Experimental Study of Thermal and Electrical Performance of an Oscillating-Magnet Thermosyphon Heat Pipe Under Geyser Boiling Conditions

초록

This study experimentally investigates the thermal and electrical performance of an oscillating-magnet thermosyphon heat pipe (OM-THP) designed for simultaneous heat transfer and electricity generation. The proposed OM-THP utilizes geyser-boiling (GB)-induced oscillations of an internal magnet to convert thermal energy into electrical energy through electromagnetic induction. During operation, vapor eruptions generated by GB drive the oscillating magnet within the adiabatic section, inducing an electrical voltage in an external solenoid coil. Experiments were conducted under various heat inputs, filling ratios, and inclination angles to evaluate the effects of operating conditions on both thermal and electrical performance. The results demonstrated that the electrical output strongly depended on the interaction between vapor generation, liquid return, and magnet oscillation behavior. The optimum operating condition was obtained at an inclination angle of 60 degrees and a filling ratio of 20%. Under a heat input of similar to 100 W, the maximum peak-to-peak open-circuit voltage reached 1.87 V at an operating temperature of similar to 320 K. In addition, the thermal and electrical characteristics were systematically analyzed as functions of heat input, filling ratio, and inclination angle. The results demonstrate the feasibility of utilizing GB-induced oscillations for simultaneous heat transfer and electricity generation. The proposed OM-THP provides a simple and passive approach for recovering low-grade thermal energy and converting a portion of it into useful electrical power for waste-heat recovery applications.

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