TECHNOLOGY LICENSING OPPORTUNITY: Heat Pipe Reactor Wick and Fill Platform
Contract Overview
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This technology from Los Alamos National Laboratory enhances the manufacturing and quality control of high-temperature heat pipe reactors by improving wick fabrication and the filling, sealing, and inspection of heat pipe arrays. The wick, a porous tube crucial for capillary action to move liquid metal under extreme thermal conditions, is produced through advanced methods such as mesh layering around an etchable mandrel followed by diffusion bonding, hydroforming, or modular splicing. This results in a strong, high-capacity wick suited for reactor-grade applications. The fill platform automates and controls the process of loading alkali-metal working fluids into these pipes under vacuum or inert atmospheres, sealing assemblies with precision welding, and conducting inspections to ensure quality and repeatability. This integrated approach reduces contamination risks and improves manufacturing scalability, reliability, and consistency, particularly valuable for long-life, high-purity thermal systems. The platform targets demanding environments such as nuclear energy (including microreactors and heat transport), space power systems, aerospace thermal management, defense mission-critical hardware, advanced manufacturing, and industrial energy systems. The technology is available for licensing and may include a loan of full-scale prototype hardware to support heat pipe array production. Covered by U.S. patents and developed to a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 7, it offers a practical and scalable solution for building durable, compact, and passive thermal management equipment capable of operating under high-temperature and high-reliability conditions. Los Alamos facilitates commercialization through licensing agreements aimed at accelerating market adoption and technological innovation.
General Info
Agency
NAICS
Place of Performance
Los Alamos, NM, 87545, USASet-Aside
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Full Description
This technology platform from Los Alamos National Laboratory enables more reliable high-temperature heat pipe reactors by improving the way critical wick structures are manufactured and how heat pipe arrays are filled, sealed, and checked for quality. A stronger wick gives the system the capillary action needed to move liquid metal through the pipe under demanding thermal conditions, while the fill platform helps prepare clean, repeatable assemblies that are better suited for reactor-grade use. For organizations working in nuclear, space, or other high-heat environments, the Heat Pipe Reactor Wick and Fill Platform offers a more practical route to building durable thermal hardware with fewer manufacturing bottlenecks.
How it Works
The Heat Pipe Reactor Wick and Fill Platform begins with wick fabrication, where a fine mesh or similar material is shaped around a mandrel and compressed so the layers can be bonded into a strong porous tube. Depending on the version, the wick can be formed by drawing, hydroforming, or other controlled shaping methods before diffusion bonding locks the structure in place. After bonding, the temporary mandrel and sheath are removed by etching, leaving a porous wick with the pore structure and geometry needed for high-temperature alkali metal heat pipes.
The fill process is designed to load, seal, and inspect heat pipe arrays under controlled atmosphere conditions, often using vacuum or inert gas environments. That workflow can be automated with precision metering, controlled handling, and laser welding, which helps improve repeatability and reduce contamination risk. Quality control can be built into both the wick and fill steps through inspection of the porous structure, leak testing, fill verification, and process monitoring, all of which support more consistent reactor-scale production.
Technical Description
The wick fabrication methods focus on producing a porous annular structure with the strength and capillary performance required for high-temperature heat pipe reactors. In one approach, mesh layers are wrapped around an etchable mandrel, compressed inside a sheath, and diffusion bonded so the layers fuse into a stable structure. After bonding, the mandrel and sheath are removed chemically, leaving a porous tube that functions as the wick. Related versions use hydroforming or modular splicing to support curved, variable or larger-format wick geometries that are difficult to make with conventional methods.
A second technical element is the fill, seal and inspection platform for heat pipe arrays. The Heat Pipe Reactor Wick and Fill Platform is intended to meter alkali-metal working fluid into multiple heat pipes under vacuum or inert conditions, then seal the assemblies with controlled welding or bonding steps. Built-in inspection can confirm seal integrity, working-fluid fill quality and process repeatability. The combination of automated handling and quality control makes the technology more suitable for scale-up, especially where contamination control and consistent output are essential.
Advantages
- Supports high-temperature heat transport in demanding environments
- Improves manufacturability of complex wick structures
- Helps increase reliability and consistency in heat pipe production
- Enables more scalable filling, sealing and inspection of heat pipe arrays
- Better suited for long-life, high-purity alkali-metal systems
- Strong fit for compact, passive thermal management applications
Market Applications
- Nuclear Energy (microreactors, reactor heat transport, thermal management systems)
- Space (space reactors, power conversion, radiator-side heat rejection)
- Aerospace (high-reliability thermal control, compact heat transport)
- Defense (remote power systems, mission-critical thermal hardware)
- Advanced Manufacturing (specialized heat pipe production tools and processes)
- Industrial Energy Systems (high-temperature heat recovery and thermal transport)
In addition to patent licensing, Los Alamos may loan a full-scale prototype, modular alkali metal heat-pipe fill system hardware allowing the fill and seal of individual or large arrays of alkali metal heat pipes.
US Patent Nos. 12,007,171-B1 and US 11,633,806-B1
LA-UR-26-24496
TRL 7
LANL Tech Partnerships: Unlock the Innovative Potential
Los Alamos National Laboratory offers a wide range of cutting-edge technologies and capabilities that may provide your company with a competitive edge in the market and unlock the innovative potential that can enhance, refine, and revolutionize your products.
LANL’s licensing program focuses on moving inventions developed by our researchers to commercial innovations. Patented and patent pending inventions and copyrighted software are available to existing and start-up companies through exclusive and non-exclusive licensing agreements. For specific discussions, please contact licensing@lanl.gov.
Note: This is not a call for external services for the development of this technology.
https://www.lanl.gov/engage/collaboration/feynman-center/partner-with-us/licensing-technology
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