Heat Pipe/Thermal Technologies at Glenn Research Center
Discipline: Thermal Control & Protection
Abstract:
This presentation will cover thermal management technologies developed in the Thermal Energy Conversion (LET) Branch at GRC. These technologies were mainly developed for fission based power generation projects where the goal is to generate power for users such as lunar or Martian habitats, rovers, science payloads. This presentation will largely focus on the various uses of heat pipes, but it will also briefly cover some of the other thermal technologies that were developed at GRC.
About the Speaker(s):
Greeta Thaikattil earned her Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Dayton in 2016. She then received her Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering, with a focus in Thermal and Fluid Sciences, from Cleveland State University in 2020. She has supported NASA Glenn Research Center since 2017. Her initial roles supported both aerospace and space application projects where major efforts and skills included thermal/structural modeling, assembly modeling, drawings, fabrication, assembly and testing. Since 2019, Ms. Thaikattil has focused on thermal management where she has supported projects such as the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) as a thermal engineer. She then joined the Thermal Energy Conversion (LET) branch at Glenn Research Center in 2021. Here, she has supported the Fission Surface Power project as the thermal engineer for the Heat Transport and Heat Rejection Subsystems for technology development and testing.
Mr. James Sanzi his B.S. and M.S. in Engineering from Millersville University and Indiana University of Pennsylvania respectively. He has amassed 45 years of experience in the manufacturing and testing of both low and high temperature heat pipes. Mr. Sanzi joined Glenn Research Center (GRC) in 2005 to support fission power projects. His early projects included thermal testing of long heat pipes for SP-100, solar thermal Stirling energy conversion, life testing a variety of heat pipes, and manufacturing of sintered powder metal wicks. At GRC, Mr. Sanzi has life tested Titanium- water heat pipes for 50,000 hours, thermal vacuum tested the Radiator Demonstration Unit (RDU), thermal vacuum tested the Technology Demonstration Unit (TDU) with a NaK pumped loop, tested Titanium- water heat pipes in zero gravity, manufactured sodium heat pipes for the Kilopower Reactor Using Stirling Technology (KRUSTY) experiment, and tested several radiators from relevant SBIR efforts. Mr. James Sanzi is Subject Matter Expert in heat pipes, high temperature alkali metals, interfacing thermal materials, and testing of thermal management technologies.