Operation characteristics of AMS-02 loop heat pipe with bypass valve

Abstract

Loop heat pipes (LHPs) were designed for the alpha magnetic spectrometer (AMS-02) to dissipate heat from the cryocoolers. A bypass valve is applied to the LHP to keep the cryocooler temperature above its limit (−20°C) in cold environment. Extensive experiments were performed on operation characteristics of LHPs with the bypass valve for AMS-02 during thermal vacuum and thermal balance (TVTB) test. We found that the bypass valve can start up successfully in cold environment. With the bypass valve, the evaporator temperature is stable and can meet the requirement of the cryocooler. We analyzed three operating modes of the bypass valve. Set point temperature and regulation temperature shifts were observed and their relations with the bypass valve temperature were given.