Vapor chambers for an atmospheric cloud physics laboratory
The methanol/stainless steel vapor chambers (flat-plate heat pipes) discussed in this paper were developed for use in spaceborne atmospheric cloud chambers. This application imposed stringent thermal and mechanical requirements on the design. Flatness, low thermal mass, vibration, and structural integrity requirements were achieved in addition to precision temperature uniformity and thermal transport. Heat transfer coefficients on the order of 0.34 to 0.40 W/sq cm -C were measured. The vapor chambers are capable of transporting 170 W-cm per cm of width in either the axial or side-to-side direction.