US 12,007,171 B1
Heat pipe wick formation
Robert Stowers Reid, Santa Fe, NM (US); Morgan T. Biel, Los Alamos, NM (US); Lindsey M. Gaspar, Santa Fe, NM (US); Kirk Weisbrod, Los Alamos, NM (US); Katrina M. Sweetland, Los Alamos, NM (US); and Robert A. Zimmerman, Los Alamos, NM (US)
Assigned to TRIAD NATIONAL SECURITY, LLC, Los Alamos, NM (US)
Filed by Triad National Security, LLC, Los Alamos, NM (US)
Filed on Mar. 29, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/216,398.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/003,155, filed on Mar. 31, 2020.
Int. Cl. F28D 15/04 (2006.01); B23K 31/02 (2006.01); B23P 15/26 (2006.01)
CPC F28D 15/046 (2013.01) [B23K 31/027 (2013.01); B23P 15/26 (2013.01); B23P 2700/09 (2013.01); F28F 2275/061 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for forming a high capacity heat pipe tube with a wick layer in a controlled atmosphere, the method comprising:
wrapping a plurality of layers of a fine mesh screen around a mandrel;
inserting the mandrel and the fine mesh screen into a heat pipe tube;
compressing the fine mesh screen between the mandrel and the heat pipe tube to form an assembly, wherein the compressing of the fine mesh screen comprises applying pressure to an interior of the mandrel and pressing the mandrel and the fine mesh screen against the heat pipe tube;
diffusion bonding the assembly at a predefined temperature achieving self-diffusion of the plurality of layers of the fine mesh screen, whereby the diffusion bonded plurality of layers of fine mesh screen form the wick layer;
cooling the diffusion bonded assembly to room temperature;
etching the mandrel from the diffusion bonded assembly, whereby the heat pipe tube is lined with the wick layer; and
inserting a plug on one or both ends of the heat pipe tube by bonding the plug to the wick layer.