Chen Siyuan , Ai Bangcheng , Han Haitao , Hu Longfei , Chu Min , Chen Liang
DOI Number XXX-YYY-ZZZ
Conference Number HiSST 2018-798
A kind of nickel-based superalloy/sodium heat pipe is proposed to satisfy the requirement of nonablative thermal protection in hypersonic vehicles with sharp leading edges. As a challenge in practical application, the start-up characteristic has decisive impact on heat transfer and thermal protective performance at leading edges. Therefore, experimental researches on the heat pipe startup character are conducted. The ground tests prove the start-up property and good isothermal performance of the wedge-shaped high-temperature heat pipe. It is revealed that the charging amount of the alkali metal is one of the key factors affecting the startup characteristics of wedge-shaped heat pipes. The startup performance prediction method of wedge-shaped heat pipes is established, and the feasibility is verified by comparison with the experimental results. It is indicated that this kind of heat pipes has adaptability to the hypersonic flight environment and potential application for the thermal protection system of hypersonic vehicles.