Publications Details
Measuring flow properties of wicks for heat pipe solar receivers
A program is under way to develop liquid metal heat pipes that can transfer energy from the focal point of a parabolic solar concentrator to the heater tubes of one or more Stirling engines. To design high performance wicks for heat pipe solar receivers, it is necessary to have an accurate assessment of the wick's properties. Procedures for measuring the flow properties of wicks before and after fabrication processes take place are presented. The testing procedures provide a useful method of determining the validity of a wick design before full-scale testing is attempted.