High thermal power density heat transfer apparatus providing electrical isolation at high temperature using heat pipes

Patent · Tue Mar 19 00:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:5386035

Morris, J F

This invention is directed to transferring heat from an extremely high temperature source to an electrically isolated lower temperature receiver. The invention is particularly concerned with supplying thermal power to a thermionic converter from a nuclear reactor with electric isolation. Heat from a high temperature heat pipe is transferred through a vacuum or a gap filled with electrically nonconducting gas to a cooler heat pipe. The heat pipe is used to cool the nuclear reactor while the heat pipe is connected thermally and electrically to a thermionic converter. If the receiver requires greater thermal power density, geometries are used with larger heat pipe areas for transmitting and receiving energy than the area for conducting the heat to the thermionic converter. In this way the heat pipe capability for increasing thermal power densities compensates for the comparatively low thermal power densities through the electrically nonconducting gap between the two heat pipes.

• Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy
• Patent Number(s): US 4506183
• Application Number: TRN: 85-018918
• OSTI ID: 5386035
• Resource Relation: Patent File Date: Filed date 24 Jun 1983; Other Information: PAT-APPL-507626
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
HEAT EXCHANGERS
HEAT PIPES
POWER REACTORS
THERMIONIC CONVERTERS
ELECTRICAL INSULATION
HEAT TRANSFER
HEAT TRANSFER FLUIDS
POWER DENSITY
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ENERGY TRANSFER
FLUIDS
REACTORS
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
220200* - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Components & Accessories
300404 - Thermionic Converters- Applications