Ceramic heat pipes for high temperature heat removal

Conference · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1978

OSTI ID:6317880

Keddy, E S; Ranken, W A

Difficulties in finding metal or protected metal components that exhibit both strength and corrosion resistance at high temperature have severely restricted the application of effective heat recovery techniques to process heat furnaces. A potential method of overcoming this restriction is to use heat pipes fabricated from ceramic materials to construct counterflow recuperators. A development program has been initiated to demonstrate the technical and eventually the economical feasibility of ceramic heat pipes and ceramic heat pipe recuperators. The prime candidate for heat pipe construction is SiC. Closed-end tubes of this material have been prepared by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). These tubes were lined internally with tungsten by a subsequent CVD operation, partially filled with sodium, and sealed by brazing a tungsten lined SiC plug into the open-end with a palladium--cobalt alloy. Heat pipes constructed in this manner have been successfully operated in vacuum at temperatures of 1225/sup 0/K and in air at a temperature of 1125/sup 0/K. The heat source used initially for the air testing was an induction heated metallic sleeve in thermal contact with the test unit. Subsequent testing has shown that a silicon carbide heat pipe can be successfully operated with natural gas burners providing the input heat. Methods of fabricating and testing these devices are described.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos Scientific Lab., NM (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 6317880
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-79-332; CONF-7808101-1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320304 -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Industrial & Agricultural Processes-- Waste Heat Recovery & Utilization
42 ENGINEERING
420200* -- Engineering-- Facilities
Equipment
& Techniques
ALKALI METALS
CARBIDES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CERAMICS
DESIGN
ELEMENTS
EQUIPMENT
FABRICATION
HEAT PIPES
HEAT RECOVERY EQUIPMENT
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
METALS
PERFORMANCE TESTING
REFRACTORY METALS
SILICON CARBIDES
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SODIUM
TEST FACILITIES
TESTING
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
TUNGSTEN
VERY HIGH TEMPERATURE