NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Back to Results
Porous Foam Based Wick Structures for Loop Heat PipesAs part of an effort to identify cost efficient fabrication techniques for Loop Heat Pipe (LHP) construction, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center's Cryogenics and Fluids Branch collaborated with the U.S. Naval Academy s Aerospace Engineering Department in Spring 2012 to investigate the viability of carbon foam as a wick material within LHPs. The carbon foam was manufactured by ERG Aerospace and machined to geometric specifications at the U.S. Naval Academy s Materials, Mechanics and Structures Machine Shop. NASA GSFC s Fractal Loop Heat Pipe (developed under SBIR contract #NAS5-02112) was used as the validation LHP platform. In a horizontal orientation, the FLHP system demonstrated a heat flux of 75 Watts per square centimeter with deionized water as the working fluid. Also, no failed start-ups occurred during the 6 week performance testing period. The success of this study validated that foam can be used as a wick structure. Furthermore, given the COTS status of foam materials this study is one more step towards development of a low cost LHP.
Document ID
20120013642
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Other
Authors
Silk, Eric A.
(NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD, United States)
Date Acquired
August 26, 2013
Publication Date
August 1, 2012
Subject Category
Mechanical Engineering
Report/Patent Number
GSFC.O.6854.2012
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.
No Preview Available