Methodology for Life Testing of Refractory Metal / Sodium Heat Pipes
- Marshall Space Flight Center, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Huntsville, Alabama, 35812 (United States)
This work establishes an approach to generate carefully controlled data to find heat pipe operating life with material-fluid combinations capable of extended operation. To accomplish this goal acceleration is required to compress 10 years of operational life into 3 years of laboratory testing through a combination of increased temperature and mass fluence. Specific test series have been identified, based on American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) specifications, to investigate long-term corrosion rates. The refractory metal selected for demonstration purposes is a molybdenum-44.5% rhenium alloy formed by powder metallurgy. The heat pipes each have an annular crescent wick formed by hot isostatic pressing of molybdenum-rhenium wire mesh. The heat pipes are filled by vacuum distillation with purity sampling of the completed assembly. Round-the-clock heat pipe tests with 6-month destructive and non-destructive inspection intervals are conducted to identify the onset and level of corrosion. Non-contact techniques are employed to provide power to the evaporator (radio frequency induction heating at 1 to 5 kW per heat pipe) and calorimetry at the condenser (static gas gap coupled water cooled calorimeter). The planned operating temperature range extends from 1123 to 1323 K. Accomplishments before project cancellation included successful development of the heat pipe wick fabrication technique, establishment of all engineering designs, baseline operational test requirements, and procurement/assembly of supporting test hardware systems. (authors)
- Research Organization:
- American Nuclear Society, 555 North Kensington Avenue, La Grange Park, IL 60526 (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 21021158
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 2006 International congress on advances in nuclear power plants - ICAPP'06, Reno - Nevada (United States), 4-8 Jun 2006; Other Information: Country of input: France; 11 refs; Related Information: In: Proceedings of the 2006 international congress on advances in nuclear power plants - ICAPP'06, 2734 pages.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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