Liquid momentum removal using rod arrays applied to the HYLIFE reactor

Conference · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1986 · Trans. Am. Nucl. Soc.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5636658

Raffray, A R; Hoffman, M A

This work related to the multiple liquid-lithium-jet blanket concept of the High Yield Lithium Fusion Energy (HYLIFE) reactor. The fusion microexplosion would result in part of the liquid lithium being propelled toward the vacuum chamber wall where the resulting impact would cause high peak hoop stresses. In an attempt to reduce these peak stresses, it was proposed to set up an array of bars between the vacuum vessel first wall and the liquid jets so that part of the liquid momentum would be removed as the liquid passed through the bars. The bars would have a shorter lifetime than the vacuum vessel due to the liquid impact so that they should be considered as a type of sacrificial and replaceable first-wall shield. Results for the momentum removal during the initial transient impact were taken from the literature. These results were then nondimensionalized and used in combination with the steady-state results from our experiments to estimate the percentage of liquid momentum removed from large liquid slugs. For example, for the staggered array with a rod-to-liquid slug diameter ratio of approx. 0.08, the fractional momentum removed approaches approx. 12% for long liquid slugs. The results from this initial scoping study are encouraging when applied to the HYLIFE reactor since, for ferritic and austenitic steels, the rather flat fatigue curves at a higher number of stress cycles suggest that a small decrease in the peak stress could significantly increase the fatigue life of the vacuum vessel.

• Research Organization: Univ. of California, Los Angeles
• OSTI ID: 5636658
• Report Number(s): CONF-860610-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Trans. Am. Nucl. Soc.; (United States) Journal Volume: 52
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700208* -- Fusion Power Plant Technology-- Inertial Confinement Technology
ALKALI METALS
BREEDING BLANKETS
ELEMENTS
FLUIDS
ION BEAM FUSION REACTORS
LIQUID METALS
LIQUIDS
LITHIUM
MECHANICAL STRUCTURES
METALS
MOMENTUM TRANSFER
REACTOR COMPONENTS
STRESSES
SUPPORTS
THERMONUCLEAR REACTORS