Suitability of loop heat pipes for thermal management of ground vehicles

摘要

A loop heat pipe (LHP) is a two-phase transport device that transfers large amounts of energy over long distances with very small temperature differences. LHPs have been extensively developed for aerospace applications. Flight experiments have demonstrated their effectiveness in low-g environments. Tremendous potential for using LHPs for the thermal management of ground vehicles exists, but there has been little development effort to date. This paper describes the results of experimental work investigating the suitability of loop heat pipe technology for the thermal management of ground vehicles. Results of testing are presented as evidence of the applicability of LHPs to ground vehicles.