Design and demonstration of a high-temperature, deployable, membrane heat-pipe radiator element

A high-temperature, deployable, membrane-heat-pipe radiator element has been demonstrated. Membrane heat pipes offer the potential for compact storage, ease of transportation, self-deployment, and a high specific radiator performance (kg/kW) for use in thermal rejection systems of space nuclear power plants. A demonstration heat pipe 8 cm wide and 100 cm long was fabricated. The heat pipe containment and wick structure were made of stainless steel, and sodium was used as the working fluid. The tests demonstrated passive deployment of the high-temperature membrane radiator, simulating a single segment in a flat array, at a temperature of 800 K. Details of test procedures and results of the tests are presented, together with a discussion of the design and development of a full-scale, segmented, high-temperature, deployable membrane heat pipe