초록 ▼

A closed-loop two-phase thermal control loop includes an evaporator which receives subcooled coolant liquid from a condenser and heat from a source, and vaporizes the coolant to form coolant vapor. A condenser which is coupled to a thermal radiator accepts the coolant vapor and radiates thermally to

A closed-loop two-phase thermal control loop includes an evaporator which receives subcooled coolant liquid from a condenser and heat from a source, and vaporizes the coolant to form coolant vapor. A condenser which is coupled to a thermal radiator accepts the coolant vapor and radiates thermally to space, thereby condensing the coolant vapor to liquid and subcooling the liquid. As the temperature of the environment surrounding the condenser radiator changes, the mass of vapor within the system tends to change, thereby causing undesirable pressure changes. A spherical wicked coolant reservoir is coupled to the liquid side of the closed thermal control loop. The reservoir is exposed foro thermal radiation and electrically heated, so that the temperature is thereby controlled in order to control vapor pressure within the reservoir. By controlling the reservoir vapor pressure, small pressure differentials are generated, which cause coolant liquid to be accepted or expelled while maintaining the closed loop pressure. The reservoir includes a wick for maintaining liquid coolant adjacent heat transfer areas, and also includes a standpipe supporting shaped vanes. The coolant adheres to the vanes and to the wick under zero-gravity conditions in a manner which allows at least partial simulation in an Earth gravity.

대표청구항 ▼

A capillary-pumped thermal control system for pumping fluid coolant around a closed loop, said system being usable in microgravity and also being capable of being tested in a gravity environment, comprising: an evaporator for absorbing heat and using the absorbed heat to vaporize said coolant to pro

A capillary-pumped thermal control system for pumping fluid coolant around a closed loop, said system being usable in microgravity and also being capable of being tested in a gravity environment, comprising: an evaporator for absorbing heat and using the absorbed heat to vaporize said coolant to produce coolant vapor near a preselected pressure, at least one condenser coupled to said evaporator for receiving said coolant vapor, said condenser including a heat rejecting radiator for absorbing heat from said coolant vapor and for transferring said heat to the surroundings by thermal radiation to cause said coolant vapor to revert to liquid form, whereby when said condenser is exposed to a relatively warm environment, the ratio of the volume of liquid coolant to coolant vapor in said condenser is relatively small, and when said condenser is exposed to a relatively cold environment, said ratio is larger, which tends to change the amount of liquid in said closed loop and thereby change said preselected pressure; a liquid path for coupling said liquid coolant to said evaporator; a closed spherical reservoir coupled by a pipe to said liquid path of said closed loop, said spherical reservoir including a wall defining a first hemisphere which in a Earth gravity environment is the upper hemisphere and also defining a second hemisphere opposite said first hemisphere, at least a portion of the exterior of said wall of said upper hemisphere being thermally exposed to allow thermal radiation and at least a portion of said wall of said upper hemisphere being coupled to controllable heaters, the interior surface of said wall being in thermal contact with a thin wick at least in the vicinity of those regions of said wall which are exposed for thermal radiation and in those regions to which said heaters are coupled, said pipe opening into said wall of said reservoir at the center of said lower hemisphere, and communicating with a standpipe, which standpipe extends from said wall at said pipe opening in a radial inward direction about to the center of said spherical reservoir to thereby define a principal axis of said reservoir, said spherical reservoir further including a plurality of fins extending along and supported by said standpipe, said fins being made from a material which is wetted by said coolant, each of said fins extending away from said axis defined by said standpipe.