Free-surface characteristics of a liquid Li wall jet

Kanemura, Takuji; Kondo, Hiroo; Sugiura, Hirokazu*; Yoshihashi, Sachiko*; Hoashi, Eiji*; Muroga, Takeo*; Furukawa, Tomohiro  ; Hirakawa, Yasushi ; Wakai, Eiichi  ; Horiike, Hiroshi*

In this paper, free-surface characteristics of liquid Li wall jets studied for the Li target of the International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility (IFMIF) are comprehensively reviewed. In the development of the IFMIF Li target, scientific understanding of free-surface wave characteristics and development of diagnostic tools for measuring those characteristics were critical issues. Other liquid metal applications in the fusion engineering, such as a liquid first wall or a liquid diverter, have common issues as well. At present, the authors have developed diagnostic tools to measure all the wave characteristics and average jet thickness, and have shown applicable probability distributions to those wave parameters as well as statistical characteristic values of them, leading to the validation of the stable IFMIF Li target. Our research outcomes can be applied to not only the IFMIF Li target, but also innovative liquid metal diverter or first wall concepts.