Interchangeable variable-conductance heat pipes for sodium-sulfur batteries. Final report, Aug 90-Jun 91

Technical Report · Thu Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1991

OSTI ID:6146949

Hartenstine, J R

Sodium-sulfur batteries can provide electrical power to satellite instrumentation operating in geosynchronous-earth-orbit (GEO) and low-earth-orbit (LEO) conditions. While on orbit, the sodium-sulfur battery requires thermal management as the battery is cycled between discharge in solar eclipse and recharge in sunlight. As the battery discharges in solar eclipses, waste heat is generated and the battery requires cooling. During recharge in sunlight, the battery temperature needs to be maintained above 320 C. In this Phase I program, Thermacore developed and demonstrated a dual titanium/cesium heat pipe to provide passive, lightweight management of the battery during orbital cycling. The dual heat pipe concept uses both constant and variable conductance heat pipes. Constant conductance heat pipes are inserted between sodium-sulfur cells. The cells radiate to the constant conductance heat pipes and this energy is transferred to a variable conductance heat pipe and radiated to deep space.

• Research Organization: Thermacore, Inc., Lancaster, PA (United States)
• OSTI ID: 6146949
• Report Number(s): AD-A-241300/3/XAB; CNN: F33615-90-C-2073
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

25 ENERGY STORAGE
HEAT PIPES
DESIGN
SODIUM-SULFUR BATTERIES
TEMPERATURE CONTROL
CESIUM
COOLING
ELECTRIC POWER
HEAT
OPERATION
SATELLITES
SODIUM
SOLAR RADIATION
SPACECRAFT POWER SUPPLIES
THERMAL BATTERIES
THERMAL CONDUCTION
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
THERMODYNAMICS
TITANIUM
WASTE HEAT
ALKALI METALS
CONTROL
ELECTRIC BATTERIES
ELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
ELEMENTS
ENERGY
ENERGY TRANSFER
EQUIPMENT
HEAT TRANSFER
METAL-NONMETAL BATTERIES
METALS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
POWER
POWER SUPPLIES
RADIATIONS
STELLAR RADIATION
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
WASTES
250903* - Energy Storage- Batteries- Materials
Components
& Auxiliaries