Deployable heat pipe radiator
Abstract
A 1.2- by 1.8-m variable conductance heat pipe radiator was designed, built, and tested. The radiator has deployment capability and can passively control Freon-21 fluid loop temperatures under varying loads and environments. It consists of six grooved variable conductance heat pipes attached to a 0.032-in. aluminum panel. Heat is supplied to the radiator via a fluid header or a single-fluid flexible heat pipe header. The heat pipe header is an artery design that has a flexible section capable of bending up to 90 degrees. Radiator loads as high as 850 watts were successfully tested. Over a load variation of 200 watts, the outlet temperature of the Freon-21 fluid varied by 7 F. An alternate control system was also investigated which used a variable conductance heat pipe header attached to the heat pipe radiator panel.
- Publication:
-
Final Report Grumman Aerospace Corp
- Pub Date:
- April 1975
- Bibcode:
- 1975gac..rept.....E
- Keywords:
-
- Heat Pipes;
- Heat Radiators;
- Conductive Heat Transfer;
- Flexibility;
- Flexing;
- Freon;
- Loading Moments;
- Resistance;
- Temperature Control;
- Fluid Mechanics and Heat Transfer