Transverse flow edge heat pipe
First Claim
1. A leading edge heat pipe for a flight vehicle comprising:
- a closed tube;
a working fluid enclosed in said tube and existing as both a liquid and a vapor;
said tube having a warm region and a cool region, said warm region being warm relative to said cool region, and both said warm region and said cool region continuing for the longitudinal length of said closed tube;
capillary material contained in said tube for conveying said liquid from said cool region to said warm region;
a warm lateral tube wall included in said warm region and a cool lateral tube wall included in said cool region;
secondary heat transfer means for transferring heat away from said cool lateral tube wall; and
said warm lateral tube wall forming a leading edge on a flight vehicle.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An edge situated in high speed flow of medium is cooled by a tubular heat pipe having a longitudinal axis situated parallel to the edge. The exterior surface of the evaporator section of the heat pipe forms the edge. The heat pipe contains a working fluid existing in both gaseous and liquefied states. Heat input along the edge evaporates working fluid in the liquid state located in the evaporator section, and the heat is transferred transversely across the longitudinal axis of the heat pipe by the flow of vapor to the condenser section. The vapor condenses in the condenser section and releases its latent heat of vaporization. The condensate flows to the evaporator section by means of wicks composed of capillary material. The heat released into the walls of the condenser section is transferred through the walls by conduction and into another heat transfer device, for example, an active cooling apparatus or the evaporator sections of abutting heat pipes of conventional tubular configuration.
45 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A leading edge heat pipe for a flight vehicle comprising:
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a closed tube; a working fluid enclosed in said tube and existing as both a liquid and a vapor; said tube having a warm region and a cool region, said warm region being warm relative to said cool region, and both said warm region and said cool region continuing for the longitudinal length of said closed tube; capillary material contained in said tube for conveying said liquid from said cool region to said warm region; a warm lateral tube wall included in said warm region and a cool lateral tube wall included in said cool region; secondary heat transfer means for transferring heat away from said cool lateral tube wall; and said warm lateral tube wall forming a leading edge on a flight vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification