Thermal performance and flow instabilities in a multi-channel, helium-cooled, porous metal divertor module
Pressurized helium is under consideration for cooling Langmuir probes and plasma facing components of next generation fusion experiments. Helium is non-corrosive, does not activate, separated easily from tritium, vacuum compatible, and undergoes no phase transformations. Recently, the thermal perfor...
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Published in | Fusion engineering and design Vol. 49; pp. 407 - 415 |
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Main Authors | , , , , |
Format | Journal Article Conference Proceeding |
Language | English |
Published |
Amsterdam
Elsevier B.V
01.11.2000
New York, NY Elsevier Science |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Pressurized helium is under consideration for cooling Langmuir probes and plasma facing components of next generation fusion experiments. Helium is non-corrosive, does not activate, separated easily from tritium, vacuum compatible, and undergoes no phase transformations. Recently, the thermal performance of a bare-copper, dual-channel, helium-cooled, porous metal divertor mock-up, designed and fabricated by Thermacore Inc., was evaluated on Sandia's 30 kW Electron Beam Test System equipped with a closed helium flow loop. The module uses short circumferential flow paths to minimize pressure drops and pumping requirements while achieving optimal thermal performance by providing a very large effective surface area. The module was tested under both uniform and non-uniform heat loads to assess the effects of mass flow instabilities. It survived a maximum absorbed heat flux of 29.5 MW/m
2 on a 2-cm
2 area. Results on the power sharing between the two channels is presented and compared with that of a previous design. These experimental results coupled with appropriate modeling provide insight on flow instabilities in multi-channel, helium-cooled heat exchangers. |
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Bibliography: | ObjectType-Article-2 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-2 ObjectType-Feature-1 content type line 23 SourceType-Conference Papers & Proceedings-1 ObjectType-Conference-3 |
ISSN: | 0920-3796 1873-7196 |
DOI: | 10.1016/S0920-3796(00)00243-X |