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Week 5: Lab

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The team conducted some more tests on Prototype 2 as it was the best performing heat pipe constructed thus far. The test was conducted in the angled orientation as Prototype 2 hadn't been tested in that configuration yet. The results were promising as Prototype 2 exceeded expectations and transferred heat effectively throughout the test. The condenser end increased by 52 degrees over 300 seconds which was an improvement over the horizontal test conducted with Prototype 2. In both tests, the difference between the condenser temperature and the evaporator temperature was calculated and displayed on the graphs. The graph below shows the first test for Prototype 2.
To verify our results the test was run a second time but for a longer period of time in order to narrow down on where the heat pipe's maximum operating temperature would be. The results are shown below.

For Prototype 2, the effective temperature limit of the heat pipe can be approximated to 125 F without a heatsink. After that temperature, the evaporator end begins to increase in temperature and the temperature difference between the evaporator and condenser begins to increase again. Another test at ~450 seconds should be able to confirm this assumption. 

Over the next week, some parts will be fabricated to test varying working fluid volumes and also test the viability of vacuum pumping one of the next heat pipes to get a decent partial vacuum. 
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