Magnetohydrodynamic flow in a manifold and multiple rectangular coolant ducts of self-cooled blankets

Journal Article · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1991 · Fusion Technology; (United States)

OSTI ID:5182897

Hua, T Q; Picologlou, B F ^[1]

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1. Argonne National Lab., IL (United States). Fusion Power Program

This paper investigates the magnetohydrodynamic flow of a liquid metal through a manifold that feeds an array of electrically coupled rectangular ducts with thin conducting walls. This geometry is typical of an inlet/outlet manifold servicing arrays of poloidal coolant channels in tokamak self-cooled blankets. The interactions parameter and Hartmann number are assumed to be large, whereas the magnetic Reynolds number is assumed to be small. Under these assumptions, which are relevant to liquid-metal flows in self-cooled tokamak blankets, viscous and inertial effects are confined to very thin boundary layers adjacent to the walls. The analysis for obtaining three-dimensional solutions outside these layers is described, and numerical solutions are presented. Electrical coupling between the column manifold and the coolant ducts, as well as coupling among the coolant ducts themselves, necessitates simultaneous solutions for the multiple channels, and uniquely determines the partition of the total flow rate among the coolant ducts. Control of flow partition that may be required for optimal cooling of the first wall and blanket is demonstrated and discussed. The pressure drop resulting from the disturbance associated with the manifold is calculated and is shown to be minimal.

• OSTI ID: 5182897
• Journal Information: Fusion Technology; (United States), Journal Name: Fusion Technology; (United States) Vol. 19:1; ISSN 0748-1896; ISSN FUSTE
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700201 -- Fusion Power Plant Technology-- Blanket Engineering
700204* -- Fusion Power Plant Technology-- Cooling Systems
BREEDING BLANKETS
CLOSED PLASMA DEVICES
COOLANTS
COOLING
COOLING SYSTEMS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SYSTEMS
FIRST WALL
FLUID MECHANICS
FLUIDS
HYDRODYNAMICS
LIQUID METALS
LIQUIDS
MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS
MECHANICS
METALS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR COOLING SYSTEMS
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES
THERMONUCLEAR REACTOR WALLS
TOKAMAK DEVICES