Experimental Investigations of MHD Flow Tailoring for First Wall Coolant Channels of Self-Cooled Blankets

Abstract

Results of experiments on the concept of flow tailoring, the use of salient features of MHD flows in strong magnetic fields to create desirable velocity profiles in the coolant ducts of the first wall and the blanket, are reported. Proof-of-principle testing of flow tailoring has been chosen as the first joint activity on liquid metal MHD between Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) and Kernforschungszentrum Karlsruhe (KfK) because flow tailoring offers the possibility of significant improvement in blanket design and performance. The joint tests are conducted at ANL's ALEX facility on a test article fabricated at KfK. A 3-D MHD thermal hydraulic code developed at ANL is used to demonstrate the increased thermal performance of first wall coolant channels with flow tailoring. Sample results of detailed measurements of velocity and voltage distributions are compared to theoretical predictions provided by analytical tools developed at ANL with the collaboration of the University of Illinois.