Technical Paper
Operation of an LHP with Multiple Heat Sources
2001-07-09
2001-01-2191
Loop Heat Pipes (LHP) are widely used in space applications: deployable radiators, instrument cooling and precise temperature control. These applications are utilizing classical LHP designs with single evaporator and single condenser. Traditionally, the LHP is considered as an ideal solution for heat sources with concentrated power. The rule of thumb for a thermal control system based on the LHP is one heat source – one evaporator. It has been demonstrated several times that LHPs with dual evaporators are feasible, however, the volume of the compensation chamber grows dramatically with the number of evaporators. Therefore, LHPs with more than three evaporators are not practical. These restrictions restrict the area of LHP applications. The LHP evaporator generates vapor, which travels through the vapor line toward the condenser. In principle, this vapor could be used to absorb some additional power from heat sources other than the heat source feeding the evaporator.