Engineering topics

Quadrini, J.

Publications and source records attributed to Quadrini, J..

3 records

NASA NTRS1975

Cryogenic heat pipe experiment - Flight performance onboard a sounding rocket

Flight data from a 15.8 mm OD, 760 mm long, axial-groove, methane cryogenic heat pipe verified successful priming and operation during six min of zero-g time. The nominal power applied to the evaporator was 60-w for the first 60 sec of zero-g time, 14 w for the next 270 sec, and 25 w for the last 20 sec of flight. The heat pipe condenser was mounted into an aluminum heat sink which was cooled to 103 K at launch and increased in temperature to 128 K by the end of the flight. Ground test data obtained for the flight heat pipe, together with theoretical predictions, indicate a zero-g heat transport capability of 3500 to 4000 w-cm in the 100-125 K temperature range.

Harwell, W.↗

NASA NTRS1974

Design, fabrication, and testing of a cryogenic thermal diode

Cryogenic heat pipe diode applications and a new heat pipe geometry are discussed. This new geometry employs excess liquid to block the vapor space of the evaporator and part of the transport section during reverse mode conditions. An orifice plate is positioned in the pipe at the blocking meniscus location, with the opening arranged to permit proper liquid distribution in both ground tests and zero g operation. Experimental data are presented for a room temperature heat pipe modified to operate as a blocking orifice diode. The test results verify feasibility of the blocking orifice technique with the diode having a rapid shutoff characteristic. The selection of a diode for fabrication and test was based mainly on a parametric investigation of the liquid trap and liquid blockage techniques. The blocking orifice form of liquid blockage was selected for the cryogenic diode based on its high throughput, small reservoir requirement, and small energy and time required for shutoff.

Quadrini, J.↗

NASA NTRS1973

An insight into the features of the OAO-C thermal design.

The Orbiting Astronomical Observatory (OAO)-C was successfully launched into a 400-nautical mile circular orbit on Aug. 21, 1972. For this spacecraft, a unique sensitivity approach to the thermal design was developed which resulted in a predictable design - the merits of which should be considered for application on future spacecraft. The OAO-C is also serving as a test bed for the evaluation of thermal control hardware. To provide flight data for space program applications, experiments for a new coating and four different heat pipe designs are on this spacecraft. The data derived from OAO-C will be extremely valuable for such future programs as the Large Space Telescope (LST) and the Earth Observation Satellite (EOS).

Fine, H.↗