CFD calculations on the IFMIF Li-jet fluid dynamics

IFMIF is an accelerator-based neutron source to test fusion candidate materials, in which two deuteron beams will strike a target of liquid lithium. The deuteron-lithium stripping reactions will produce the required energy neutron flux to simulate the fusion reactor irradiation. The lithium jet must remove up to 10 MW of beam power deposited on it, so a lithium velocity as high as 20 m/s is required in the target. In addition, in the beam power deposition area, the lithium flows over a concave backwall so that the centrifugal forces avoid lithium boiling. A stable liquid free surface is a very critical requirement of the target system, otherwise the neutron field could be altered. In this line, 1mm of amplitude has been established as the limit of lithium free surface perturbations in IFMIF present design. The experimental results of a number of water and lithium facilities together with previous fluiddynamics calculations show that the lithium free surface stability can hardly fulfill or even will exceed this design requirement. Other effects, like lithium jet thickness variation, have also been observed and predicted by calculations. Therefore, hydrodynamical stability of the lithium jet is a major issue and the possible occurrences that could affect it must be examined. To look into these problems, a simulation of the target area has been carried out by means of a CFX 5.7 code calculation. RANS (Reynolds-Averaged Navier Stokes) CFD codes are a very useful tool to supply information of main flow parameters, but there is the necessity to validate the models supporting the results by experimental data. In addition, owing to the uncertainties associated with modelling the free surface of liquid metal with the available turbulent approaches, efforts have been devoted to support the results by means of model assessment. The behaviour of the free surface and lithium jet thickness has been studied considering the liquid fraction volume as a first rough indicator of the surface disturbance. The heat flux to the back plate and pressures, temperatures, and velocities maps have been obtained. The occurrence of cavitation has been assessed and sensibility analysis carried out modifying some main flow parameters like velocity. (orig.)