TECHNOLOGY LICENSING OPPORTUNITY: Heat Pipe Reactor Wick and Fill Platform

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

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Note: This is not a call for external services for the development of this technology.

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