Alliant Techsystems Inc.

USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

Orbital Atk, Inc.

Dmitry Khrustalev

Edward J Kroliczek

Michael J Morgan

Timothy Holman

Robert W Baldauff

Jessica Maria Garzon

Charles Stouffer

Kwok Cheung

Pete Cologer

Dave Feenan

Jeff Baker

Matthew C Beres

A pump-augmented Loop Heat Pipe (LHP) includes a conventional LHP evaporator/reservoir assembly; one or more additional evaporators; a condenser; a condenser bypass; and a pump upstream of the condenser and condenser bypass and configured to pump fluid generally toward the one or more additional evaporators.

Architecture and operational modes of pump-augmented loop heat pipe with multiple evaporators

A loop heat pipe includes a reservoir, an evaporator adjacent to the reservoir, and a condenser including a condenser inlet and a condenser outlet. The loop heat pipe further includes a vapor transport line connecting the evaporator to the condenser inlet, a liquid transport line connecting the condenser outlet to the evaporator, and a vapor bypass joining the vapor transport line near the condenser inlet and joining the liquid transport line near the condenser outlet. The vapor bypass includes a vapor bypass housing. The vapor bypass housing includes a temperature. The loop heat pipe also includes a thermally-controlled connection between the vapor bypass housing and the condenser, and a thermal controller connected to the thermally-controlled connection and regulating the temperature of the vapor bypass housing via the thermally-controlled connection.

Method and system for stabilizing loop heat pipe operation with a controllable condenser bypass

An evaporator may include an outer enclosure and a wick within the outer enclosure. The wick may have an outer lateral side surface positioned adjacent to the outer enclosure and may comprise a plurality of circumferential grooves formed in the outer lateral side surface of the wick and a plurality of channels fluidly connected to the plurality of circumferential grooves. The evaporator may include an outer enclosure and an end cap bonded directly to the outer enclosure, contacting the wick, and having a thermal conductivity that is less than the thermal conductivity of the outer enclosure.

Evaporator including a wick for use in a two-phase heat transfer system

A heat transfer system includes a first loop and a second loop. The first loop includes a condenser having a vapor inlet and a liquid outlet, a vapor line in fluid communication with the vapor inlet of the condenser, a liquid line in fluid communication with the liquid outlet of the condenser, and primary evaporators fluidly coupled in series with the liquid line and in parallel with the vapor line. The second loop includes a reservoir, a secondary evaporator having a vapor outlet coupled to the vapor line and a fluid inlet coupled to the reservoir, and a sweepage line in fluid communication with the reservoir and the primary evaporators.

Two-phase heat transfer system and evaporators and condensers for use in heat transfer systems

An evaporator includes an outer fluid enclosure, a liquid inlet port extending through the outer fluid enclosure, a liquid-distribution structure, a wick, and a vapor removal channel. The liquid-distribution structure is joined to the outer fluid enclosure to form a fluidly sealed hermetic chamber. The liquid-distribution structure includes a vapor barrier wall having an outer heat-receiving surface and the liquid-distribution structure is configured to distribute liquid over an inner surface of the vapor barrier wall. The wick is positioned inside the fluidly sealed hermetic chamber and is coupled to a liquid inlet port. The vapor removal channel is defined by and is in fluid communication with the wick and the liquid-distribution structure, and is near the outer heat-receiving surface of the vapor barrier wall. A thermal conductance of the liquid-distribution structure is higher than a thermal conductance of the wick.

High heat flux evaporator, heat transfer systems

An evaporator includes a cylindrical barrier wall and a cap that fits at an end of the cylindrical barrier wall. The cylindrical barrier wall defines a central axial opening and an outer cylindrical surface. The cap includes an outer surface that is external to the central axial opening and an inner surface that abuts the central axial opening. A portion of the outer cylindrical surface is configured to define a liquid port extending through the outer cylindrical surface of the cylindrical barrier wall.

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Woodstock, MD, United States of America

Dmitry Khrustalev