Transient study on heat transfer and flow performance of alkali metal heat pipe in space nuclear powered heat pipe radiator

The non-direct contact radiator has a simple structure and high reliability, making it more suitable for long-life nuclear powered spacecraft. This article is based on Fortran language and innovatively combines molecular dynamics models to establish a two-dimensional transient analysis program for thermo-hydraulic performance of rubidium heat pipes. The unsteady Navier Stokes control equation, heat conduction equation, and continuity equation is calculated by the finite difference method. This study adopt molecular dynamics theory for the first time to deal with condensation/ evaporation at the interface of alkali metal heat pipes under the background of space nuclear power. The delay method and multi grid method are used to ensure convergence and accelerate calculation speed. The transient thermo-hydraulic performance of different positions of heat pipes in non-direct contact radiators during start-up are analyzed. Current research can provide scientific reference for the upgradation of heat pipe radiators for nuclear powered spacecraft.