Design and testing of an ammonia loop heat pipe

A Loop Heat Pipe (LHP) with a heat transport capacity of 500W, for high powered spacecraft thermal management is being developed by the Thermal Systems Group of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). This LHP consists of four components: (1) evaporator (wherein heat is absorbed), (2) compens...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Applied thermal engineering 2017-01, Vol.111, p.1655-1663
Main Authors: Jasvanth, V.S., Adoni, Abhijit A., Jaikumar, V., Ambirajan, Amrit
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Heat pipe
Loop heat pipe
Thermal control
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Summary:A Loop Heat Pipe (LHP) with a heat transport capacity of 500W, for high powered spacecraft thermal management is being developed by the Thermal Systems Group of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). This LHP consists of four components: (1) evaporator (wherein heat is absorbed), (2) compensation chamber, (3) fluid transport tubes and (4) condenser (wherein heat is rejected), with anhydrous ammonia as working fluid. It was tested for heat loads up to 600W and adverse elevations up to 1000mm. The evaporative heat transfer coefficient is the critical design parameter for the LHP evaporator. For the current evaporator it was greater than 15,000W/m−2K−1 for all the cases studied. The evaporator thermal conductance deceased with an increase in the adverse elevation due (possibly) to meniscus recession into the wick. The operating temperature exhibited the classic tick mark curve - first decreasing then increasing with heat load. At heat loads above 300W, the LHP was in constant conductance mode.
ISSN:1359-4311
DOI:10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2016.07.106