Experimental study on cavitation of a liquid lithium jet for International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility

Kondo, Hiroo; Kanemura, Takuji*; Furukawa, Tomohiro  ; Hirakawa, Yasushi ; Wakai, Eiichi  ; Knaster, J.*

A liquid-Li free-surface stream flowing at 15 m/s under a high vacuum of 10 Pa is to serve as a beam target (Li target) for the planned International Fusion Materials Irradiation Facility (IFMIF) or other intense fusion neutron sources. This study focuses on cavitation-like acoustic noise which was detected in a conduit downstream from the Li target. This noise was measured by using acoustic-emission (AE) sensors that were installed at several locations of the conduit via acoustic wave guides. As a result, we found that cavitation occurred only in a narrow area where the Li target impinged on the downstream conduit.