Multi-bore Heat Pipe with Phase Change Material Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional Constant Conductance Heat Pipes (CCHPs) have limitations in handling high heat fluxes and thermal storage, with low maximum evaporator heat flux and inability to store latent energy, making them unsuitable for applications requiring efficient heat transfer and storage, especially in varying thermal conditions like spacecraft.
Innovation Solution
A multi-bore heat pipe device with an axially grooved bore for thermal transport, a phase change material bore with internal fins for thermal storage, and a porous media bore for high heat fluxes, allowing for enhanced heat transfer and storage capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If conventional CCHPs use grooved wicks for thermal transport, then the heat pipe can operate in zero-g with long length, but the maximum evaporator heat flux is limited to approximately 5 W/cm²
Solution Approach 1:
The heat pipe is divided into multiple bores with different functions: grooved bores for thermal transport over long distances, porous media bores for high heat flux acceptance, and thermal storage bores for energy storage. This segmentation allows each bore to be optimized for its specific function, resolving the contradiction between length and power handling capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses composite wick structures combining grooved wicks and porous media wicks in different bores. The grooved wicks provide high permeability for long-distance operation, while porous media wicks provide high capillary pressure for high heat flux handling, creating a composite system that achieves both objectives.
2Productivity
If conventional CCHPs are designed for standard operation, then they can transport heat effectively, but they cannot store latent energy and can only store minimal sensible heat
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges heat transport functionality with thermal storage functionality in a single integrated device. Thermal storage bores containing phase change material are combined with heat transport bores, allowing the system to both transport heat efficiently and store large amounts of latent energy from phase change.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat pipe system is designed to perform multiple functions: heat transport through grooved bores, high heat flux acceptance through porous media bores, and thermal energy storage through phase change material bores. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction by making the system capable of both efficient heat transport and substantial thermal storage.
3Quantity of substance
If phase change material is used for thermal storage, then latent energy can be stored, but the thermal conductivity is low requiring enhanced conductivity methods
Solution Approach 1:
Internal fins act as thermal intermediaries between the phase change material and the heat pipe envelope. These fins provide high-conductivity thermal pathways that mediate heat transfer through the low-conductivity phase change material, enabling efficient heat transfer while maintaining high thermal storage capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal storage bore uses a composite structure combining phase change material with high-conductivity internal fins. This composite approach maintains the high latent heat storage capability of the phase change material while the fin structure provides the necessary thermal conductivity for reliable heat transfer.
4Ease of manufacture
If CCHPs are designed to work with adverse elevation, then they can be tested on earth, but they are very sensitive to elevation changes and power decreases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The heat pipe system is designed to be orientation-independent through the use of capillary wicks that can transport liquid in any direction. This dynamic adaptability allows the system to maintain performance across different elevations and orientations, resolving the contradiction between ease of earth-based testing and sensitivity to elevation changes.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The multi-bore heat pipe device can efficiently handle high heat fluxes, transmit heat over long distances, and provide adequate thermal storage, maintaining a constant heat source temperature through phase change material management, even in micro-gravity conditions.
Implementation Method 1
the phase change material melts, absorbing heat by the latent heat of the phase change. The phase change material is then frozen again when conditions permit.
Implementation Method 2
absorbing heat by the latent heat of the phase change
Implementation Method 3
Typical grooved wicks, used in spacecraft CCHPs
Implementation Method 4
Constant Conductance Heat Pipes (CCHPs) are widely used in satellite thermal control
Data Source
AI summary
A heat pipe device comprising at least two of the following: an axially grooved bore for thermal transport, the axially grooved bore having an axial groove wick; a phase change material bore for thermal storage, the phase change material bore having internal fins to enhance heat transfer, the internal fins extend along the axis of the phase change material bore; and a porous media bore for accepting high heat fluxes, the porous media bore having a porous media wick in areas of high heat flux.