A one-half scale heat-pipe-cooled leading edge model was designed and fabricated to verify feasibility and performance of a full-scale Phase B shuttle orbiter design. Model performance was investigated experimentally by radiant heating and aerothermal tests and analytically by using a simple technique which predicts heat pipe start-up from the frozen state and also predicts transient and steady-state thermal behavior. Analytical results agree well with experimental results for start-up and steady-state heat pipe operation. The results indicate that variations in angle of attack and roll orientation had a negligible effect on heat pipe performance. The heat pipes effectively isothermalized the leading edge, and reduced peak temperatures to levels compatible with the use temperatures of superalloys. Results of these tests demonstrated the durability of the heat-pipe-cooled leading edge in withstanding earth-entry thermal and mechanical loads and indicate that the use of heat pipes in leading edge structures is a reliable concept for fully reusable hypersonic cruise and space transportation systems. (Peters)


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    Title :

    Design, analysis, and tests of a shuttle-type heat-pipe-cooled leading edge


    Additional title:

    Bau, Analyse und Test der Heatpipe-gekuehlten Stirnseite eines Raumschiffs


    Contributors:
    Camarda, C.J. (author) / Masek, R.V. (author)

    Published in:

    Publication date :

    1979


    Size :

    11 Seiten, 16 Bilder, 3 Tabellen, 11 Quellen


    Type of media :

    Conference paper


    Type of material :

    Print


    Language :

    English