Engineering design and development of lead lithium loop for thermo-fluid MHD studies

Highlights: • An experimental set up is being developed for studying thermo-fluid MHD phenomenon. • The maximum magnetic field achievable is 1.4 T in the polar area of 400 × 1000 mm² and a pole gap of 370 mm. • Detailed engineering analysis has been performed for the design optimisation of components & loop. • Pipe flexibility analysis has been performed to accommodate the thermal stresses in the loop piping. • Selection of MHD test mock ups has been done for first phase of MHD experiments. -- Abstract: In the frame of the design and development of Liquid breeder blankets, a number of R & D activities are in progress in the area of liquid metal technology development. In presence of strong plasma confining toroidal magnetic field, motion of electrically conducting liquid metal leads to Magneto Hydro Dynamic (MHD) phenomena, as a consequence of which liquid metal flow profile changes inside the flow channels of liquid breeder blankets and additional pressure drop occurs due to the flow opposing Lorentz force (J × B). For the design and development of liquid breeder blankets, 3D MHD flow needs to be studied for various flow configurations as present in the liquid breeder blankets. A lead lithium (Pb-Li) MHD loop is being developed at IPR to perform MHD experiments for Pb-Li flow in various flow geometry such as U-bend, transition zones, circular pipes, sudden expansion and contraction, etc. The test mock ups will be placed in a uniform magnetic field up to 1.4 T, produced by a C-shaped Iron core electromagnet with a pole gap of 370 mm. Both Isothermal and thermo-fluid MHD experiments are being planned for MHD database generation and code validation.