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Aluminum/ammonia heat pipe gas generation and long term system impact for the Space Telescope's Wide Field Planetary CameraIn the Space Telescope's Wide Field Planetary Camera (WFPC) project, eight heat pipes (HPs) are used to remove heat from the camera's inner electronic sensors to the spacecraft's outer, cold radiator surface. For proper device functioning and maximization of the signal-to-noise ratios, the Charge Coupled Devices (CCD's) must be maintained at -95 C or lower. Thermoelectric coolers (TEC's) cool the CCD's, and heat pipes deliver each TEC's nominal six to eight watts of heat to the space radiator, which reaches an equilibrium temperature between -15 C to -70 C. An initial problem was related to the difficulty to produce gas-free aluminum/ammonia heat pipes. An investigation was, therefore, conducted to determine the cause of the gas generation and the impact of this gas on CCD cooling. In order to study the effect of gas slugs in the WFPC system, a separate HP was made. Attention is given to fabrication, testing, and heat pipe gas generation chemistry studies.
Document ID
19830051486
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Jones, J. A.
(California Institute of Technology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena CA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 11, 2013
Publication Date
June 1, 1983
Subject Category
Fluid Mechanics And Heat Transfer
Report/Patent Number
AIAA PAPER 83-1428
Accession Number
83A32704
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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