Planar Ferrofluid Bearings: Modelling and Design Principles

A ferrofluid is a fluid with paramagnetic properties while having a colloidal stability. This can be used to obtain a hydrostatic type of bearing that distinguishes itself from other bearings by its compactness, inherent stability, low (viscous) friction, absence of pumps and absence of stick-slip. These properties, together with its low price,...

Limitations in variable conductance heat pipe performance and control predicted by the current steady-state model developed at NLR

A uniaxial model for the transient performance of gas-loaded variable conductance heat pipes is being developed, partly under contract with the Netherlands Agency for Aerospace Programs NIVR. The model has to be easily implementable in existing spacecraft thermal analyzer computer programs. So far, a steady-state version of the model is...

Uniaxial model for gas-loaded variable conductance heat pipe performance : the effects of vapour flow friction and inertia