ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews three representative examples of heat pipe designs such as steady-state design of a heat pipe space radiator, transient analysis of a heat pipe space radiator and steady-state design of a heat pipe recuperator. Representative heat pipe design characteristics are calculated, and modified as necessary to conform to stated design criteria. A cylindrical heat pipe is to be designed to remove heat from the cold junction of a high-temperature radioisotope-powered thermionic generator, and radiate that heat to space. Heat is removed at the same rate by radiation from the surface of the heat pipe condenser. The capillary pumping limit remains almost constant over the indicated vapor temperature range. This is because the vapor pressure drop, which does vary significantly with vapor temperature, remains almost negligible compared with the liquid pressure drop. The most critical aspect of heat pipe design generally occurs at air inlet, where the vapor temperature and pressure of the heat pipes are at a minimum.
