Heat pipe with capillary groove and floating artery
AssigneeHughes Aircraft Company
InventorWilfrido R. Iriarte
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A multi-spline tool cuts material from the interior wall of a heat pipe envelope to provide a path for working fluid flow. Cross cuts can be made by pulling the tool out of the same end from which it was inserted while the tool continues to rotate in the same direction. An unrestrained liquid supply artery configured, for example as a cylinder of perforated metal, wire screen material, or other porous substance, with a designed flow area is inserted in the envelope. Since the artery is unrestrained, that is, not attached to the envelope, in a gravity field it will drop to the lower portion of the envelope inside diameter to assure a liquid flow at the bottom of the tube, regardless of the orientation of the heat pipe.
Claims11
A heat pipe comprising an envelope sealed and closed from the environment external to said envelope, means for defining a working fluid therein for condensing and evaporating at opposed ends of said envelope, and means for defining an artery in said envelope and extending freely in an unconnected, thermally contacting manner through substantially the entire length of said envelope for conducting condensations of said working fluid from said condensing end to said evaporating end, said artery means including an exterior surface with means therein extending throughout the length of said artery means for enabling passage of said working fluid through said entire external surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.