Transient heat pipe investigations for space power systems

Conference · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1985

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2514/6.1986-1273· OSTI ID:5041804

Merrigan, M A; Keddy, E S; Sena, J T

A 4-meter long, high temperature, high power, molybdenum-lithium heat pipe has been fabricated and tested in transient and steady state operation at temperatures to 1500 K. Maximum power throughput during the tests was approximately 37 kW/cm/sup 2/ for the 1.4 cm diameter vapor space of the annular wick heat pipe. The evaporator flux density for the tests was 150.0 W/cm/sup 2/ over a length of 40 cm. Condenser length was approximately 3.0 m with radiant heat rejection from the condenser to a coaxial, water cooled radiation calorimeter. A variable radiation shield, controllable from the outside of the vacuum enclosure, was used to vary the load on the heat pipe during the tests. 1 ref., 9 figs.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 5041804
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-85-3341; CONF-8509153-4; ON: DE86000813
• Resource Relation: Conference: 2. SP-100 program integration meeting, Denver, CO, USA, 17 Sep 1985; Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
HEAT PIPES
PERFORMANCE TESTING
SPACE POWER REACTORS
HEAT TRANSFER
LITHIUM
MOLYBDENUM
POWER DENSITY
VERY HIGH TEMPERATURE
ALKALI METALS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY TRANSFER
METALS
MOBILE REACTORS
POWER REACTORS
REACTORS
TESTING
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
NESDPS Office of Nuclear Energy Space and Defense Power Systems
220600* - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Research
Test & Experimental Reactors