Transient Response of an Oscillating Heat Pipe by a Pulsed Heating in a High Magnetic Field Environment

An experimental investigation of a compact, triple-layer oscillating heat pipe (OHP) has been conducted to determine the fast-transient heating effect on the heat transport capability of an OHP in a high magnetic field environment. The OHP has dimensions of 1.3 cm thick, 22.9 cm long, and 7.6 cm wide embedded with two-independent closed-loops forming three layers of channels. The OHP was directly clamped to a railgun system in a medium caliber launcher (MCL) and subjected to high current electric discharges occurring over several microseconds. The experimental results show that the OHP is capable of significantly reducing peak temperatures during a pulsed heating event over pure copper, even in the presence of relatively high magnetic fields.