Patent attributes
A method of thermally protecting a leading edge of a hypersonic system includes saturating an annular primary wick in contact with an evaporator and having a first pore size with a phase change material by means of an annularly-inward secondary wick having a second pore size and being coupled to a liquid line, the second pore size being larger than the first, where a first end of the secondary wick extends into a reservoir and a second end of the secondary wick extends into the evaporator, the second end of the secondary wick having a terminal end. The method includes terminating the liquid line inside of the evaporator, transferring thermal energy from the leading edge into the phase change material, raising the temperature of the phase change material to a phase-change temperature, changing phase of the phase change material, and carrying away heat from the leading edge.