Patent US3598177A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US3598177A
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Conduit having a zero contact angle with an alkali working fluid and method of forming
Assignee: General Electric Co
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Filing: 1968-10-29
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Granted: 1971-08-10
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Expires: 1988-10-29
Abstract
Abstract A heat pipe capable of operation at temperatures above 900* C. is described characterized by an alkali metal working fluid contained within a conduit having a crystal face orientation only in selected planes to maximize the wetting between the sidewall and the working fluid. Preferably the conduit containing the working fluid is provided with a plurality of circumferentially disposed inwardly extending teeth overlayed with a thin wire mesh screen to define a plurality of capillary passages for liquid transport and the surface of the capillary passages contains the metal only in planes having work functions below a fixed value, e.g. 4.8 ev. for a sodium working fluid with the desired orientation of the capillary passage surface being formed by a hydrogen reduction of a metal fluoride. The zero contact angle between the working fluid and the conduit permit the initiation of operation of the heat pipe without prior warmup and eliminates localized ''''hotspots'''' destructive to the sidewall structure.
Inventors
- 👤 Harold F Webster
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 15:22
CPC Classifications
F; F28; F28D; F28D15/00; F28D15/02; F28D15/04; F28D15/046; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T29/00; Y10T29/49; Y10T29/4935; Y10T29/49353
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
27 words
A heat pipe for the transfer of heat according to claim 1 wherein said conduit is niobium having a crystal face orientation only in the 100 plane.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
124 words
A heat pipe for the transfer of heat between spaced-apart regions along said pipe comprising a conduit of a metal selected from the group consisting of tungsten, tantalum, rhenium and molybdenum, said conduit having an internal surface characterized by a crystal face orientation only in a plane having a work function below 4.8 ev., liquid sodium disposed within said conduit in thermal communication with the sidewalls of said conduit, means for applying a temperature above 800* C. to one region of said conduit to evaporate a portion of said sodium contacting said one conduit region, means for condensing said evaporated sodium upon a second region of said conduit, and capillary means for pumping said sodium condensate from said condensing means to said evaporating means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
27 words
A heat pipe for the transfer of heat according to claim 3 wherein said conduit is tungsten having a crystal face orientation only in the 100 plane.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
111 words
A heat pipe for the transfer of heat between spaced-apart regions along said pipe comprising a conduit of a metal selected from the group consisting of tungsten and rhenium, said conduit having an internal surface characterized by a crystal face orientation only in planes having a work function below 5.0 ev., liquid lithium disposed within said conduit in thermal communication with the sidewalls of said conduit, means for applying a temperature above 800* C. to one region of said conduit to evaporate a portion of said lithium contacting said one conduit region, means for condensing said evaporated lithium for pumping said lithium condensate from said condensing means to said evaporating means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
A heat pipe for the transfer of heat according to claim 5 wherein said conduit is tungsten having a crystal face orientation only in the 100 plane.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
118 words
A method of forming a conduit for the transmission of an alkali metal coolant comprising forming a metal conduit in a diameter capable of transmitting said metal coolant in sufficient quantities to transfer heat at the desired rate from an input heat flux, selecting a transition metal characterized by a plurality of crystal face orientations, said crystal face orientations having associated therewith work functions both above and below a threshold work function at which said alkali metal coolant forms a zero contact angle with a contiguous metal and depositing said transition metal upon the internal surface of said conduit to produce a crystalline face orientation only in a plane having a work function below said threshold work function.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
40 words
A method of forming a conduit for the transmission of an alkali metal coolant according to claim 7 wherein said alkali metal coolant is lithium, Said transition metal is tungsten and said deposition is accomplished by hydrogen reduction of WF6.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
54 words
A method of forming a conduit for the transmission of an alkali metal coolant according to claim 7 wherein said alkali metal coolant is cesium, said transition metal is a metal selected from the group consisting of tungsten and molybdenum, and said deposition is accomplished by a hydrogen reduction of the chosen metal fluoride.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2763570A
Cited
US3449208A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-08-09 | 1975-02-08 | 1975-08-10 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-08-09 | 1979-02-08 | 1979-08-10 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-08-09 | 1983-02-08 | 1983-08-10 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |