Is it possible to apply a liquid metal jet flowing at a velocity similar to a tap water flow as a heat receiving device that can withstand the ultra-high heat load in the fusion reactor?

• Project/Area Number: 16K14530
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Nuclear fusion studies
• Research Institution: National Institute for Fusion Science
• Principal Investigator: Miyazawa Junichi 核融合科学研究所, ヘリカル研究部, 教授 (50300728)
• Research Collaborator: GOTO Takuya 核融合科学研究所, ヘリカル研究部, 助教 (30509518) ; TOKITANI Masayuki 核融合科学研究所, ヘリカル研究部, 助教 (30455208) ; HAMAJI Yukinori 核融合科学研究所, ヘリカル研究部, 助教 (60761070) ; YANAGI Nagato 核融合科学研究所, ヘリカル研究部, 教授 (70230258)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2018)
• Budget Amount: ¥3,640,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥840,000); Fiscal Year 2018: ¥910,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥210,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥1,820,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥420,000); Fiscal Year 2016: ¥910,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥210,000)
• Keywords: 核融合炉 / ダイバータ / 液体金属 / アーク放電 / 真空中放電 / 超高熱負荷 / MHD効果 / 熱負荷 / 粒子排気

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We are proposing a new concept of liquid metal shower divertor named the REVOLVER-D as a heat receiving device for the future fusion reactor. To demonstrate the basic concept of the REVOLVER-D, experiments applying Ar TIG arc discharges on the liquid metal jets of low melting point metal or tin have been performed. The liquid metal jets showed no change in its color and no weld fume was observed when the arc discharge was applied. These results show that a liquid metal jet has good heat load characteristics applicable to the divertor for the future fusion reactor.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

高レベル廃棄物や二酸化炭素の発生がない核融合炉は、人類の永続に必須のエネルギー源である。核融合炉を実現するために解決すべき課題の一つに、プラズマからの熱負荷が固体材料では耐えられないほど大きい、という問題がある。液体金属流を受熱機器（ダイバータ）に応用することでこの問題を解決できる可能性があり、本研究はその基礎を与えるものである。真空中で液体金属噴流を連続生成し、これにアーク放電プラズマによる熱負荷を与えるという本研究の実験は世界初の試みであり、重要な学術的意義を有する。液体金属流の受熱機器への応用というアイディアは核融合炉以外にも適用可能であり、本研究のもたらす社会的意義は大きいと言える。

