Development of a Micro-Pumped Cryogenic Two Phase Heat Transport System

Foster-Miller is proposing a simple solution to the problem of cooling satellite instrumentation to cryogenic temperature. The system is a micro-pumped, two-phase heat transport loop that employs multiple micro-pumps to move a cryogenic fluid between anevaporator and a condenser. The system is simpler than either a cryogenic CPL or loop heat pipe and a liquid accumulator and a sintered capillary wick structure are not needed for operation, which greatly reduces both the system mass and fluid charge.The proposed system also is completely gravity insensitive which makes reliable and repeatable ground testing possible. The micro-pumped cryogenic heat transport loop is particularly adaptable for use across a two-axis gimbal, since flexure can beprovided by simply adding coils to the system tubing. The use of multiple micro-pumps provides redundancy and reliability to the system and can control temperature precisely at the electronic interface. The drive actuator for the micro- pump is auniquely designed electromagnetic voice coil that operates at extremely low power, on the order of 7 mW, and is considerably smaller than piezoelectric actuators now used in many micro-pumps. (P-030221)