Functional Estimation of Plate Type Evaporator with Communication Wick for Two-Phase Fluid Loop in Space

The two-phase fluid loop is very promising in thermal performance as one of the thermal control systems for satellites since it can transport higher quality of heat per unit surface area compared with the single-phase flow loop. Heat transfer performance of the evaporator with communication wick was investigated as one of the important constitutive components of the two-phase fluid loop. First, heat transfer characteristics of the evaporator with wick were analyzed. An evaporator with communication wick was manufactured on the basis of the analytical evaluation and the experiments of the heat transfer in the two-phase fluid loop were carried out using ethanol as the working fluid. As a result, it was found that the overall heat transfer coefficient showed the value of maximum 20 kW/m2 for ethanol in experiment and had the higher value in the case of the working fluid, ammonia, in the analysis.