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An ESA technology programme led to the successful development of an aluminum extruded heat pipe family based on a multi re-entrant grooves design and using ammonia as working fluid. This family, called High Capacity Grooved Heat Pipe (HGP), has been submitted to a space qualification programme according to ESA standards (ESA PSS-49; see ref.[1]), which aimed to fulfill an as large as possible range of potential applications. Therefore, four heat pipe diameters (11 mm, 15 mm, 20 mm and 25 mm), two heat pipe outer shapes (circular, saddles integrated) and two heat pipe configurations (straight, bent) have been selected for going into this space qualification. The space qualification programme, started in 1994, ended up early 1997. The present paper presents the HGP heat pipe family characteristics and the space qualification programme.

The paper presents the results of various SABCA activities in the field of two-phase heat transport, being a critical review and analysis of existing capillary pumped loops, the identification of the needs of future capillary pumped two-phase thermal control systems, the development of capillary evaporators, which incorporates nickel porous structures, that can provide a pumping pressure up to 38000 Pa, and the solving of the problem of capillary pump cavitation. These activities have led towards the development of a reliable multi-evaporator/condenser capillary pumped loop, which is discussed in details. A test loop configuration is described. The presented results of various tests clearly prove the viability of the concept for future applications. Proposed flight demonstrations are presented.