700 W/cm2 in the throat area [14], The following listing briefly describes several applications where heat pipes are currently being evaluated for use. The diverse range of the areas should be noted, but what should also be noted is that the technology being applied is, in each case, being fostered by heat pipe development ongoing in other areas. The driving factor in these applications lies in the order of magnitude gains in heat pipe power throughput and heat flux capability that have been achieved within the last year. Applications Heat receivers for Rankine and Stirling power conversion systems. The heat pipe’s ability to transform the non-uniform thermal input into a steady-state value make its application here uniquely suitable. Heat rejection radiators. The heat pipe’s high effective conductance makes it the accepted choice in this application. Significant reductions in mass and improvements in power throughput and heat flux capability are ongoing technology development areas. Stirling engine heater heads. Terrestrial and space based. Satellite thermal control. Electronics cooling. Thermal transport systems (high and low temperature). Pumped two-phase thermal bus; capillary pumped loop. Rocket thrust chamber cooling. Process control for space experiments. Heat sinks; heat pipe furnaces. Leading edge cooling. REFERENCES [1] Aviation Week and Space Technology, 20 February 1989, p. 97. [2] Vinz, P. & Busse, C.A. (1983) Axial heat transfer limits at cylindrical sodium heat pipes between 25 W/cm2 and 15.5 kW/cm2, Paper 2-1, 1st International Heat Pipe Conference, Stuttgart, West Germany. [3] US Patent 4,807,697 assigned to Thermacore, Inc. [4] US Patent application assigned to Thermacore, Inc. [5] Final Report, NAS8-37261. [6] Schreiber, Jeff Stirling. Technology Branch, NASA LeRC, personal communication. [7] Rosenfeld, John H. (Thermacore, Inc.) (1987) Modeling of heat transfer into a heat pipe for a localized heat input zone, Proceedings of the 1987 Heat Transfer Conference, Pittsburgh, PA, AICHE No. 257, Vol. 83. [8] Advanced SP-100 Radiator Studies—performed by Thermacore, Inc. for SPI, San Jose, CA, under NASA LeRC Contract NAS3-25208. [9] Advanced SP-100 Radiator Studies—performed by Thermacore, Inc. for Rockwell International, Canoga Park, CA, under NASA LeRC Contract NAS3-25209.
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