A solution of inverse heat conduction problem for investigating short liner heat pipes
The article presents the results of the researching thermophysical characteristics (heat-absorbing capacity) for an evaporator C<sub>ev</sub> of short liner heat pipes (HPs) with vapor channel (in the form of the de Laval nozzle) by a solution of inverse heat conduction problem. The pipes in question are intended for cooling spacecrafts and satellites with strict takeoff mass regulation. Mathematical statement of the coefficient inverse heat conduction problem in one-dimensional coordinate system is supplemented by the results of temperature measurements for the surface of the HPs under adiabatic conditions along generator line across the entire range of the temperature loads, as well as the measurements of thermal resistance R<sub>TT</sub>, heat capacity of the evaporator Q<sub>ev</sub>, and condensation heat capacity Q<sub>cond</sub> transferred to vortex continuous-flow calorimeter at monotonous and nearly liner in time heating of the evaporator. At great temperature drop and the beginning of working fluid boiling, the measured temperature of the external surface of the capillary porous evaporator is close to constant. Therefore, solving the coefficient inverse heat conduction problem with experimental values of the evaporator temperature we are able to obtain both an estimation for extreme heat-absorbing capacity of the HPs’ evaporator under operation and the values for specific evaporation heat of the boiling working fluid and compare them with the tabulated values.