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ISSN Druckformat: 2151-7975
ISSN Online: 2151-7991
EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF ELECTRON BEAM IRRADIATION ON AN OSCILLATING HEAT PIPE
ABSTRAKT
The effect of electron beam irradiation on the performance of an oscillating heat pipe (OHP), resulting from the transformation or decomposition of the working fluid 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (HFC-134a), was studied for a next-generation cubic micro-satellite composed of OHP panels. The OHP, containing 70 wt.% HFC-134a, was irradiated with 100 krad gamma rays. The OHP operated normally as a fixed-conductance OHP. There was little difference in the thermal conductance and maximum heat transfer rate before and after irradiation. The composition of the HFC-134a working fluid was analyzed by chromatography after irradiation to determine the impurities. The composition of the irradiated fluid was compared with that of the non-irradiated fluid, and four hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) assumed to be decomposition products were detected at levels of several parts per million. Therefore, OHP performance was not degraded by 100 krad radiation.