Having obtained his PhD here at Texas A&M, Dr. Hartl continued to apply his groundbreaking research abilities as a professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering.

Dr. Hartl works with smart materials for morphing applications and multifunctional structures design. His most recent work involves a morphing radiator for high-turndown thermal control in crewed space vehicles. This radiator uses Shape Memory Alloys (SMA) to passively control the amount of heat dissipation. Shape

Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) radiator concepts.

Memory Alloys will expand with heat and therefore create a stable system where more heat flux into the radiator will uncurl it and increase its surface area.

The advantages of this are of course a passively controlled heat dissipation system, and also greatly increased weight savings due to the composite structure and materials used.

For more information on this and other exciting projects being worked on by Dr. Hartl’s group, please visit his website.

Conceptual arrangement of radiation system with morphing structures as heat dissipation devices.