Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Preparation and testing of nickel-based superalloy/sodium heat pipes

  • Original
  • Published:
Heat and Mass Transfer Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this work, a kind of uni-piece nickel-based superalloy/sodium heat pipe is proposed. Five models of high temperature heat pipe were prepared using GH3044 and GH4099 nickel-based superalloys. And their startup performance and ablation resistance were investigated by quartz lamp calorifier radiation and wind tunnel tests, respectively. It is found that the amount of charging sodium affects the startup performance of heat pipes apparently. No startup phenomenon was found for insufficient sodium charged model. In contrast, the models charged with sufficient sodium startup successfully, displaying a uniform temperature distribution. During wind tunnel test, the corresponding models experienced a shorter startup time than that during quartz lamp heating. GH4099/sodium heat pipe shows excellent ablation resistance, being better than that of GH3044/sodium heat pipe. Therefore, it is proposed that this kind of heat pipe has a potential application in thermal protection system of hypersonic cruise vehicles.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Silverstein CC (1971) A feasibility study of heat pipe cooled leading edges for hypersonic cruise aircraft. NASA CR-1857

  2. Niblock GA, Reeder JC, Huneidi F (1974) Four space shuttle wing leading edge concepts. J Spacecr Rocket 11:314–320

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Alario JP, Prager RC (1972) Space shuttle orbit heat pipe application. NASA CR-128498

  4. Colwell GT (1990) Cooling hypersonic vehicle structures. Proceedings of 7th international heat pipe conference, Minsk, U.S.S.R.

  5. Camarda CJ (1977) Analysis and radiant heat tests of a heat-pipe-cooled leading edge. NASA TN D-8468

  6. Camarda C (1978) Aerothermal tests of a heat pipe cooled leading edge at Mach 7″, NASA TP-1320

  7. Boman BL, Citrin KH, Garner EC, Stone JE (1989) Heat pipes for leading edges of hypersonic vehicles. NASA CR-181922

  8. Boman B, Elias T (1990) Tests of a sodium/hastelloy X wing leading edge heat pipe for hypersonic vehicles. AIAA/ASME 5th joint Thermophysics and heat transfer conference, Seattle, WA

  9. Faghri A (1991) Analysis of frozen startup of high-temperature heat pipes and three-dimensional modeling of block-heated heat pipes., depart of mechanical and material engineering wright state university Dayton, AD-A245 327

  10. Jong HJ (1992) A study of start-up characteristics of a potassium heat pipe from the frozen state. Lewis Research Center Group, NASA CR-189173

  11. Rosenfeld JH, Ernst DM, Lindemuth JE (2004) An overview of long duration sodium heat pipe tests. Thermacore International, Inc, Lancaster

    Book  Google Scholar 

  12. Rosenfeld JH, Minnerly KG, Dyson CM (2012) Ten year operating test results and post-test analysis of a 1/10 segment stirling sodium heat pipe phase III final report. Thermacore, Inc, Lancaster

    Google Scholar 

  13. Ai BC, Yu JJ, Chen SY, (2011) The application of leading thermal protection technique on the scramjet. The 3rd Sino-Italian conference on space aerothermodynamics and hot structures, shanghai, China

  14. Han HT, Deng DY, Chen SY, Ai BC, Zheng JX (2013) Design and structural analysis of sharp leading edge integrated with heat pipe. J of Mecha Stren 35:48–52 (In Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  15. Ou DB, Chen LZ, Chen HQ, Yu JJ, Chen SY (2014) Heat transfer properties of high temperature heat pipes and high conductivity graphite during ablation test. J Aerospace Mater Technol 2:54–57

    Google Scholar 

  16. Yan MG, Liu BC, Li JG (2001) China aeronautical material handbook, ISBN 7-5066-2439-7, Beijing, pp 203–279

  17. Li GY, Tu J (2001) Working fluid selection for high temperature heat pipes. Energy Conserv Technol 19:42–44

    Google Scholar 

  18. Kasun SD, (2013) Thermal management of hypersonic leading edges, PH.D dissertation, The faculty the School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Virginia, p.233

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work is supported by National Natural Sciences Foundation of China under Grant No.11172284.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

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

    Qin Lu, Haitao Han, Longfei Hu, Siyuan Chen, Jijun Yu & Bangcheng Ai

Authors
  1. Qin Lu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Haitao Han
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Longfei Hu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Siyuan Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Jijun Yu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Bangcheng Ai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Longfei Hu.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Lu, Q., Han, H., Hu, L. et al. Preparation and testing of nickel-based superalloy/sodium heat pipes. Heat Mass Transfer 53, 3391–3397 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00231-017-2105-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00231-017-2105-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation