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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2023

Magnetohydrodynamics in free surface liquid metal flow relevant to plasma-facing components

Abstract While flowing Liquid Metal (LM) Plasma-Facing Components (PFCs) represent a potentially transformative technology to enable long-pulse operation with high-power exhaust for fusion reactors, Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) drag in the conducting LM will reduce the flow speed. Experiments have been completed in the linear open-channel LMX-U device [Hvasta et al 2018 Nucl. Fusion 58 01602] for validation of MHD drag calculations with either insulating or conducting walls, with codes similar to those used to design flowing LM PFCs for a Fusion Nuclear Science Facility [Kessel et al 2019 Fusion Sci. Technol . 75 886]. We observe that the average channel flow speed decreased with the use of conducting walls and the strength of the applied transverse magnetic field. The MHD drag from the retarding Lorentz force resulted in an increase of the LM depth in the channel that ‘piled up’ near the inlet, but not the outlet. As reproduced by OpenFOAM and ANSYS CFX calculations, the magnitude and characteristics of the pileup in the flow direction increased with the applied traverse magnetic field by up to 120%, as compared to the case without an applied magnetic field, corresponding to an average velocity reduction of ∼45%. Particle tracking measurements confirmed a predicted shear in the flow speed, with the surface velocity increasing by 300%, despite the 45% drop in the average bulk speed. The MHD effect makes the bulk flow laminarized but keeps surface waves aligned along the magnetic field lines due to the anisotropy of MHD drag. The 3D fringe field and high surface velocity generate ripples around the outlet region. It was also confirmed that the MHD drag strongly depends on the conductivity of the channel walls, magnetic field, and volumetric flow rate, in agreement with the simulations and a developed analytical model. These validated models are now available to begin to determine the conditions under which the ideal LM channel design of a constant flow speed and fluid depth could be attained.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Theoretical background for a fast flow liquid metal divertor experiment

Tokamak Energy has developed a liquid metal experiment featuring a lithium loop that circulates lithium through the HIDRA stellarator at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The loop includes a replaceable divertor module, designed to demonstrate fast, steady, open-surface liquid metal flow. The first-generation divertor module was deliberately kept simple—an open-surface chute—to enable modelling validation and establish a benchmark for future design iterations. This paper presents the theoretical foundations of the experimental design. Specifically, we identify module overflooding as the primary challenge and determine the limits of fluid velocity and magnetic field strength necessary to prevent it. The steady-state flow patterns are expected to exhibit relatively slow surface velocities, which do not fully align with the fast-flow concept. Nevertheless, the experiment is designed to achieve controllable, continuous open-surface flow within an operational fusion device, representing a significant step toward the development of liquid metal divertor technology.

Experiment↗
NASA NTRS1959

Heat Transfer in a Liquid Metal Flowing Turbulently through a Channel with a Step Function Boundary Temperature

An analytical heat transfer solution is derived and evaluated for the general case of a turbulently flowing liquid metal which suddenly encounters a step-function boundary temperature in a channel system. Local Nusselt moduli, dimensionless mixed-mean fluid temperatures, and arithmetic-mean Nusselt moduli are given as functions of Reynolds and Prandtl moduli and a dimensionless axial-distance modulus. These solutions are compared with known solutions of more specific systems as well as with a set of experimental liquid-metal heat transfer data for a thermal entrance region.

Poppendiek, H. F.↗
DOE OSTI2020

2-D moving mesh modeling of lithium dryout in open surface liquid metal flow applications

Liquid lithium displays increasing promise as a replacement for solid plasma facing components (PFCs) in fusion device applications. The Liquid Metal Infused Trench (LiMIT) system, developed at the University of Illinois (UIUC), has demonstrated how thermoelectric magnetohydrodynamics (TEMHD) can be harnessed to drive liquid lithium flow in an open surface PFC. However, in the highest heat flux applications, large local acceleration is created via TEMHD, and the sudden increase in velocity can cause the liquid level to expose the underlying solid, eliminating the protective benefits of the lithium. In order to study potential mitigation strategies, a 2-D COMSOL Multiphysics model was developed using the moving mesh module to capture free surface flow. The model depicts the development of the dryout phenomenon for 2 test cases – slow (1 cm/s) and medium (10 cm/s) flow in 5 mm deep trenches – including the liquid level reduction under the high heat flux and the pileup of slower flow both upstream and downstream of the heat stripe. The effectiveness of trench shaping dryout mitigation strategies is examined. For the slow flow case, it is shown that a 1.8 mm ledge placed under the heat stripe will stop dryout, and for the medium flow case, a 2.7 mm ledge is required to mitigate the effect. This model can be used to identify strategies for increasing the viable heat load for open surface liquid lithium PFCs.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Plasma facing components with capillary porous system and liquid metal coolant flow

Liquid metal can create a renewable protective surface on plasma facing components (PFC), with an additional advantage of deuterium pumping and the prospect of tritium extraction if liquid lithium (LL) is used and maintained below 450 °C, the temperature above which LL vapor pressure begins to contaminate the plasma. LM can also be utilized as an efficient coolant, driven by the Lorentz force created with the help of the magnetic field in fusion devices. Capillary porous systems can serve as a conduit of LM and simultaneously provide stabilization of the LM flow, protecting against spills into the plasma. Recently, a combination of a fast-flowing LM cooling system with a porous plasma facing wall (CPSF) was investigated [A. Khodak and R. Maingi, Nucl. Mater. Energy 26, 100935 (2021)]. The system takes an advantage of a magnetohydrodynamics velocity profile as well as attractive LM properties to promote efficient heat transfer from the plasma to the LL at low pumping energy cost, relative to the incident heat flux on the PFC. In the case of a disruption leading to excessive heat flux from the plasma to the LM PFCs, LL evaporation can stabilize the PFC surface temperature, due to high evaporation heat and apparent vapor shielding. The proposed CPSF was optimized analytically for the conditions of a fusion nuclear science facility [Kessel et al., Fusion Sci. Technol. 75, 886 (2019)]: 10 T toroidal field and 10 MW/m 2 peak incident heat flux. Finally, computational fluid dynamics analysis confirmed that a CPSF system with 2.5 mm square channels can pump enough LL so that no additional coolant is needed.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Plasma Facing Components with Capillary Porous System and Liquid Metal Coolant Flow

Liquid metal can create a renewable protective surface on plasma facing components (PFC), with an additional advantage of deuterium pumping and the prospect of tritium extraction if liquid lithium (LL) is used and maintained below 450 C, the temperature above which LL vapor pressure begins to contaminate the plasma. LM can also be utilized as an efficient coolant, driven by the Lorentz force created with the help of the magnetic field in fusion devices. Capillary porous systems can serve as a conduit of LM and simultaneously provide stabilization of the LM flow, protecting against spills into the plasma. Recently a combination of a fast-flowing LM cooling system with a porous plasma facing wall (CPSF) was investigated [Khodak and Maingi (2021)]. The system takes an advantage of a magnetohydrodynamics velocity profile, as well as attractive LM properties to promote efficient heat transfer from the plasma to the LL at low pumping energy cost, relative to the incident heat flux on the PFC. In case of a disruption leading to excessive heat flux from the plasma to the LM PFCs, LL evaporation can stabilize the PFC surface temperature, due to high evaporation heat and apparent vapor shielding. The proposed CPSF was optimized analytically for the conditions of a Fusion Nuclear Science Facility [Kessel et al. (2019)]: 10T toroidal field and 10 MW/m2 peak incident heat flux. Computational fluid dynamics analysis confirmed that a CPSF system with 2.5 mm square channels can pump enough LL so that no additional coolant is needed.

High Heat Flux↗
DOE OSTI2020

Exploration of Sn 70 Li 30 alloy as possible material for flowing liquid metal plasma facing components

