Effects of Imperfect Insulating Coatings on the Flow Partitioning between Parallel Channels in Self-Cooled Liquid Metal Blankets

Gaizer, Alexander A; Abdou, Mohamed

doi:10.13182/fst96-a11963068

Cited by 5 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 7 publications

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“…One of the examples of the self-cooled class of blankets is the US self-cooled lithium blanket with the vanadium alloy as the structural material [1,2]. Although this concept was ranked highest by the Blanket Comparison and Selection Study (BCSS) in the US [2], its further development was suspended due to low tolerance of insulating coatings to cracks and other insulation defects that are likely to occur and give raise to unacceptably high MHD pressure drop [25,26]. Mainly because of this reason, almost no considerations are given to this concept nowadays.…”

Section: Liquid Metal Blanket Conceptsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Blanket/first wall challenges and required R&D on the pathway to DEMO

Abdou

Morley

Smolentsev

et al. 2015

Fusion Engineering and Design

283

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a b s t r a c tThe breeding blanket with integrated first wall (FW) is the key nuclear component for power extraction, tritium fuel sustainability, and radiation shielding in fusion reactors. The ITER device will address plasma burn physics and plasma support technology, but it does not have a breeding blanket. Current activities to develop "roadmaps" for realizing fusion power recognize the blanket/FW as one of the principal remaining challenges. Therefore, a central element of the current planning activities is focused on the question: what are the research and major facilities required to develop the blanket/FW to a level which enables the design, construction and successful operation of a fusion DEMO? The principal challenges in the development of the blanket/FW are: (1) the Fusion Nuclear Environment -a multiple-field environment (neutrons, heat/particle fluxes, magnetic field, etc.) with high magnitudes and steep gradients and transients; (2) Nuclear Heating in a large volume with sharp gradients -the nuclear heating drives most blanket phenomena, but accurate simulation of this nuclear heating can be done only in a DT-plasma based facility; and (3) Complex Configuration with blanket/first wall/divertor inside the vacuum vessel -the consequence is low fault tolerance and long repair/replacement time.These blanket/FW development challenges result in critical consequences: (a) non-fusion facilities (laboratory experiments) need to be substantial to simulate multiple fields/multiple effects and must be accompanied by extensive modeling; (b) results from non-fusion facilities will be limited and will not fully resolve key technical issues. A DT-plasma based fusion nuclear science facility (FNSF) is required to perform "multiple effects" and "integrated" experiments in the fusion nuclear environment; and (c) the Reliability/Availability/Maintainability/Inspectability (RAMI) of fusion nuclear components is a major challenge and is one of the primary reasons why the blanket/FW will pace fusion development toward a DEMO.This paper summarizes the top technical issues and elucidates the primary challenges in developing the blanket/first wall and identifies the key R&D needs in non-fusion and fusion facilities on the path to DEMO.Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

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Section: Liquid Metal Blanket Conceptsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Blanket/first wall challenges and required R&D on the pathway to DEMO

Abdou

Morley

Smolentsev

et al. 2015

Fusion Engineering and Design

283

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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Study of surface and bulk instabilities in MHD duct flow with imitation of insulator coating imperfections

Chen

Wenhao

et al. 2006

Fusion Engineering and Design

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Liquid magnetohydrodynamics — recent progress and future directions for fusion

Morley

Smolentsev

Barleon

et al. 2000

Fusion Engineering and Design

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This paper reports on recent research into magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) phenomena applicable to fusion technology. In Europe, experiments on the relative enhancement of heat transfer in liquid metal (LM) flows in ducts with electrically thin or insulated walls show a factor of two increase due to strong shear flow boundary layers when compared to slug flow solutions. This increase has no associated increase in pressure drop. Stronger enhancement is possible with mechanical promoters, but pressure drop increased concomitantly. Electrical turbulence promoters have been shown in theory to aid in heat transfer as well, although preliminary experiments in Europe show no enhancement and a 20% increase in pressure drop. Experiments in Japan show that the maximum enhancement for liquid Lithium occurs for values of the interaction parameter in the N =10 -20 range. Other recent experimental efforts in Europe, Japan and Russia on natural convection in the presence of magnetic field, formation of insulator coatings and modeling of insulator imperfections are also described. In the USA, design and analysis of liquid systems utilizing all-liquid walls have lead to interest in turbulence simulations for heat transfer at free surfaces of both LMs and Flibe. Free surface flows are particularly sensitive to changes in MHD drag since no applied pressure can be used to drive the free surface flow. For this reason, Flibe is considered a prime candidate for liquid walls and is also considered in Japan as the top candidate for Large Helical Device (LHD) breeder blanket. Experimental work with Flibe simulants is currently underway in Japan, and under development in the USA. Analysis of LM flows under liquid wall conditions is being performed in the USA as well. In Russia some further experiments were made for divertor/first wall LM free surface flow, LM heat pipes and porous structures with Li evaporation.

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Effects of Imperfect Insulating Coatings on the Flow Partitioning between Parallel Channels in Self-Cooled Liquid Metal Blankets

Cited by 5 publications

References 7 publications

Blanket/first wall challenges and required R&D on the pathway to DEMO

Blanket/first wall challenges and required R&D on the pathway to DEMO

Study of surface and bulk instabilities in MHD duct flow with imitation of insulator coating imperfections

Liquid magnetohydrodynamics — recent progress and future directions for fusion

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