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Title: Fabrication of a vanadium-stainless steel test section for MHD testing of insulator coatings in flowing lithium

Journal Article · · Fusion Technology
OSTI ID:447345
; ; ; ;  [1];  [2]; ;  [3];  [4]
  1. Argonne National Lab., IL (United States)
  2. General Atomics, San Diego, CA (United States)
  3. McDonnell Douglas Aerospace, St. Louis, MO (United States)
  4. Century Tubes, Inc., San Diego, CA (United States)

To test the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) pressure drop reduction performance of candidate insulator coatings for the ITER Vanadium/Lithium Breeding Blanket, a test section comprised of a V-4Cr-4Ti liner inside a stainless steel pipe was designed and fabricated. Theoretically, the MHD pressure drop reduction benefit resulting from an electrically insulating coating on a vanadium-lined pipe is identical to the benefit derived from an insulated pipe fabricated of vanadium alone. A duplex test section design consisting of a V alloy liner encased in a SS pressure boundary provided protection for vanadium from atmospheric contamination during operation at high temperature and obviated any potential problems with vanadium welding while also minimizing the amount of V alloy material required. From the MHD and insulator coating point of view, the test section outer SS wall and inner V alloy liner can be modeled simply as a wall having a sandwich construction. Two 52.3 mm OD x 2.9 m long V-alloy tubes were fabricated by Century Tubes from 64 mm x 200 mm x 1245 mm extrusions produced by Teledyne Wah Chang. The test section`s duplex structure was subsequently fabricated at Century Tubes by drawing down a SS pipe (2 inch schedule 10) over one of the 53.2 mm diameter V tubes. 2 refs., 2 figs., 2 tabs.

Research Organization:
Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
W-31109-ENG-38
OSTI ID:
447345
Report Number(s):
CONF-9606116-; ISSN 0748-1896; TRN: 97:005317
Journal Information:
Fusion Technology, Vol. 30, Issue 3; Conference: Annual meeting of the American Nuclear Society (ANS), Reno, NV (United States), 16-20 Jun 1996; Other Information: PBD: 1996
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English