A detailed, 2-D thermal-hydraulic model for conical and flat evaporators and the liquid sodium return artery in PX-type AMTEC cells was developed, which predicts incipient dryout at the evaporator wick surface. Results obtained at fixed hot and cold side temperatures showed that the flat evaporator provided a slightly lower vapor pressure, but reached the capillary limit at higher temperature. The loss of performance due to partial recondensation over up to 20% of the wick surface of the deep conical evaporators was offset by the larger surface area available for evaporation, providing a slightly higher vapor pressure. Model results matched the PX-3A cell’s experimental data of electrical power output, but the predicted temperature of the cell’s conical evaporator was consistently ∼50 K above measurements. A preliminary analysis indicated that sodium vapor leakage in the cell (through microcracks in the BASE tubes’ walls or brazes) may explain the difference between predicted and measured evaporator temperatures in PX-3A.


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    Titel :

    Conical evaporator and liquid-return wick model for vapor anode, multi-tube AMTEC cells


    Beteiligte:
    Tournier, Jean-Michel (Autor:in) / El-Genk, Mohamed S. (Autor:in) / Bragg, Mary J. (Herausgeber:in) / El-Genk, Mohamed S. (Herausgeber:in)

    Kongress:

    SPACE TECHNOLOGY AND APPLICATIONS INTERNATIONAL FORUM - 2000 ; 2000 ; Albuquerque, New Mexico (USA)


    Erschienen in:

    AIP Conference Proceedings ; 504 , 1 ; 1361-1370


    Erscheinungsdatum :

    19.01.2000


    Format / Umfang :

    10 pages





    Medientyp :

    Aufsatz (Konferenz)


    Format :

    Elektronische Ressource


    Sprache :

    Englisch



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    Tournier, J.-M. / El-Genk, M. S. / University of New Mexico | British Library Conference Proceedings | 2000


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    Tournier, Jean-Michel / El-Genk, Mohamed S. | American Institute of Physics | 1999


    A Thermal Model of the Conical Evaporator in Pluto/Express, Multi-Tube AMTEC Cells

    Tournier, J.-M. / El-Genk, M. S. / University of New Mexico; School of Engineering; Institute for Space and Nuclear Power Studies | British Library Conference Proceedings | 1999


    Optimization of Liquid-Return Artery in a Vapor-Anode, Multitube AMTEC

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    Optimization of liquid-return artery in a vapor-anode, multitube AMTEC

    El-Genk, Mohamed S. / Tournier, Jean-Michel | American Institute of Physics | 1998