High Performance Constant Conductance Heat Pipes (HPCCHP)

Objectives

The objectives of @BUS High Performance Constant Conductance Heat Pipe project is to develop, design and test new high performance heat pipes (in the range 500 to 700 Wm) with a limited weight target and constant conductance performances.

The requested heat pipe will be a constant conductance heat pipe, made of AlMgSi0.5 or 6063 aluminium and using high purity ammoniac as working fluid.

Based on the known EHP & ALCATEL SPACE large heat pipe transport capability, the new high performance heat pipe shall perform a heat transport capability similar or superior to the performance of the large diameter profiles but with an important reduction of the linear mass, hence with a reduction in diameter.

Challenges

The main requirements are the following:

• Heat transport capability of 500 W.m at +75ºC with an objective up to 700 W.m,


• Heat flux density of 7 W/cm²,


• Heat transfer coefficient (vapour/interface) > 5000 W/m²ºC in [+20ºC, +85ºC],


• Mass increase shall be limited to have a heat pipe mass less than 500 g/m.

Plan

The HPCCHP project plan is based on two main phases divided in major tasks such as concepts trade-offs, detailed design and test plan definition for the phase 1 followed by the manufacturing, test and qualification program definition through the phase 2 activities

Two new improved designs will be developed and manufactured and then submitted to a concurrent testing phase to highlight the most promising solution for the @Bus platform application.

Current Status

The trade-off phase is about to be finalised with the selection of four possible candidates to be further designed through the detailed design task.