Heat: Satellite's meat is GPU's poison

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Yuan, Zhehu, Liu, Jinyang, Song, Guanqun, Zhu, Ting
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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author Yuan, Zhehu
Liu, Jinyang
Song, Guanqun
Zhu, Ting
author_facet Yuan, Zhehu
Liu, Jinyang
Song, Guanqun
Zhu, Ting
contents In satellite applications, managing thermal conditions is a significant challenge due to the extreme fluctuations in temperature during orbital cycles. One of the solutions is to heat the satellite when it is not exposed to sunlight, which could protect the satellites from extremely low temperatures. However, heat dissipation is necessary for Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) to operate properly and efficiently. In this way, this paper investigates the use of GPU as a means of passive heating in low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites. Our approach uses GPUs to generate heat during the eclipse phase of satellite orbits, substituting traditional heating systems, while the GPUs are also cooled down during this process. The results highlight the potential advantages and limitations of this method, including the cost implications, operational restrictions, and the technical complexity involved. Also, this paper explores the thermal behavior of GPUs under different computational loads, specifically focusing on execution-dominated and FLOP-dominated workloads. Moreover, this paper discusses future directions for improving GPU-based heating solutions, including further cost analysis, system optimization, and practical testing in real satellite missions.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2501_14757
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Heat: Satellite's meat is GPU's poison
Yuan, Zhehu
Liu, Jinyang
Song, Guanqun
Zhu, Ting
Distributed, Parallel, and Cluster Computing
In satellite applications, managing thermal conditions is a significant challenge due to the extreme fluctuations in temperature during orbital cycles. One of the solutions is to heat the satellite when it is not exposed to sunlight, which could protect the satellites from extremely low temperatures. However, heat dissipation is necessary for Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) to operate properly and efficiently. In this way, this paper investigates the use of GPU as a means of passive heating in low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites. Our approach uses GPUs to generate heat during the eclipse phase of satellite orbits, substituting traditional heating systems, while the GPUs are also cooled down during this process. The results highlight the potential advantages and limitations of this method, including the cost implications, operational restrictions, and the technical complexity involved. Also, this paper explores the thermal behavior of GPUs under different computational loads, specifically focusing on execution-dominated and FLOP-dominated workloads. Moreover, this paper discusses future directions for improving GPU-based heating solutions, including further cost analysis, system optimization, and practical testing in real satellite missions.
title Heat: Satellite's meat is GPU's poison
topic Distributed, Parallel, and Cluster Computing
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.14757