SKA mid-frequency aperture array thermal analysis for South Africa

SKA (Square Kilometre Array) is a radio telescope that will have a collecting area of a square kilometer. The Mid frequency range receivers of SKA will be located in the Karoo desert in South Africa. Several designs of enclosures are proposed to protect the antenna arrays and electronics against the harsh environment. Thermal analyses by Computational Fluid Dynamics are performed on the different designs of antenna enclosures to determine their effect on the maximum temperatures and the temperature stability of the receivers.