Bubble formation in heavy liquid metals: Evaluation of conventional gas injection methods with respect to a suitability under ESS relevant conditions


Bubble formation in heavy liquid metals: Evaluation of conventional gas injection methods with respect to a suitability under ESS relevant conditions

Eckert, S.; Gerbeth, G.; Guttek, B.; Stechenmesser, H.

The use of a liquid metal target in the concept of a new generation of spallation sources is recommended due to a number of obvious advantages such as a high heat removal capacity, no structural radiation damage of the target material, no water presence in the proton beam interaction zone, etc.. In the regime of a pulsed proton beam at high repetition rates a considerable high instantaneous power is injected into the fluid during very short time periods. This fact gives rise to strong thermal shock waves resulting in substantial stress loads on the container wall. The addition of small Helium bubbles to the flow is considered as a method to diminish this problem by increasing the fluid compressibility. This study reviews some standard methods of gas
injection and checks their suitability for the application in heavy liquid metals with a high value of surface tension. Another important aspect discussed here is the availability of measuring techniques allowing a reliable characterisation of tiny bubbles in opaque liquid metals.

  • Open Access Logo ESS 98-72-T, August 1998
    ISSN: 1436-3976

Permalink: https://www.hzdr.de/publications/Publ-1957
Publ.-Id: 1957