Investigation on Heat Pipe Technology for Heat Transport in Manned Spacecraft Cabin

This paper descirbed the design and experimental study of an axially grooved heat pipe and compact heat exchanger designed for use in future spaceflight.The heat exchanger had an excellent heat transfer performance many years after completion and filling. Due to the inherent fastness of axially grooved heat pipe ,the compact heat pipe heat exct1an8er has a very high reliability.The transfer of heat and the associated temperature drop in a heat pipe were considered. The latter can be represented by thermal resistance. Heat can both enter and leave the heat pipe by conduction from a heat source/sink or by convection. Further temperature drop will occur by themal conduction through the heat pipe wall at both the evaperator and condenser regions.It was found that a ther- mal resistance exists at the two vapour-liquid surfaces and also in the vapour column. Up-per limit of the heat transport capability of a heat pipe may be set by one or more factors, such as viscous limit , sonic limit , entrainment limit ,capillary limit and boiling limit.A- mong them capillary limit is very important in axially grooved heat pipe. The test results also showed the influence of temperature on heat transfer performance of the heat pipe and on correlation beteen△T and maximum heat transport capability. In order to meet the requirerment of heat exchanger configuration, external section of the heat pipe can be designed as square,The fins of heat exchanger was manufactured by vacuum welding.