Experimental Investigation of Loop Heat Pipe with Two Evaporators/Two Condensers under Thermal Vacuum Condition

Abstract

Multiple loop heat pipe is a high-functional thermal transport device. This work was conducted to confirm the working performance of Multiple loop heat pipe under thermal vacuum ambience with the working fluid ammonia. Asmall multiple loop heat pipe with two evaporators and two ra- diators was designed and fabricated. Then thermal vacuum test was conducted. The heaters were fasten on both evaporators, both radiators, both compensation chambers. In the case that both evaporators were heated, the multiple loop heat pipe can transport 120/120 W for 1.5 m, in the case that only one evaporator was heated, evaporator 1 can transport 80 W for 1.5 m, while eva- porator 2 can transport 120 W for 1.5 m. Two flow regulators were installed near the confluence of liquid line to prevent uncondensed vapor penetrating into returning liquid when the tempera- ture difference exists between two radiators. In the case that the heat load at both evaporators were 40/40 W and one radiator was heated, the flow regulator1 can tolerate the 160 W of heat load which was supplied to radiator1 while the flow regulator2 can tolerate the 100 W of heat load which was supplied to radiator2. To demonstrate the multiple loop heat pipe’s startup behavior at lowheat load, each of the compensation chamber was preheated to change the initial distribution of liquid and vapor in the evaporator and compensation chamber, in the result, each evaporator can start up at 5W through preheating.