Experimental study on the lithium film flow in the spanwise magnetic field

Abstract An experimental facility has been established at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS) to study the liquid lithium film flow under the influence of the spanwise magnetic field. The test section, which is placed in an electromagnet with maximum intensity of 2T, could generate the lithium film with a width of 60 mm. The test section has been inclined to the horizontal plane at an angle of 6° to produce gravity to drive the liquid lithium film flowing. By using the experimental facility, the lithium film flow is able to fully cover the test section by pre-wetting the stainless steel surface. Afterwards, the experiments are carried out under different flow rates and different magnetic intensities. The results show that the magnetic field strongly influences the film flow, not only to hold the flow back but even to limit it at the upstream of the test section, regardless of different flow rates. Moreover, when the magnetic field is strong enough, the liquid lithium will accumulate at the inlet of the test section, and they will not flow downstream due to the strong MHD effect.