Patent ID: 6227288
Filing Date: 2001-05-08
Classification: F28D,Y10S

Abstract:
A multifunctional capillary system located within a compensation chamber and an evaporator unit of a loop heat pipe system capable of operating throughout a zero to one-g gravitational environment at any orientation, said capillary system comprised of:a. a compensation chamber having inboard and outboard ends and an external casing;b. an evaporator unit, interfaced to the inboard end of said compensation chamber containing primary and secondary wicks of porous material and having an external casing;c. a two-phase working fluid;d. a bayonet extending into said evaporator unit;e. a slotted circular tube within said compensation chamber and extending into and overlapping said secondary wick of said evaporator unit for a short distance;f. a plurality of vane assemblies within said compensation chamber attached between said slotted circular tube and the external casing of said compensation chamber, each vane assembly comprised of two vanes with slots at the outer end, a channel, spacers, and vane risers;g. a joint between said plurality of vane assemblies and said evaporator unit secondary wick at the evaporator unit compensation chamber interface;h. said evaporator unit secondary wick having an inner surface contiguous to said slotted circular tube where said slotted circular tube protrudes into said evaporator unit and extending essentially throughout the length of said evaporator unit and having an outer surface encompassed by and in intimate contact with the inner diameter of said primary wick, said secondary wick further having a plurality of axial grooves cut out of its inner surface; andi. said primary wick having an outer surface in contact with the evaporator unit casing and having a plurality of vapor removal grooves along its outer surface.