Engineering topics

Reeder, J. C.

Publications and source records attributed to Reeder, J. C..

2 records

NASA NTRS1979

Thermostructural applications of heat pipes

The feasibility of integrating heat pipes in high temperature structure to reduce local hot spot temperature was evaluated for a variety of hypersonic aerospace vehicles. From an initial list of twenty-two potential applications, the single stage to orbit wing leading edge showed the greatest promise and was selected for preliminary design of an integrated heat pipe thermostructural system. The design consisted of a Hastelloy X assembly with sodium heat pipe passages aligned normal to the wing leading edge. A d-shaped heat pipe cross section was determined to be optimum from the standpoint of structural weight.

Peeples, M. E.↗

NASA NTRS1973

Four Space Shuttle wing leading edge concepts.

A heat-pipe-cooled Space Shuttle orbiter wing leading edge was compared and evaluated against three alternate leading edge candidates: a refurbishable ablative design, and two other reusable versions employing coated columbium and carbon-carbon high-temperature segments. Each candidate concept was shown feasible in the Phase B environment. The reusable versions were all found to cost nearly the same and substantially less than the nonreusable ablative version. However, since current Shuttle trajectories produce higher heating rates than those used in this study, the carbon-carbon and heat pipe concepts are now the prime candidates for Shuttle leading edge thermal protection.

Niblock, G. A.↗