System for heat dissipation from an internal actuator in a rotor blade

摘要

A rotor blade (109) for an aircraft (101) includes an airfoil skin, an active element (125), and an actuator (129) configured to operate the active element. A heat pipe (131) is configured to promote heat transfer from the actuator to the airfoil skin. The heat pipe has a slope gradient such that a centrifugal force generated during rotation of the rotor blade promotes travel of a condensed working fluid within the heat pipe (131) to move from a condenser end (145) of the heat pipe toward an evaporator end (147) of the heat pipe.