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Maintainability of the helical reactor FFHR-c1 equipped with the liquid metal divertor and cartridge-type blankets (2018)
  • Author(s): Junichi Miyazawa, Takuya Goto, Hitoshi Tamura, Teruya Tanaka, Nagato Yanagi, Tananori Murase, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Suguru Masuzaki, Takeru Ohgo, Akio Sagara, the FFHR Design Group
  • Journal Title: Fusion Engineering and Design Volume: 136 Pages: 1278-1285
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.fusengdes.2018.04.118
  • NAID: 120007126282
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Study on Jets Stabilized by Inserting Internal Flow Resistances for the Liquid Metal Divertor in the Helical Fusion Reactor (2018)
  • Author(s): Takeru OHGO, Junichi MIYAZAWA, Takuya GOTO and Takanori MURASE
  • Journal Title: Plasma and Fusion Research Volume: 13 Issue: 0 Pages: 1405003-1405003
  • DOI: 10.1585/pfr.13.1405003
  • NAID: 130006434139
  • ISSN: 1880-6821
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] Cartridge-Type Helical Blankets Aiming at Easy Construction and Maintenance for the FFHR-d1 (2017)
  • Author(s): Junichi MIYAZAWA, Hitoshi TAMURA, Teruya TANAKA, Takanori MURASE, Takuya GOTO, Nagato YANAGI, Ryuichi SAKAMOTO, Akio SAGARA and the FFHR Design Group
  • Journal Title: Plasma and Fusion Research Volume: 12 Issue: 0 Pages: 1405017-1405017
  • DOI: 10.1585/pfr.12.1405017
  • NAID: 130006897726
  • ISSN: 1880-6821
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] Conceptual design of a liquid metal limiter/divertor system for the FFHR-d1 (2017)
  • Author(s): J. Miyazawa, T. Goto, T. Murase, T. Ohgo, N. Yanagi, H. Tanaka, H. Tamura,T. Tanaka, S. Masuzaki, R. Sakamoto, J. Yagi, A. Sagara, the FFHR Design Group
  • Journal Title: Fusion Engineering and Design Volume: 125 Pages: 227-238
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.fusengdes.2017.07.003
  • NAID: 120007126283
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Presentation] Strategies toward the Realization of the Helical Fusion Reactor FFHR-c1 (2018)
  • Author(s): Junichi Miyazawa, Hitoshi Tamura, Teruya Tanaka, Takanori Murase, Takuya Goto, Nagato Yanagi, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Akio Sagara and the FFHR Design Group
  • Organizer: 30th Symposium on Fusion Technology
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Experimental study on MHD effect of liquid metal sheath jet for the liquid metal divertor REVOLVER-D (2018)
  • Author(s): Takuya Goto, Junichi Miyazawa, Takeru Ohgo
  • Organizer: 30th Symposium on Fusion Technology
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] A study on the thermal property of jets for liquid metal divertor REVOLVER-D (2018)
  • Author(s): Takeru Ohgo, Junichi Miyazawa, Takuya Goto, Takanori Murase
  • Organizer: 30th Symposium on Fusion Technology
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Pebble manufacturing experiments by shot tower method with high dynamic viscosity liquid for the fusible metal pebble divertor (2018)
  • Author(s): Takeru Ohgo, Junichi Miyazawa, Takuya Goto
  • Organizer: The 27th International Toki Conference on Plasma and Fusion Research
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] ヘリカル体積中性子源FFHR-b1の役割と課題 (2018)
  • Author(s): 宮澤順一, 田中照也, 後藤拓也, 田村仁, 柳長門, 相良明男, FFHR設計グループ
  • Organizer: 第35回プラズマ核融合学会年会
• [Presentation] 高粘度液体を用いた散弾製造法による 易融金属ペブルダイバータのためのペブル製造方法に関する研究 (2018)
  • Author(s): 大胡武，後藤拓也，宮澤順一
  • Organizer: 第35回プラズマ核融合学会年会
• [Presentation] Maintainability of the Helical Reactor FFHR Equipped with the Liquid Metal Divertor (2017)
  • Author(s): Junichi Miyazawa, Takuya Goto, Takeru Ohgo, Tananori Murase, Hitoshi Tamura, Teruya Tanaka, Nagato Yanagi, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Suguru Masuzaki, Akio Sagara, and the FFHR Design Group
  • Organizer: 第13回 International Symposium on Fusion Nuclear Technology (ISFNT-13)
  • Int'l Joint Research / Invited
• [Presentation] Conceptual Design of a Compact Helical Fusion Reactor FFHR-c1 Equipped with Challenging Options (2017)
  • Author(s): Junichi Miyazawa, Takuya Goto, Hitoshi Tamura, Teruya Tanaka, Nagato Yanagi, Yoshiro Terazaki, Takanori Murase, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Akio Sagara and the FFHR Design Group
  • Organizer: Plasma Conference 2017 (PLASMA2017)
• [Presentation] Stabilization of Shower Jets by Inserting Internal Flow Resistances for the Liquid Metal Divertor in the Helical Fusion Reactor FFHR-d1 (2017)
  • Author(s): Takeru Ohgo, Junichi Miyazawa, Takuya Goto, Takanori Murase
  • Organizer: 第13回 International Symposium on Fusion Nuclear Technology (ISFNT-13)
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Initial Results of Liquid Metal Circulation Experiment for Realization of the Liquid Metal Divertor REVOLVER-D (2017)
  • Author(s): Takuya Goto, Junichi Miyazawa, Takeru Ohgo
  • Organizer: Joint Meeting of 26th International Toki Conference and 11th Asia Plasma and Fusion Association Conference
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] A Study on the Thermal Property of the Jet with Internal Flow Resistance for Liquid Metal Divertor REVOLVER-D (2017)
  • Author(s): Takeru Ohgo, Junichi Miyazawa, Takuya Goto
  • Organizer: Joint Meeting of 26th International Toki Conference and 11th Asia Plasma and Fusion Association Conference
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Basic Concept of the Ergodic Limiter/Divertor Consisting of Showers of Molten Tin Sheath Jets (2016)
  • Author(s): J. Miyazawa, T. Goto, T. Ohgo, T. Murase, N. Yanagi, H. Tamura, T. Tanaka, R. Sakamoto, S. Masuzaki, H. Tanaka, A. Sagara, and the FFHR Design Group
  • Organizer: The 1st International "All-about-Divertor" Symposium
  • Place of Presentation: Kyoto International Community House
  • Year and Date: 2016-10-14
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] 液体金属ダイバータREVOLVER-Dの概念設計とR&Dにおける最近の成果 (2016)
  • Author(s): J. Miyazawa, T. Goto, T. Ohgo, N. Yanagi, T. Murase, H. Tamura, T. Tanaka, H. Tanaka, R. Sakamoto, S. Masuzaki, A. Sagara, and the FFHR Design Group
  • Organizer: 第11回 核融合エネルギー連合講演会
  • Place of Presentation: 九州大学伊都キャンパス椎木講堂
  • Year and Date: 2016-07-14
• [Remarks] 液体金属を使って高温に耐えられる壁を作る！ －スズシャワーダイバータの開発－
  • URL: http://www.nifs.ac.jp/lhdreport/mailinfo_266.html