As an advanced alternative to solid materials, Liquid Metals (LM) may offer more resilient and feasible Plasma Facing Components (PFCs). Particularly, regarding the unavoidable material erosion/degradation produced by particle/heat fluxes in future fusion devices where much longer duty cycles are expected. Furthermore, configurations that propose a flowing LM surface can add the advantage of a continuously fresh and clean layer facing the plasma. Although lithium is the most widely tested option, tin-lithium (SnLi) alloys have been proposed to attempt to combine the positive characteristics of both pure elements and ameliorate the specific issues of lithium. In this work, the potential use of Sn70Li30 alloy in such flowing concepts has been explored by addressing several preliminary and mandatory aspects for its utilization. Key issues such as wettability and compatibility of the alloy with relevant substrates have been studied in a multidisciplinary approach. The data obtained from deposited liquid tin-lithium droplets indicates approximate wetting temperatures of 360 °C, 390 °C and 405 °C for the fresh alloy on 316 stainless steel, molybdenum, and tungsten, respectively. However, the alloy contamination appeared to strongly affect the wetting characteristics of materials, increasing their wetting temperature by ~130 °C in the worst observed cases. Interestingly, in some instances, the instability of the liquid alloy surface was observed in the form of sudden gaseous ejection. The deposited droplets were posteriorly characterized in terms of absolute composition and depth profile by Inductively Coupled PlasmaOptical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) and Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS-ToF). Additionally, the nature and composition of the boundaries between the substrates and alloy microparticles was investigated by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDS), and 3D Laser microscopy. The overall results of this post-mortem characterization revealed that first signs of corrosion induced by both alloy elements (lithium-chromium association and iron-tin intermetallic mixing) were present on 316 stainless steel after short exposures (≤3 h) at temperatures lower than 550 °C. Conversely, molybdenum and tungsten showed good compatibility with the alloy in equivalent conditions. The global implications of these results are finally addressed, focusing on the future perspectives and the more viable scenarios for the eventual utilization of these alloys in flowing liquid metal configurations.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Experimental, numerical and analytical evaluation of j × B -thrust for fast-liquid-metal-flow divertor systems of nuclear fusion devices

Abstract Divertor systems of fusion devices are exposed to intense heat loads from plasmas, which degrade solid plasma-facing components. Fast liquid metal (LM) flow divertors may be more advantageous for this purpose but have risk of piling due to intense magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) drag. However, severe deceleration of the flow could be countered with the injection of currents that are transverse to external magnetic fields, allowing to thrust the flow with j × B (Lorentz) forces. Given that the injection of currents as an approach to propel LM-divertor flows has remained experimentally understudied, this article focuses on the evaluation of j × B -thrust and finding its drawbacks. j × B -thrust was experimentally tested with free-surface-LM flows, a vertical magnetic field and an externally applied current. Experiments were reviewed with a theoretical model, showing agreement in the trends of theory and experiments. Full 3D-MHD-free-surface-flow simulations were also performed with FreeMHD and confirmed the sensitivity to unstable flow behavior in LM systems when applying external currents. Furthermore, excessive power requirements are expected for the implementation of j × B -thrust at the reactor scale, making these systems inefficient for commercial devices. This paper evidences that the simple operation of a LM-flow divertor with j × B -thrust, without any of the instabilities caused from reactor plasmas or parasitic currents, already presents intrinsic challenges.

Magnetohydrodynamics↗
NASA NTRS1969

Magnetohydrodynamic generators using two-phase liquid-metal flows

Two-phase flow generator cycle of a magnetohydrodynamic /MHD/ generator uses a working fluid which is compressible and treated as an expanding gas. The two-phase mixture passes from the heat source through the MHD generator, where the expansion process takes place and the electrical energy is extracted.

Petrick, M.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Review of two-phase flow liquid metal MHD and turbine energy conversion concepts for space applications

Two-phase energy conversion systems could be liquid metal magnetohydrodynamic (LMMHD) with no moving parts or two-phase turbines. Both of them are inherently simple and reliable devices which can operate in a wide range of temperatures. Their thermal efficiency is significantly higher than for conventional cycles due to reheat of vapor by liquid phase during the energy converting expansion. Often they can be more easily coupled to heat sources. These features make two-phase systems particularly promising for space application. Insufficient research has been done in the past. So far achieved LMMHD generator and two-phase turbine efficiencies are in the 40 to 45 percent range. However if certain fluid dynamic and design problems are resolved these efficiencies could be brought into the range of 70 percent. This would make two-phase systems extremely competitive as compared to present or other proposed conversion system for space. Accordingly, well directed research effort on potential space applications of two-phase conversion systems would be a wise investment.

Fabris, Gracio↗