Erno Raumfahrttechnik Gmbh

Robert Mueller

Jochem Unger

Alois Koeppl

An apparatus and a method of injecting a liquid are provided, especially for the intermittent, essentially drip-free injection of a liquid into a waste heat removal system in a spacecraft. The injection apparatus includes a housing having an inlet, an outlet, a discharge channel communicating with the outlet, and a receiving chamber controllably communicating with the discharge channel. A piston is movably arranged in the housing to define a boundary of the receiving chamber. A valve arrangement operates in response to the motion of the piston to respectively open or close the path of liquid communication between the receiving chamber and the discharge channel. This apparatus carries out the method, whereby when delivery of injection liquid is to be stopped any liquid remaining in the discharge channel is sucked out into the receiving chamber. Then, when delivery of injection liquid is to be resumed, the retained liquid is moved from the receiving chamber into the discharge channel.

Method and apparatus for injecting a liquid in a waste heat removal

A heat pipe has at least one liquid flow channel and one vapor flow channel for the movement of the heat carrier fluid from the evaporator end to the condenser end and vice versa. The liquid flow channel is so constructed that the capillary radius of its cross-sectional area increases from the evaporator end to the condenser end of the heat pipe, preferably in a continuous manner. Further, the evaporator end of the pipe is provided with a closure member for communicating the liquid flow channel with the vapor flow channel for replenishing the liquid in the evaporating end if necessary. Opening of the closure member also permits gas and/or vapor bubbles that have been collected in the liquid flow channel to pass into the vapor channel. The closure member may be operated by an electromagnetic valve.

Heat pipe for transferring heat

An evaporator for discharging waste heat, for example from a space craft, uses at least one working fluid that is changed from its liquid state to its vapor state. The evaporator has at least one, preferably several, evaporator elements forming a unit. Each element has a liquid space separated from a vapor space by a tubular capillary separation member. The vapor space is divided into primary channels extending in parallel to the separation member. Secondary channels are formed in wall surfaces of the vapor space facing the separation member. The primary and secondary channels communicate with each other and extend approximately perpendicularly to each other. The secondary channels have a cross-sectional flow area which is substantially smaller than the cross-sectional flow area of the primary channels.

Growing community of inventors

Moordeich, Germany

Robert Mueller