Open AccessApplication of Heat Pipes to the ATSF Spacecraft
Author(s) -
Marcel Berger,
William R. Kelly
Publication year - 1973
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Reports
DOI - 10.2172/1033347
Subject(s) - heat pipe , spacecraft , heat shield , mechanical engineering , thermal , aerospace engineering , propellant , engineering , materials science , heat transfer , mechanics , meteorology , physics
The Applications Technology Satellite (ATS) heat pipe program is an extensive effort requiring the fabrication and testing of more than 300 flight qualified heat pipes. The spacecraft itself contains 55 heat pipes in three configurations and 13 sizes. The design selected for ATS was an axially groved 6061 aluminum-ammonia heat pipe. Several developmental programs and extensive testing, including individual heat pipes, heat pipes bonded into honeycomb panels, and a large number of life tests, were included within the overall effort. Results are presented for the thermal modeling of the heat pipes with the spacecraft. Results of thermal-vacuum testing of a thermal structural model and sounding rocket testing of the ATS axially grooved pipe are also discussed. Several problems including hydrogen gas generation, were encountered during the course of the program. The steps taken to solve these problems may be applicable to future programs