Fabrication and development of several heat pipe honeycomb sandwich panel concepts
Abstract
The feasibility of fabricating and processing liquid metal heat pipes in a low mass honeycomb sandwich panel configuration for application on the NASA Langley airframe-integrated Scramjet engine was investigated. A variety of honeycomb panel facesheet and core-ribbon wick concepts was evaluated within constraints dictated by existing manufacturing technology and equipment. The chosen design consists of an all-stainless steel structure, sintered screen facesheets, and two types of core-ribbon; a diffusion bonded wire mesh and a foil-screen composite. Cleaning, fluid charging, processing, and process port sealing techniques were established. The liquid metals potassium, sodium and cesium were used as working fluids. Eleven honeycomb panels 15.24 cm X 15.24 cm X 2.94 cm were delivered to NASA Langley for extensive performance testing and evaluation; nine panels were processed as heat pipes, and two panels were left unprocessed.
- Publication:
-
Final Report Hughes Aircraft Co
- Pub Date:
- June 1982
- Bibcode:
- 1982hac..rept.....T
- Keywords:
-
- Fabrication;
- Heat Pipes;
- Honeycomb Structures;
- Panels;
- Sandwich Structures;
- Supersonic Combustion Ramjet Engines;
- Cleaning;
- Diffusion Welding;
- Liquid Metals;
- Mesh;
- Ribbons;
- Stainless Steels;
- Fluid Mechanics and Heat Transfer