Theoretical studies of hard filling in loop heat pipes

Abstract

Loop heat pipe is a passive two-phase heat transport device that is gaining importance as a part of spacecraft thermal control systems and also in applications (such as in avionic cooling and submarines). Hard fill of a loop heat pipe occurs when the compensation chamber is full of liquid. A theoretical study is undertaken to investigate the issues underlying the loop beat pipe hard-fill phenomenon. The results of the study suggest that the mass of charge and the presence of a bayonet have significant impact on the loop heat pipe operation. With a largern mass of charge, a loop heat pipe hard fills at a lower heat load. As the heat load increases, there is a steep rise in the loop heat pipe operating temperature. In a loop heat pipe with a saturated compensation chamber, and also in a hard-filled loop heat pipe without a bayonet, the temperature of the compensation chamber and that of the liquid core are nearly equal. When a loop heat pipe with a bayonet hard fills, the compensation chamber and the evaporator core temperatures are different.