Surface Treatment of Heat Sink Fins Made of Aluminium Alloy Used for Thermal Management of Travelling Wave Tube Amplifiers

This paper describes about the utilization of aluminium alloy heat sink fins to dissipate heat effectively in space for thermal management of Travelling Wave Tube Amplifier (TWTA). Anodizing is employed to enhance the low surface emissivity of aluminium fins, but it also increases solar absorptivity, which is undesirable. The objective of the study is to achieve high emissive surface maintaining a favorable ratio of emissivity to solar absorptivity. Through trials and investigations, the study establishes finalized thickness of anodic layer that provides high emissivity and optimum low solar absorptivity which is tested and found suitable for space worthy applications