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This paper describes potential heat rejection design concepts for Brayton power conversion systems. Brayton conversion systems are currently under study by NASA for Nuclear Electric Propulsion (NEP) and surface power applications. The Brayton Heat Rejection Subsystem (HRS) must dissipate waste heat generated by the power conversion system due to inefficiencies in the thermal-to-electric conversion process. Sodium potassium (NaK) and H2O are two coolant working fluids that have been investigated in the design of a pumped loop and heat pipe space HRS. In general NaK systems are high temperature (300 to 1000 K) low pressure systems, and H2O systems are low temperature (300 to 600 K) high pressure systems. NaK is an alkali metal with health and safety hazards that require special handling procedures. On the other hand, H2O is a common fluid, with no health hazards and no special handling procedures. This paper compares NaK and H2O for the HRS pumped loop coolant working fluid. A detailed excel analytical model, HRS_Opt, was developed to evaluate the various HRS design parameters. It is capable of analyzing NaK or H2O coolant, parallel or series flow configurations, and numerous combinations of other key parameters (heat pipe spacing, diameter and radial flux, radiator facesheet thickness, fluid duct system pressure drop, system rejected power, etc.) of the HRS. This paper compares NaK against water for the HRS coolant working fluid with respect to the relative mass, performance, design and implementation issues between the two fluids. © 2006 American Institute of Physics [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the gravity effect on heat transport characteristics in a miniature loop heat pipe with multiple evaporators and multiple condensers. Tests were conducted in three different orientations: horizontal, 45deg tilt, and vertical. The gravity affected the loop’s natural operating temperature, the maximum heat transport capability, and the thermal conductance. In the case that temperatures of compensation chambers were actively controlled, the required control heater power was also dependent on the test configuration. In the vertical configuration, the secondary wick was not able to pump the liquid from the CC to the evaporator against the gravity. Thus, the loop could operate stably or display some peculiar behaviors depending on the initial liquid distribution between the evaporator and the CC. Because such an initial condition was not known prior to the test, the subsequent loop performance was unpredictable. © 2007 American Institute of Physics [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes four advanced devices (or tools) that were developed to help solve problems in cryogenic integration. The four devices are: (1) an across-gimbal nitrogen cryogenic loop heat pipe (CLHP); (2) a miniaturized neon CLHP; (3) a differential thermal expansion (DTE) cryogenic thermal switch (CTSW); and (4) a dual-volume nitrogen cryogenic thermal storage unit (CTSU). The across-gimbal CLHP provides a low torque, high conductance solution for gimbaled cryogenic systems wishing to position their cryocoolers off-gimbal. The miniaturized CLHP combines thermal transport, flexibility, and thermal switching (at 35 K) into one device that can be directly mounted to both the cooler cold head and the cooled component. The DTE-CTSW, designed and successfully tested in a previous program using a stainless steel tube and beryllium (Be) end-pieces, was redesigned with a polymer rod and high-purity aluminum (Al) end-pieces to improve performance and manufacturability while still providing a miniaturized design. Lastly, the CTSU was designed with a 6063 Al heat exchanger and integrally welded, segmented, high purity Al thermal straps for direct attachment to both a cooler cold head and a Be component whose peak heat load exceeds its average load by 2.5 times. For each device, the paper will describe its development objective, operating principles, heritage, requirements, design, test data and lessons learned. © 2004 American Institute of Physics [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper discusses an advanced hybrid two-phase loop technology for spacecraft thermal management. The hybrid loop integrates active mechanical pumping with passive capillary pumping promising a reliable yet high performance cooling system. The advanced evaporator design using porous wick structures was developed for the hybrid loop to enhance boiling heat transfer by passive phase separation. The prototype testing using various hybrid loops and components demonstrated that the hybrid loop was capable of removing high heat fluxes from multiple heat sources with large surface areas up to 135 cm2. Because of the passive capillary phase separation, the hybrid loop operation doesn’t require any active flow control of excess liquid in the evaporator, even at highly transient and asymmetrical heat inputs. These performance results represent significant improvements over state-of-the-art heat pipes, loop heat pipes and evaporative spray cooling devices in terms of performance, robustness and simplicity. © 2007 American Institute of Physics [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last 4 years, the loop heat pipe (LHP) technology has been under development by this institute, focusing on future applications for this passive thermal control device, specially related to instruments' thermal control in satellites. Such a development has been focused on designing, manufacturing, assembling, charging and testing LHPs for Space applications using acetone as working fluid. Several procedures were specially conceived during the development program, which resulted in reliable apparatuses that have been extensively tested for potential applications. Repeatability on the processes used during the manufacturing of the LHPs was established as the key parameter to qualify this technology, as