There are two different droplet collection schemes: the centrifugal approach and the linear collection scheme. The linear collector is considered to be simpler, more reliable and lighter.
Several different LDR configurations have been proposed and evaluated.
*The spiral LDR employs a generator and collector which rotate at the same angular velocity. This concept was considered more complex due to unnecessary rotation of the collector.
*The enclosed disc LDR contains a droplet generator at the center for creating a disc of droplets. Only the collector rotates. The entire radiator is enclosed by a transparent shroud, which minimizes spacecraft contamination resulting from any errant droplets. This concept was considered more complex due to unnecessary rotation of the collector.
*The annular LDR utilizes a rotating collector to capture an annular sheet of droplets from an annular generator. The annular LDR has an inefficient radiative performance – the sheet radiates to itself more than the droplet sheets of alternate configurations.
*Several proposed variations of the LDR utilize electric fields to control droplet trajectories as in the ink jet printer. The Electrostatic THermal (Energy) Radiator (ETHER) is essentially a proposed variation of the LDR. The droplets are charged and in conjunction with a charge on the spacecraft that is opposite the droplet charge, the droplets will execute a slightly elliptical orbit. This closed trajectory would reduce overall system size. This concept calls for concerns about droplet-plasma interactions. Further, in low Earth orbit the spacecraft will acquire its own potential.
Rectangular and triangular versions of the LDR have been investigated the most.
*The rectangular LDR employs a linear collector which is as wide as the droplet generator. The collector can be two sided, where two droplet sheets traveling in opposite directions impact a single collector. An alternate variation would utilize a one sided collector, with only one generator and droplet sheet. In a rectangular LDR, there is no focusing of the droplet sheet, and the droplet number density remains constant along the flight path. It is the simplest LDR design with the largest radiating area.
*The triangular LDR concept employs a droplet generator to form a converging stream array (sheet) of droplets. The collector, located at the convergence point of the droplet sheet, employs a centrifugal force to capture the droplets. The triangular LDR is inherently less massive, because of the smaller collector. System studies have indicated that a triangular LDR can be 40 percent less massive than a rectangular LDR.  However, for any comparable size the triangular LDR has half the area of a rectangular sheet and therefore rejects less heat. Currently, the use of pitot tube pickups has replaced the initial complex rotating seals. Collisions in a focused droplet sheet result in coalescence of the impacting droplets. The triangular LDR is now being developed more extensively.
*The magnetically focused LDR employs a magnetic field to focus streams of droplets directed from the generator toward the collector, thereby assuring that essentially all of the droplets captured, even though some of the streams may be misdirected as they leave the generator. The magnetic focusing means is also effective to suppress splashing of liquid when the droplets impinge on the collector. The magnetically focused LDR was investigated and patented by the Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) under a grant by the Department of Energy (Contract DE-AC02-76CH00016). The magnetic means can be achieved with a toroidal shaped electro-magnet or permanent magnets. As only one side of the droplet sheet would be focused by a single permanent magnet, an even number has to be placed across each other adjacent to the collector. A permanent dipole magnet has limited field strength, hence limits radiator size. Electromagnets or (cryogenic cooled) superconducting magnets offer higher field strengths, but may have mass tradeoff. A major conclusion drawn from calculations is that a spacecraft can be maneuvered at accelerations less than 10 g. Higher accelerations require numerous smaller LDRs which will be more massive in the sum, but would to be more likely to survive.