Loop Heat Pipes for Space Applications
Arquimea
Fully customized two-phase passive Loop Heat Pipes (LHP) for satellites, offering up to 1 kW heat transfer power, mechanical decoupling, and lifetime exceeding 15 years, with 52 units in orbit.
Technical specifications
- Heat transfer power
- Up to 1 kW
- Temperature operating range
- 140 K to 400 K (-133°C to +127°C)
- Capillary pressure (ammonia)
- 4 × 10⁴ Pa
- Thermal resistance
- From 0.005 °C/W
- Transport line length
- >5 m
- Evaporator length range
- 25 mm to 400 mm
- Wick materials
- Aluminum alloy, nickel, titanium, stainless steel
- Working fluids
- Ammonia, propylene, ethane, Freon R134a
- Design lifetime
- >15 years
- Units in orbit
- 52
- Units awaiting launch
- 38
About
ARQUIMEA designs and manufactures Loop Heat Pipes (LHPs) — two-phase (liquid-vapor) passive heat transfer devices that use capillary forces developed in fine porous wicks to circulate working fluid through evaporation and condensation. LHPs are particularly valuable in space when conventional heat pipes would be ineffective, such as when mechanical decoupling between heat source and heat sink is required, or when the system must operate in adverse gravitational orientations during ground testing.
ARQUIMEA’s LHPs are fully customized to each mission profile. Primary wicks are available in aluminum alloy, nickel, titanium, or stainless steel. Working fluids include ammonia, propylene, ethane, and Freon R134a. Transport line lengths exceed 5 meters, evaporator lengths range from 25 mm to 400 mm, and the system lifetime exceeds 15 years. Transferred heat power reaches up to 1 kW, operating from 140 K to 400 K (-133°C to +127°C).
Flight heritage missions include ExoMars, Intelsat 19, Intelsat 20, Star One C4, and Astro-H, with 52 LHP units in orbit and 38 more awaiting launch.
Documentation
No public datasheet yet — request the datasheet / ICD from the supplier.
