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Fabrication of Sodium/Inconel 718 Heat Pipes for Combustor Cooling

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Abstract

Cooling channel involved heat pipes, which synergistically combined the high conductivity of heat pipe and thermal efficiency of regenerative cooling, were considered for combustor cooling. In this study, cooling channels were fabricated in sodium/Inconel 718 heat pipes in China Academy of Aerospace Aerodynamics (CAAA). And their startup properties and thermal response were investigated systematically. It was found that the frozen startup limit of fabricated heat pipes were 2.60 and 2.76, satisfying the criterion for frozen startup. During startup tests, the sodium/Inconel 718 heat pipes startup successfully, displaying uniform temperatures of about 900 K and 830 K, respectively. Moreover, sodium/Inconel 718 heat pipes decreased operating temperatures and alleviated thermal stresses in combustor sidewalls. Under simulated Ma6 aerothermal environment, the operating temperature of sodium/Inconel 718 heat pipe was 1007 K, being 224 K lower than that of regenerative cooling model. Therefore, it was concluded that heat pipes could increase the thermal margin of regenerative cooling system, being suitable for applications in combustor cooling.

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Abbreviations

A :

area, m2.

A υ :

cross-sectional area of the vapor flow passage, m2.

A w :

wick cross-sectional area, m2.

c :

specific heat, J/(kg·K).

c p :

specific heat at constant pressure, J/(kg·K).

c v :

specific heat at constant volume, J/(kg·K).

FSL:

frozen startup limit.

H:

latent heat due to melting or freezing, J/kg.

HP:

heat pipe.

h fg :

latent heat of vaporization, J/kg.

K eff :

thermal conductivity of soaked wick, W/(m·k).

K':

ratio of specific heats, equal Cp/Cm.

L e :

length of the evaporator section, m.

M cs :

mass flow rate condensed on the solid-wick surface, kg/s.

M t :

working fluid inventory, kg.

q s :

critical heat flux, w/m2.

R :

radius or equivalent radius, m.

R g :

Specific gas constant, J/(kg·K).

r eff :

effective pore radium, m.

T :

temperature, K.

Q s, max :

sonic limit, kW/m2 or kW.

Q cap, max :

sonic limit, kW/m2 or kW.

Q b, max :

boiling limit, kW/m2 or kW.

δ :

wall or liquid-wick thickness, m.

\( {\delta}_l^{\hbox{'}} \) :

thickness of the working fluid in the wick, m.

δ w :

thickness of the heat pipe wall, m.

ρ :

density, kg/m3.

ρ eff :

the effective density of the porous wick, kg/m3.

φ :

heat pipe wick porosity.

μ :

viscosity, (N·s/m2).

σ :

liquid-surface tension, (N/m).

a :

adiabatic or ambient.

b :

vapor bubble, or boiling

c :

condenser

eff :

effective

l :

liquid or working fluid in the liquid state in the wick.

i :

inner space.

m :

mushy phase, or melting.

me :

average effective specific heat of wick over the liquid and solid working fluid.

w :

wall or wick

υ :

vapor

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by National Basic Research Program of China(973 program, Grant No. 2015CB655200 and No. 2015CB655201) and National Natural Sciences Foundation of China (Grant No. 11402254).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. China Academy of Aerospace Aerodynamics, 17# Yungang West Rd., Beijing, 100074, China

    Min Chu, Qin Lu, Haitao Han, Longfei Hu, Jijun Yu & Bangcheng Ai

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  1. Min Chu
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Correspondence to Longfei Hu.

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Chu, M., Lu, Q., Han, H. et al. Fabrication of Sodium/Inconel 718 Heat Pipes for Combustor Cooling. Microgravity Sci. Technol. 31, 783–791 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12217-019-09709-7

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