Scientists from the Wrocław University of Science and Technology conducted research on a huge rotary machine at the Center for Space Technology and Microgravity in Bremen (Germany). They checked how large overloads can affect cooling by means of a pulsed heat tube. In the future, these small capillaries could be part of rockets and satellites.
Researchers checked the reactions in the pulsed heat tube at high overloads. On Earth, these tiny tubes are an excellent alternative to traditional cooling processes. Inside they contain working medium – water, acetone or ethanol.
Under the influence of heat, vapor bubbles form inside move towards the top of the tube, “dragging” the liquid with it, which happens in pulses, almost cyclically. The fluid picks up heat from where it is generated. For example, it can power a device that uses thermal energy, or transfer heat to a phase change material, which will accumulate it for later use.