well as suppliers and techniques for charging and testing procedures. As a result, several LHPs were manufactured and are operational presenting reliable results related to the thermal control, according to the parameters established by the project. In parallel, two mathematical models were developed based on the experimental data gathered in laboratory conditions, which were then validated and have been applied on the design of LHPs for Earth orbit operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Canadian Space Agency is developing loop heat pipe hardware aimed at understanding the thermal performance of two-phase heat transfer devices and in developing numerical simulation techniques using thermohydraulic mathematical models, to enable development of novel thermal control technologies. This loop heat pipe consists of a cylindrical evaporator, compensation chamber, condenser along with vapor and liquid lines, which can be easily assembled/disassembled for test purposes. This laboratory setup is especially designed to enable the visualization of fluid flow and phase change phenomena. There are transparent windows in the compensation chamber and transparent lines for vapor line, liquid returning line, and sections of condenser that enable the monitoring of the fluid phase and flowing characteristics along the loop. The setup demonstrated typical loop heat pipe performance. Three working fluids (water, acetone and methanol) were used in the characterization of the loop heat pipe. Visual observations have been made at the compensation chamber, vapor line, liquid line, and the condenser. © 2007 American Institute of Physics [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A development program has been completed to design, assemble, and test high-performance titanium/water heat pipes for spacecraft heat rejection applications. Three variations of wick designs were designed, assembled, tested, and delivered to NASA GRC. The heat pipe length was 115.5 cm, the outer diameter was 1.27 cm, and the charged devices weighed 285 g. All wick designs were based on porous-walled axially grooved titanium wick structures. All three variations exhibited high heat transport capability at adverse tilt conditions. Transport capability of the devices at 225 °C ranged between 800 W and 1000 W against gravity. The results represent a significant advance in the technology capability for passive heat rejection in this temperature range. © 2007 American Institute of Physics [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Titanium — water heat pipes are being investigated for use in heat rejection systems for lunar and Mars fission surface power systems. Heat pipes provide an efficient and reliable means to transfer heat to a radiator heat rejection system. NASA Glenn Research Center requisitioned nine titanium water heat pipes from three vendors. Each vendor supplied three heat pipes 1.25 cm diameter by 1.1 meter long with each vendor selecting a different wick design. Each of the three heat pipes is slightly different in construction. Additional specifications for the heat pipes included 500 K nominal operating temperature, light weight, and freeze tolerance. The heat pipes were performance tested gravity aided, in the horizontal position and elevations against gravity at 450 K and 500 K. Performance of the three heat pipes is compared. The heat pipe data will be used to verify models of heat pipe radiators that will be used in future space exploration missions. © 2007 American Institute of Physics [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A high temperature water heat pipes radiator design is developed for a space power system with a sectored gas-cooled reactor and three Closed Brayton Cycle (CBC) engines, for avoidance of single point failures in reactor cooling and energy conversion and rejection. The CBC engines operate at turbine inlet and exit temperatures of 1144 K and 952 K. They have a net efficiency of 19.4% and each provides 30.5 kWe of net electrical power to the load. A He-Xe gas mixture serves as the turbine working fluid and cools the reactor core, entering at 904 K and exiting at 1149 K. Each CBC loop is coupled to a reactor sector, which is neutronically and thermally coupled, but hydraulically decoupled to the other two sectors, and to a NaK-78 secondary loop with two water heat pipes radiator panels. The segmented panels each consist of a forward fixed segment and two rear deployable segments, operating hydraulically in parallel. The deployed radiator has an effective surface area of 203 m2, and when the rear segments are folded, the stowed power system fits in the launch bay of the DELTA-IV Heavy launch vehicle. For enhanced reliability, the water heat pipes operate below 50% of their wicking limit; the sonic limit is not a concern because of the water, high vapor pressure at the temperatures of interest (384 – 491 K). The rejected power by the radiator peaks when the ratio of the lengths of evaporator sections of the longest and shortest heat pipes is the same as that of the major and minor widths of the segments. The shortest and hottest heat pipes in the rear segments operate at 491 K and 2.24 MPa, and each rejects 154 W. The longest heat pipes operate cooler (427 K and 0.52 MPa) and because they are 69% longer, reject more power (200 W each). The longest and hottest heat pipes in the forward segments reject the largest power (320 W each) while operating at ∼ 46% of capillary limit. The vapor temperature and pressure in these heat pipes are 485 K and 1.97 MPa. By contrast, the shortest water heat pipes in the forward segments operate much cooler (427 K and 0.52 MPa), and reject a much lower power of 45 W each. The radiator with six fixed and 12 rear deployable segments rejects a total of 324 kWth, weights 994 kg and has an average specific power of 326 Wth/kg and a specific mass of 5.88 kg/m2. © 2006 American Institute of Physics [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]