| Popis: |
Space nuclear systems require large area radiators to reject the unconverted heat to space. System optimizations with Brayton cycles lead to radiators with radiator temperatures in the 400 to 550 K range. To date, nearly all space radiator systems have used aluminum/ammonia heat pipes but these components cannot function at the required temperatures. A Graphite Fiber Reinforced Composites (GFRC) radiator with high temperature water heat pipes is currently under development. High temperature GFRC materials have been selected, and will be tested for thermal conductivity and structural properties. Titanium/water and Titanium/Monel heat pipes have been successfully operated at temperatures up to 550 K. Titanium was selected as the baseline envelope material, due to its lower mass and previous experience with bonding titanium into honeycomb panels. Heat pipes were fabricated with a number of different wick designs, including slab and grooved wicks. Since titanium cannot be extruded, the grooves are being fabricated in sintered titanium powder. The paper reports on the radiator design, materials selection, heat pipe to fin bonding, heat pipe design, and experimental results. |
