US 11,840,332 B1
Method of making hypersonic leading-edge heat pipe with porous wick
Christopher S Roper, Santa Monica, CA (US); Mark R. O'Masta, Oak Park, CA (US); Tobias A. Schaedler, Oak Park, CA (US); Jacob M. Hundley, Thousand Oaks, CA (US); and Tiffany Stewart, Los Angeles, CA (US)
Assigned to HRL Laboratories, LLC, Malibu, CA (US)
Filed by HRL Laboratories, LLC, Malibu, CA (US)
Filed on Nov. 21, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/991,002.
Application 17/991,002 is a division of application No. 16/876,077, filed on May 17, 2020, granted, now 11,535,360.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/858,830, filed on Jun. 7, 2019.
Int. Cl. B64C 3/36 (2006.01); B33Y 10/00 (2015.01); B64C 30/00 (2006.01); B21D 53/02 (2006.01); F28D 15/04 (2006.01); B33Y 80/00 (2015.01)
CPC B64C 3/36 (2013.01) [B21D 53/02 (2013.01); B33Y 10/00 (2014.12); B33Y 80/00 (2014.12); B64C 30/00 (2013.01); F28D 15/046 (2013.01); B23P 2700/09 (2013.01)] 6 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of making a leading-edge heat pipe, said method comprising:
selecting a shell material, a ceramic or metallic wick material, and a phase-change heat-transfer material as components of said leading-edge heat pipe;
providing an envelope fabricated from said shell material, wherein said envelope includes at least one edge with a radius of curvature of less than 12 mm, wherein said envelope has a thickness that increases with distance from said edge, wherein said envelope has an outer surface and an inner surface that encloses an interior cavity, and wherein said envelope includes, or is in thermal communication with, at least one heat-rejection surface;
optionally coating at least a portion of said inner surface with a shell coating selected for chemical compatibility between said shell coating and said phase-change heat-transfer material;
optionally coating at least a portion of said outer surface with an anti-oxidation coating;
additive manufacturing a porous wick containing said ceramic or metallic wick material, wherein said porous wick is configured within a first portion of said interior cavity, and wherein at least a portion of said porous wick is adjacent to said inner surface;
inserting said porous wick into said interior cavity and optionally chemically or mechanically bonding said porous wick to said inner surface;
introducing said phase-change heat-transfer material, in solid and/or liquid form, into said interior cavity; and
sealing said interior cavity to obtain said leading-edge heat pipe.