Abstract
An oscillating heat pipe (OHP) is desired as an excellent heat transfer device for the thermal management system of a future spacecraft with larger heat dissipation, and a flat-plate heat pipe (FHP), a type of OHP, has been developed. Applying FHP to the spacecraft, the heat transfer characteristics of FHP under micro-gravity conditions should be examined. The on-orbit experiment of FHP is currently underway to conduct the performance evaluation of FHP under micro-gravity environment, as one of the Small Demonstration Satellite-4 (SDS-4) missions. The initial evaluation shows that the heat transfer characteristics under micro-gravity condition are the same as those under 1-g condition, and no degradation is seen after three months on orbit.
