A heat transfer loop system includes a primary passive two-phase flow segment
with
an evaporator, a condenser and a liquid reservoir, and a secondary actively pumped
liquid flow segment in which the liquid in the reservoir is drawn by a liquid pump
into the evaporator, where a portion of the liquid is vaporized by the heat input
and moves into the primary segment while the excess liquid is pumped back to the
reservoir. The evaporator consists of a porous wick and one or more liquid arteries
encased in the porous wick. The liquid arteries have porous walls to allow liquid
phase working fluid to flow into the surrounding porous wick. The liquid arteries
have porous walls to allow liquid phase working fluid to flow into the surrounding
porous wick. The excess liquid continues to move through the arteries and eventually
out of the evaporator and into the reservoir. The porous wick provides sufficient
capillary force to separate the liquid inside the arteries and the vapor in the evaporator.