Construction and testing of a gas-loaded, passive-control, variable-conductance heat pipe.
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Theoretical expressions are obtained for the capillary-pressure limit and permeability of a fibrous wick in terms of the porosity and fiber diameter. Hysteresis in capillary pressure is included through the introduction of an empirical hysteresis constant. A partial-saturation model based on the statistical distribution of local porosity requires an additional empirical constant, the standard deviation. The theory is compared to results of a beta-ray absorption experiment that measured the liquid content of a partially saturated wick and to results of permeability measurements on partially and fully saturated wicks. A simple wick-weighing experiment is described that yields values for the empirical hysteresis constant and the standard deviation. Theoretical results are used to design an optimum wick.
Continuing bibliography with abstracts of technical reports, books, conference papers, foreign reports and translations, patents, and other documents. Author, subject, and patent indexes included.
A theoretical model was derived for laminar film condensation on the inside of a rotating, truncated cone which includes the effects of vapor shear and vapor pressure drop. Results are compared to those of previous investigations. Experimental data are presented for rotational speeds of 700, 1,400, 2,100, and 2,800 rpm using water, ethyl alcohol, and Freon 113 as working fluids. Agreement between theory and experiment is within + or - 20 percent.
The aims of the experiment are outlined. Flight experiments included in this program were provided by NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, ESA (European Space Agency), the German Ministry of Technology, Hughes Aircraft Company and NASA, Ames Research Center.
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System gives level readings in inaccessible areas. Level sensor is equipped with three thermocouples used to measure temperature differences that arise when pipe is tilted. When platform on which pipe is resting is level, three thermocouple recordings are identical. When readings are unequal, platform is leveled by remote control. System can replace expensive optical equipment and can function in cold, vacuum, and hot humid environments that produce nonlinear expansion and contraction in conventional equipment. Other advantages include low cost, no moving parts, and operation in toxic environments.
A heatpipe experiment for a long duration exposure facility is described. The design and configuration of the power system of the spacecraft is reported with emphasis placed on its solar array panels, 12-ampere hour 18-cell nickel battery, and its electronic controller.
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The technology for a full-up hybrid dish-Stirling Solar Thermal Power system is discussed. Overall solar-to-electric efficiency for the dish-Stirling system demonstration is approximately 30%. Hybrid operation is provided by fossil fuel combustion augmentation, which enables the Stirling engine to operate continuously at constant speed and power, regardless of insolation level, thus providing the capability to operate on cloudy days and at night.
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Previously cited in issue 05, p. 635, Accession no. A83-16649
High specific thermal conductivity (thermal conductivity divided by density) is a major design criterion for minimizing system mass for space power systems. For nuclear source power systems, graphite fiber reinforced copper matrix (Gr/Cu) composites offer good potential as a radiator fin material operating at service temperatures above 500 K. Specific thermal conductivity in the longitudinal direction is better than beryllium and almost twice that of copper. The high specific thermal conductivity of Gr/Cu offers the potential of reducing radiator mass by as much as 30 percent. Gr/Cu composites also offer the designer a range of available properties for various missions and applications. The properties of Gr/Cu are highly anisotropic. Longitudinal elastic modulus is comparable to beryllium and about three times that of copper. Thermal expansion in the longitudinal direction is near zero, while it exceeds that of copper in the transverse direction.
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