Performance analysis of heat pipe radiator unit for space nuclear power reactor

Heat pipe radiator, featured with remarkable advantages in heat transfer efficiency and inherent safety with small specific mass and little weight, are widely adopted to the heat-rejection system for space nuclear power reactors. In this paper, physical and numerical models are developed to obtain the startup and transient behaviors of radiator unit with a potassium (K) heat pipe covered by fin under space environment. The heat transfer limit theory is adopted as criteria for heat pipe operation success. Numerical results indicated that according to the internal vapor flow regimes, the K heat pipe startup could be divided into three distinct stages. The K heat pipe started up from frozen state successful and rapidly until the expected operation state is reached. Among the different heat transfer limits, only the sonic limit due to choked flow restricts the K heat pipe during the second stage. Overall, for the heat-rejection system of space nuclear power reactor, the heat pipe radiator unit can effectively radiated waste heat to the space environment in 5 min and responses fast under transient conditions.