Space- and time-resolved resistive measurements of liquid metal wall thickness

In a fusion reactor internally coated with liquid metal, it will be important to diagnose the thickness of the liquid at various locations in the vessel, as a function of time, and possibly respond to counteract undesired bulging or depletion. The electrical conductance between electrodes immersed i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Review of scientific instruments 2016-11, Vol.87 (11), p.11D427-11D427
Main Authors: Mirhoseini, S. M. H., Volpe, F. A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
Casting
CONTAINERS
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
ELECTRODES
INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
LIQUID METALS
LITHIUM
PLASMA
Resistance
Scientific apparatus & instruments
THERMONUCLEAR REACTORS
THICKNESS
TIME DEPENDENCE
TIME RESOLUTION
Wall thickness
WALLS
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Summary:In a fusion reactor internally coated with liquid metal, it will be important to diagnose the thickness of the liquid at various locations in the vessel, as a function of time, and possibly respond to counteract undesired bulging or depletion. The electrical conductance between electrodes immersed in the liquid metal can be used as a simple proxy for the local thickness. Here a matrix of electrodes is shown to provide spatially and temporally resolved measurements of liquid metal thickness in the absence of plasma. First a theory is developed for m × n electrodes, and then it is experimentally demonstrated for 3 × 1 electrodes, as the liquid stands still or is agitated by means of a shaker. The experiments were carried out with Galinstan, but are easily extended to lithium or other liquid metals.
ISSN:0034-6748
1089-7623
DOI:10.1063/1.4960754