Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
271644 Fusion Engineering and Design 2014 5 Pages PDF
Abstract

•Ultrasonic Doppler velocimetry for lead–lithium flow is tested at different levels of ambient oxygen concentration.•It is found that ultrasonic Doppler velocimetry does not work for lead–lithium flows in an oxygen-rich environment.•Acoustic coupling between a titanium-tipped transducer and molten lead–lithium is deteriorated in the oxygen-rich environment.•Thermodynamic consideration of lead–lithium is made to explain the UDV deterioration.

Ultrasonic Doppler velocimetry (UDV) with a titanium-tipped transducer has been successfully demonstrated for measuring a velocity profile of molten lead–lithium eutectic alloy (PbLi) with a concentration of oxygen and moisture lower than 1 ppm. In contrast, it is found that UDV does not work for PbLi flows in a more oxygen-rich environment. This paper presents UDV measurements of PbLi flows at different levels of ambient oxygen concentration, and then discusses the measurement deterioration, based on a thermodynamic consideration of oxides formation in molten PbLi. In summary, it can be concluded that in an oxygen-rich environment, titanium oxidation occurs and consequently deteriorates the acoustic coupling between the transducer tip and the molten PbLi.

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