MEASUREMENT OF WAVY SURFACE OSCILLATIONS ON LIQUID METAL LITHIUM JET FOR IFMIF TARGET

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper reports on the measurement of surface waves on a liquid lithium jet and results of the study of the Li target at the International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility (IFMIF). The characteristics of the surface waves at the nozzle exit and just downstream of it were examined experimentally, since the initial growth of free surface waves exerts a definite influence on surface behavior in the downstream region. Experiments were carried out using the lithium circulation loop at Osaka University, with a focus on the free surface oscillations. These oscillations were measured using an electrocontact probe apparatus, which detects electric contacts between the probe tip and the Li surface. The apparatus was installed 15 mm downstream from the nozzle exit and was scanned along the liquid-depth direction. The contact signal recorded in the experiment was analyzed, and the wave amplitude and frequency of the surface waves were examined