Patent ID: 7748436

Claim:
An evaporator for a capillary loop comprising: an enclosure with heat transmitting walls, a vapor exit opening interconnected with a vapor line, and a liquid entry opening interconnected with a liquid supply line; an evaporator wick located within the enclosure, constructed of porous material and including wick sidewalls with inner surfaces and smooth continuous outer surfaces, with the inner surfaces of the wick sidewalls forming boundaries of a central interior vapor space that is directly accessible to the vapor exit opening and with the entire structure of the continuous outer surfaces of the wick sidewalls in full intimate contact with the enclosure's heat transmitting walls; and a barrier wick constructed of porous material, spanning across the enclosure, attached to the evaporator wick sidewalls, closing off and isolating the central vapor space from the liquid entry opening, and, along with reservoir walls, defining a liquid reservoir volume to hold liquid between the barrier wick and the liquid entry opening.