Titanium Loop Heat Pipes for Space Nuclear Power Systems

Space nuclear power systems require a radiator to dissipate the waste heat generated during the thermal-to-electric conversion process. A previously conducted radiator trade study showed that radiators with titanium/water Loop Heat Pipes (LHP) have the highest specific power (ratio of heat dissipation to radiator mass) in the temperature range from 300 K to 550 K. A prototype titanium/water LHP was designed and fabricated to operate within this temperature range. The LHP was all titanium, to eliminate incompatibility problems between water and dissimilar metals. The LHP had a 2.54 cm (1 inch) O.D., 20 cm (8 in.) long evaporator wick, and was designed to carry 500 W of heat load. The liquid and vapor lines were roughly 2 m long, typical of the requirements for a spacecraft radiator. The LHP was tested to more than 550 W, at an adverse elevation of 5 cm and an operating temperature of 413 K. This paper describes the details of the titanium/water LHP design, wick development, and titanium LHP fabrication and tests.