum heat-spreader material, the doubler utilizes k-Core Annealed Pyrolytic Graphite (APG) encapsulated within aluminum to form a composite panel. The six-millimeter thick panel is a sandwich comprised of an aluminum exterior shell that is one-millimeter-thick on each side wrapped around a four-millimeter thick APG core. The advanced APG material enabled the large 0.7-meter long and 0.7-meter-wide panel to achieve a significant weight reduction of approximately 15 kilograms without sacrificing thermal performance. performance analysis using an iterative process with JPL to determine optimum locations and component configuration. From that point, engineering drawings were generated for all the components, which were then released to k Technology's fabrication facility for graphite machining, composite assembly and machining, plating and inspection. The panel was then shipped to JPL for bench testing, preflight evaluation and then installation on the spacecraft for the January 2015 launch. In addition to the advanced thermal solution for the SMAP mission, Thermacore will provide a k-Core thermal strap for the thermal clock on the JPL GRACE Follow-on Mission. Scheduled for launch in 2017, this mission will measure the change in water stored on land from precipitation that has been stored as snow, that infiltrated into the ground or evaporated, or that left the basin as stream flow. "We are pleased that Thermacore k-Core technology helps to support these vital environmental missions," says Mark Montesano. "Thermal management is essential to the electronics used on these missions, and we're proud to help meet their demanding requirements." Flexible Electronics Market By Components, Application and Segment - Forecast to 2024 The global flexible electronics market was $20,850 million in 2015, which is estimated to reach $87,210 million by 2024. Escalating demand for compact and light-weight electronic devices is anticipated to fuel growth over the forecast period. Flexible batteries, displays, memories are a few products realized with the adoption of this technology. The technology provides ample opportunities in the area of smart textiles, which is the future of wearable's. Government support in the form of funding that lends a helping hand to several research projects and is also anticipated to impact the industry growth positively. The hard anodized plate was finished to support an array of thermal attachment points, thermally and electrically conductive areas, plus grounding areas. According to Mark Montesano, vice president of Engineering, Thermacore k Technology Division, "The complex finishing requirements presented a challenging design. This project involved a detailed mechanical design as well as a finite element thermal analysis to determine component locations and specific geometry of the APG insert within the structure." Healthy demand for smart glasses, e-books, smartphones, smart watches, and e-papers is expected to catapult market growth over the next eight years. The technology facilitates electronic systems to be stretched, rolled, and flexed, minimizing design issues associated while developing compact, portable and miniature devices. The style and functionality of wearable devices is anticipated to witness a transition over the next eight years with companies such as Samsung, Apple, Nike and Google investing heavily in this segment, thereby providing avenues for discovering novel applications. The thermal/mechanical analysis identified such variables as graphite-edge distances and thru-hole features. The Thermacore k Technology team undertook a predictive- The consumer electronics segment accounted for over 55 percent of the overall revenue in 2015. The year 2014 witnessed the onset of new curved televisions, smart- 30 Summer 2016 * www.ElectronicsProtectionMagazine.com http://www.ElectronicsProtectionMagazine.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Electronics Protection - Summer 2016

Electronics Protection - Summer 2016
Contents
Editor's Choice
Common Coolant Types and Their Uses in Liquid Cooling Systems
The Benefits of Vertical Integration for Customized EMI Shielding Products and Services
Cool It Your Way: Versatile Cooling for Electronics Enclosure
Heat Pipes and Vapor Chambers – What’s the Difference?
Securing Electronics in Modern Railway Systems
Enclosures
Thermal
Power
Hardware
Industry News
Calendar of Events

Electronics Protection - Summer 2016