Investigation of the temperature distribution on radiator fins with micro heat pipes

A flexible micro-heat-pipe panel, fabricated by sintering an array of aluminum wires between two thin aluminum sheets, was developed as part of a program to develop lightweight, flexible radiator fin structures for use on long-term spacecraft missions. A numerical model, which combined both conduction and radiation effects, was established to predict the heat-transfer performance and temperature distribution of the radiator fin in a simulated space environment. Three different concepts are presented, evaluated, and discussed. Comparison of the predicted and experimental results indicated that the model developed herein can be used to accurately predict the temperature distribution and heat-transfer performance occurring in micro-heat-pipe radiators. This comparison further indicates that the flexible radiator with the array of micro heat pipes has an effective thermal conductivity of more than 20 times that of the uncharged version and 10 times that of a solid material. This results in a more uniform temperature distribution, which could significantly improve the overall radiation effectiveness, reduce the overall size, and meet or exceed the baseline design requirements for long-term manned missions to Mars.