Analysis of flow and MHD pressure drop in liquid metal LiPb duct with flow channel inserts

摘要

The flow channel inserts (FCIs) made by the SiC_f/SiC composites serve as electrical and thermal insulator allowing for sufficient reduction of the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) pressure drop and heat loss from the breeder into the cooling helium flows in the dual-cooled LiPb blanket. Effectiveness of the FCI as electrical and thermal insulator was assessed by using special MHD code for a fully developed MHD flow. The influence of the electrical and thermal parameters of the FCI on MHD pressure drop and flow velocity has been studied. The theoretical and experimental formulae have been presented for the pressure drop of the liquid metal LiPb inside FCIs. The comparison has beengiven between the numerical and experimental results, and the difference between them has been discussed. The results of the experiment and numerical simulation have been validated to evaluate thermal-hydraulics parameters of the liquid metal LiPb flow inside FCI, to develop measurement techniques for heat transfer of the local LiPb flow in blanket ducts.