This content is not included in
your SAE MOBILUS subscription, or you are not logged in.
Flight Testing of the Two-Phase Flow Flight Experiment
Annotation ability available
Sector:
Language:
English
Abstract
The Two Phase Flow (TPF) Experiment is an integrated two-phase thermal control system designed to address capillary pumped loop component and system performance issues. The Two Phase Flow Experiment was flown aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-85) from August 7 - 19, 1997 as part of the Technology Applications and Science-01 (TAS-01) mission. The experiment was contained in a Hitchhiker canister and consisted of a capillary pumped loop (CPL), electronics, and associated instrumentation and wiring. The CPL contained four capillary evaporators (two large diameter and two small diameter), two parallel condensers, a two-phase temperature controlled reservoir, liquid and vapor tubing, individual capillary isolators, and a capillary vapor flow valve. The system working fluid was anhydrous ammonia.
The system was operated for a total of 176 hours during the mission with 61 test cycles performed. Tests performed included start-ups, low power tests, high power tests, individual heat pipe tests, long term operation, and pressure priming. Tests were performed with a single evaporator operating and with all four evaporators operating simultaneously. This paper will describe the system design in detail, and will discuss flight test results.
Recommended Content
Authors
Citation
Ottenstein, L. and Nienberg, J., "Flight Testing of the Two-Phase Flow Flight Experiment," SAE Technical Paper 981816, 1998, https://doi.org/10.4271/981816.Also In
References
- Ku, J. Kroliczek E. Butler D. Schweickart R. McIntosh R. “Capillary Pumped Loop GAS and Hitchhiker Flight Experiments” AIAA Paper No. 86-1249 1986
- Ku, J. McCabe M. Jr. Benner S. “A High Power Spacecraft Thermal Management System” AIAA Paper No. 99-2702 1988
- Butler, D. Ottenstein L. Ku J. “Flight Testing of the Capillary Pumped Loop Flight Experiment” SAE Paper No. 951566 1995
- Ku, J. Ottenstein L. Butler D. “Performance of the CAPL 2 Flight Experiment” SAE Paper No. 961432 1996
- Antoniuk, D. Nienberg J. “Analysis of Salient Events in the Two-Phase Flow Thermal Control Flight Experiment” SAE Paper No. 981817 1998