Methodology and Realization of a Heat Pipe Performance Test in a Thermal Vacuum Chamber

Abstract

In this study, a newly developed test set-up installed in a thermal vacuum chamber and the thermal performance test performed with this set-up is described. Evaporator is simulated by using mounted resistive heaters on it whereas two black painted aluminum plates in contact with the condenser are used to remove heat from heat pipe. Thanks to the vacuum level obtained in the chamber, the convection heat transfer is eliminated; so, the heat loss from heat pipe can be neglected while calculating the maximum heat transport capacity of the heat pipe. When the proposed test methodology is applied and the measured test parameters are used, maximum heat transport capacity and effective thermal conductivity of a heat pipe can be calculated with relatively small uncertainties. Therefore, the proposed test-up and test methodology is demonstrated to be an efficient tool for the determination of heat pipe thermal parameters.

Keywords

• Heat Pipe
• Space Applications
• Thermal Vacuum Chamber
• Maximum Heat Transport
• Effective Thermal Conductivity