Modelling a Loop Heat Pipe as Heat Switch for Transient Application in Space Systems

Abstract

Heat switches are devices for controlling heat flow in various applications, such as electronic devices, cryogenic cooling systems, spacecraft, and rockets. These devices require non-linear transient thermal simulations, in which there is a lack of information. In this study, we introduce an innovative 1D thermo-hydraulic lumped parameter model to simulate loop heat pipes as heat switches by regulating the temperature difference between the evaporator and the compensation chamber. The developed thermo-hydraulic model uses the continuity, energy, and momentum equations to represent the behaviour of loop heat pipes as heat switches. The model also highlights the importance of some thermal conductance parameters and correction coefficients for accurately simulating the different operational states of a loop heat pipe. The simulations are conducted using the proposed 1D model, solved through the application of the Mathcad block function. The numerical model presented is successfully validated by comparing the temperatures of the evaporator and condenser inlet nodes with those of a referenced loop heat pipe from the literature. In conclusion, in this research, the mathematical modelling of loop heat pipes as heat switches is presented. This is achieved by incorporating correction coefficients with Boolean logic that results in non-linear transient simulations. The presented 1D thermo-hydraulic lumped parameter model serves as a valuable tool for thermal system design, particularly for systems with non-linear operational modes like sorption compressors. The graphical and nodal representation of this proposed 1D thermo-hydraulic model further enhances its utility in understanding and optimising loop heat pipes as heat switches across various thermal management scenarios.