Experimental study on liquid metal free surface flow under magnetic and electric field for nuclear fusion

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xu Meng ◽  
Z H Wang ◽  
Dengke Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Free Surface ◽  
Liquid Metal ◽  
Electric Field ◽  
Liquid Film ◽  
Metal Flow ◽  
First Wall ◽  
Flowing Liquid ◽  
Liquid Metal Flow ◽  
The Magnetic Field

Abstract In the future application of nuclear fusion, the liquid metal flows are considered to be an attractive option of the first wall of the Tokamak which can effectively remove impurities and improve the confinement of plasma. Moreover, the flowing liquid metal can solve the problem of the corrosion of the solid first wall due to high thermal load and particle discharge. In the magnetic confinement fusion reactor, the liquid metal flow experiences strong magnetic and electric, fields from plasma. In the present paper, an experiment has been conducted to explore the influence of electric and magnetic fields on liquid metal flow. The direction of electric current is perpendicular to that of the magnetic field direction, and thus the Lorentz force is upward or downward. A laser profilometer (LP) based on the laser triangulation technique is used to measure the thickness of the liquid film of Galinstan. The phenomenon of the liquid column from the free surface is observed by the high-speed camera under various flow rates, intensities of magnetic field and electric field. Under a constant external magnetic field, the liquid column appears at the position of the incident current once the external current exceeds a critical value, which is inversely proportional to the magnetic field. The thickness of the flowing liquid film increases with the intensities of magnetic field, electric field, and Reynolds number. The thickness of the liquid film at the incident current position reaches a maximum value when the force is upward. The distribution of liquid metal in the channel presents a parabolic shape with high central and low marginal. Additionally, the splashing, i.e., the detachment of liquid metal is not observed in the present experiment, which suggests a higher critical current for splashing to occur.

Liquid-metal flow in a rectangular duct with a strong non-uniform magnetic field

1984 ◽  
Vol 139 ◽  
pp. 309-324 ◽  
Author(s):  
John C. Petrykowski ◽  
John S. Walker
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Liquid Metal ◽  
Metal Flow ◽  
Velocity Profiles ◽  
Transverse Magnetic ◽  
Secondary Flows ◽  
Rectangular Duct ◽  
Liquid Metal Flow ◽  
Displacement Thickness ◽  
The Magnetic Field

Liquid-metal flows in rectangular ducts having electrically insulating tops and bottoms and perfectly conducting sides and in the presence of strong, polar, transverse magnetic fields are examined. Solutions are presented for the boundary layers adjacent to the sides that are parallel to the magnetic field. Overshoots in the radial velocity profiles show that the side layers have zero displacement thickness and do not perturb the inviscid core. Very weak secondary flows involve four significant vortices, as reflected in the polar velocity profiles.

Liquid-metal flow in an insulated rectangular expansion with a strong transverse magnetic field

1995 ◽  
Vol 305 ◽  
pp. 111-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
John S. Walker ◽  
Basil F. Picologlou
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Liquid Metal ◽  
Boundary Layers ◽  
Applied Magnetic Field ◽  
Metal Flow ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Liquid Metal Flow ◽  
Constant Area ◽  
Large Expansion ◽  
The Magnetic Field

This paper concerns a steady liquid-metal flow through an expansion or contraction with electrically insulated walls, with rectangular cross-sections and with a uniform, transverse, externally applied magnetic field. One pair of duct walls is parallel to the applied magnetic field, and the other pair diverges or converges symmetrically about a plane which is perpendicular to the field. The magnetic field is assumed to be sufficiently strong that inertial effects can be neglected and that the well-known Hartmann-layer solution is valid for the boundary layers on the walls which are not parallel to the magnetic field. A general treatment of three-dimensional flows in constant-area ducts is presented. An error in the solution of Walker et al. (1972) is corrected. A smooth expansion between two different constant-area ducts is treated. In the expansion the flow is concentrated inside the boundary layers on the sides which are parallel to the magnetic field, while the flow at the centre of the duct is very small and may be negative for a large expansion slope. In each constant-area duct, the flow evolves from a concentration near the sides at the junction with the expansion to the appropriate fully developed flow far upstream or downstream of the expansion. The pressure drop associated with the three-dimensional flow increases as the slope. increases.

Liquid-metal flow in a backward elbow in the plane of a strong magnetic field

1991 ◽  
Vol 227 ◽  
pp. 273-292 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. J. Moon ◽  
T. Q. Hua ◽  
J. S. Walker
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Field ◽  
Liquid Metal ◽  
Strong Magnetic Field ◽  
Metal Flow ◽  
Interior Layer ◽  
Viscous Effects ◽  
Liquid Metal Flow ◽  
Constant Area ◽  
Field Lines ◽  
The Magnetic Field

This paper treats a liquid-metal flow through a sharp elbow connecting two constant-area, rectangular ducts with thin metal walls. There is a uniform, strong magnetic field in the plane of the ducts’ centrelines, and the velocity component normal to the magnetic field is in opposite directions upstream and downstream of the elbow. The magnetic field is sufficiently strong that inertial effects are negligible everywhere and viscous effects are confined to boundary layers and to an interior layer lying along the magnetic field lines through the inside corner of the elbow. The interior layer involves large velocities parallel to the magnetic field and carries roughly half of the flow between the upstream and downstream ducts for the case considered.

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