Abstract: The present invention provides a loop thermosiphon including an evaporator and a condenser interconnected in flow communication by a vapor conduit and a condensate conduit. A wick is disposed in a portion of the evaporator and a portion of the at least one condensate conduit adjacent to the evaporator to facilitate capillary action to cycle a coolant fluid through the loop thermosiphon. Advantageously, a porous valve is lodged within the condensate conduit so that a first pressure on a condenser side of the porous valve is greater than a second pressure on an evaporator side of the porous valve. In this way, a portion of the liquid coolant fluid disposed within the loop thermosiphon is forced through the porous valve and a remaining portion is forced through the at least one condenser.

Abstract: A pulse thermal loop heat transfer system includes a means to use pressure rises in a pair of evaporators to circulate a heat transfer fluid. The system includes one or more valves that iteratively, alternately couple the outlets the evaporators to the condenser. While flow proceeds from one of the evaporators to the condenser, heating creates a pressure rise in the other evaporator, which has its outlet blocked to prevent fluid from exiting the other evaporator. When the flow path is reconfigured to allow flow from the other evaporator to the condenser, the pressure in the other evaporator is used to circulate a pulse of fluid through the system. The reconfiguring of the flow path, by actuating or otherwise changing the configuration of the one or more valves, may be triggered when a predetermined pressure difference between the evaporators is reached.

Abstract: A valved heat pipe and an adaptive circuit cooling system using it are disclosed. The valved heat pipe includes a sealed tube, liquid in the tube, and at least one valve in the tube. This valve operates as a function of temperature to selectively obstruct circulation of the liquid from one end of the tube to the other. The adaptive cooling system includes heat generating equipment, e.g., electronic circuitry such as radio frequency transmitters and/or recievers, a heat sink and such a valved heat pipe that thermally connects the circuitry to the heat sink.

Abstract: This cooling apparatus can improve a radiation performance by increasing the boiling area and make it difficult to cause the burnout on boiling faces by filling the boiling faces with a refrigerant necessary for the boiling. In refrigerant chambers for reserving a refrigerant, there are inserted corrugated fins for increasing the boiling area. These corrugated fins are composed of lower corrugated fins arranged to correspond to the lower sides of the boiling faces for receiving the heat of a heating body, and upper corrugated fins arranged to correspond to the upper sides of the boiling faces, and these lower and upper corrugated fins and are individually held in thermal contact with the boiling faces of the refrigerant chambers. The lower corrugated fins and the upper corrugated fins are given a common fin pitch P and are individually inserted vertically in the individual refrigerant chambers to define the individual passages further into a plurality of small passage portions.

Abstract: A thermal control system for use in a mobile craft is disclosed. The thermal control system generally includes a structure for supporting one or more heat sources, such as electronic equipment and at least a first heat pipe contained within the structure, the first heat pipe being capable of transferring heat energy from the heat source(s) toward an outboard surface of the structure and/or inhibiting such transfer of heat energy to the outboard surface of the structure, in order to maintain the heat source(s) substantially at room temperatures during operation of such electronics equipment.

Abstract: An air conditioning system comprises a heat source side machine, a plurality of user side machines more than half of which are disposed below the heat source side machine, and liquid phase and gas phase pipes connecting the heat source side machine with the user side machines to form a closed circuit. A phase-changeable fluid included in the closed circuit circulates by utilizing its own specific gravity difference between the liquid and gas phases, so that each of the user side machines can perform cooling and heating operations. The liquid phase pipe and the gas phase pipe can communicate with each other via a gas bypass circuit and/or a liquid bypass circuit including a open-close valve and liquid level detection means, so that bubbles or condensed liquid generated in the closed circuit can be exhausted quickly.

Abstract: Apparatus (30) controlling the temperature within a sealed enclosure (10) housing electronic components (E) whose operation produces heat, and whose operation should occur within a desired temperature range. A heat sink (32) extending through an enclosure endwall (14) conducts heat from within the enclosure to the atmosphere. Other heat sinks (40) mounted within the enclosure are in a thermal transfer relationship with the components for heat generated by the components to be drawn to the heat sinks away from the components. A heat pipe (50) extending between the respective heat sinks conducts the heat to the first said heat sink for heat to be expelled from inside the enclosure to the atmosphere. A heater (60, 62) within the enclosure generates heat to heat the components, and a thermostat (72, 74) senses when the temperature within the enclosure falls below a predetermined temperature to energize the heater.

Abstract: An air conditioning system comprises a heat source side machine such as an absorption type refrigerator, a plurality of user side machines more than half of which are disposed below the heat source side machine, and liquid phase and gas phase pipes connecting the heat source side machine with the user side machines to form a closed circuit. A phase-changeable fluid circulates between the heat source side machine and the user side machines by utilizing its own specific gravity difference between the liquid and gas phases and a driving force of an electric pump provided to the liquid phase pipe, so that each of the user side machines can perform cooling operation. A receiver tank is provided to the inlet side of the electric pump, and an upper portion of the receiver tank is connected to the gas phase pipe by a pressure-equalizing pipe so as to improve a start characteristic of the cooling operation.

Abstract: Device and method for more equally distributing heat dissipation between multiple radiators of a satellite. The device includes radiator panels mounted on the satellite, power sources mounted on some or all of the radiator panels, and loads capable of inhibiting current from adjacent power sources and accepting current only from nonadjacent power sources.

Abstract: The wick-interrupt temperature controlling heat pipe (WITCH) is a device for controlling the temperature of spacecraft temperature-sensitive, heat dispensing devices. A heat transporting working fluid is conveyed in saturated equilibrium with its vapor across a discontinuous internal capillary liquid wick, within a tubular cylindrical pressure vessel, from a condenser section to an evaporator section located on either side of the discontinuity. When the temperature within the WITCH rises to a predetermined level, a sliding wick located within the internal capillary liquid wick is inserted across the discontinuity by a temperature sensitive control rod, thereby allowing the heat transporting working fluid to circulate from the condenser section wick to the evaporator section wick. In this configuration, the WITCH operates identically to the "constant-conductance heat pipe" commonly used.

Abstract: A spacecraft equipment panel including heat pipes operable in a zero-gravity environment for cooling the equipment mounted to the panel is not operable in an Earth-gravity environment because the two-phase working fluid in the heat pipes tends to pool at the bottom of the heat pipe when the heat pipe is vertical. An apparatus and method for overcoming this condition employs infrared lamps positioned on a mounting frame to heat the bottoms of the heat pipes to vaporize the working fluid therein, whereby the heat pipes become operable for transporting heat while in a vertical orientation and under the influence of gravity.

Abstract: A heat pipe (1) containing a working fluid, comprises an evaporator (3), a condenser (2), an aperture (16) interconnecting the evaporator and the condenser, and a regulating means (13, 14) for limiting the maximum temperature in the condenser to a predetermined temperature. The regulating means comprises a plug (13) operable by means of a temperature sensitive member (14) to move between a first position in which the aperture is open and a second position in which the plug covers the aperture to restrict the flow of working fluid from the condenser to the evaporator. The working fluid then collects in the condenser and acts on the plug to further restrict the flow of working fluid from the condenser to the evaporator.