The design of a fabric composite heat pipe has been completed. It is
composed of two end caps, between which a fluid containment liner composed of
metal foil and an outer structural layer composed of a ceramic fabric is stretched.
The interior of the heat pipe is layered with a ceramic fabric wick. This heat pipe is
being constructed currently at Oregon State University. The heat pipe test facility has
been designed and built. Final assembly of the various components is now under
way. This test facility consists of a vacuum chamber with a coolant jacket on the
outside. Inside this chamber a test stand is placed which is composed of radiation
shields and a supporting stand for the heat pipe and the heaters. Experimental work
has been performed to ensure material compatibility of the metal foils used as a fluid
containment liner. Specific materials tested include copper, aluminum, titanium, FEP
teflon and three ceramic fabrics. These materials have been exposed to a variety of
working fluids for up to 5000 hours at various sub-boiling temperatures. The best
combinations of materials include aluminum or copper and acetone, or titanium and
water. The least compatible combinations included aluminum or copper and water.
An experimental apparatus to measure the wettability of candidate ceramic fabric
wicks was designed and built. This apparatus included a pressure chamber to allow
measurements to be taken at elevated pressures and temperatures. The liquid front
velocity in one meter lengths of unwetted samples of ceramic fabrics was measured.
A computer was used to determine liquid front position at 30 finite points along the
fabric sample. Analysis of the data allowed calculation of a constant composed of
two wicking parameters to be measured. Analysis of various analytical methods for
predicting these parameters was performed. / Graduation date: 1993
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ORGSU/oai:ir.library.oregonstate.edu:1957/35932 |
| Date | 22 May 1992 |
| Creators | Marks, Timothy S. |
| Contributors | Klein, Andrew C. |
| Source Sets | Oregon State University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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