TY - JOUR
T1 - Fabrication and characterization of SiC sandwich material for Flow Channel Inserts in HT-DCLL blanket by gel casting
AU - Pérez, Beatriz
AU - Bergara, Asier
AU - Brēķis, Artūrs
AU - Malo, Marta
AU - García-Goikoetxea, Javier
AU - Kravalis, Kalvis
AU - Hernández, Teresa
AU - Echeberria, Jon
AU - Martínez-Esnaola, José M.
AU - Platacis, Ernest
AU - García-Rosales, Carmen
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022
PY - 2022/3
Y1 - 2022/3
N2 - Flow Channel Inserts (FCIs) are key elements in the high temperature DCLL blanket concept since they provide the required thermal insulation between the He-cooled structural steel and the hot PbLi flowing at a maximum temperature of 700 °C, and the necessary electrical insulation to minimize magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) effects. In this paper, the use of SiC-sandwich material for FCIs consisting of a porous SiC core (thermal and electrical insulator) covered by a dense Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) SiC layer (protection against PbLi infiltration) has been studied. Lab-scale FCI prototypes were produced by the gel casting method and characterized in terms of thermal and electrical conductivities (the latter before and after exposure to ionizing radiation) and flexural strength. Corrosion tests under flowing PbLi at 500–700 °C in presence of a magnetic field up to 5 T were performed obtaining promising results regarding the reduction of MHD pressure drop and the compatibility of SiC and PbLi under dynamic conditions. Additionally, thermomechanical finite elements simulations were performed in a 3D channel geometry to identify black spots regarding thermal stresses.
AB - Flow Channel Inserts (FCIs) are key elements in the high temperature DCLL blanket concept since they provide the required thermal insulation between the He-cooled structural steel and the hot PbLi flowing at a maximum temperature of 700 °C, and the necessary electrical insulation to minimize magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) effects. In this paper, the use of SiC-sandwich material for FCIs consisting of a porous SiC core (thermal and electrical insulator) covered by a dense Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) SiC layer (protection against PbLi infiltration) has been studied. Lab-scale FCI prototypes were produced by the gel casting method and characterized in terms of thermal and electrical conductivities (the latter before and after exposure to ionizing radiation) and flexural strength. Corrosion tests under flowing PbLi at 500–700 °C in presence of a magnetic field up to 5 T were performed obtaining promising results regarding the reduction of MHD pressure drop and the compatibility of SiC and PbLi under dynamic conditions. Additionally, thermomechanical finite elements simulations were performed in a 3D channel geometry to identify black spots regarding thermal stresses.
KW - Corrosion by PbLi
KW - Dual-coolant lead–lithium (DCLL) blanket
KW - Flow channel insert (FCI)
KW - Gel casting
KW - Porous SiC
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85123803503
U2 - 10.1016/j.nme.2022.101124
DO - 10.1016/j.nme.2022.101124
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85123803503
SN - 2352-1791
VL - 30
JO - Nuclear Materials and Energy
JF - Nuclear Materials and Energy
M1 - 101124
ER -