Experimental investigation of free liquid metal jets in vacuum: Preliminary results for IFE chamber wall protection applications

Experiments are under way at UCLA to simulate the liquid slab jets of the H YLIFE-II Inertial Fusion Reactor. Measurements of surface ripple and break- up length are made based on photographic images of the jet flow, and veloci ty data is obtained from an orifice-type flow meter. The experiment can be run with a selection of nozzles and upstream conditioners in order to deter mine the optimum configuration for suppressing disturbances. Preliminary da ta, taken while verifying the operation of the experimental system, indicat e that the slab jets issuing from a nozzle comprisedslot cut in an orifice plate this nozzle type contract out of their initial rectangular shape more rapidly than would be expected from surface tension forces alone. Subseque nt data are expected to aid in the proof-of-principle for thick liquid cavi ty designs, provide insight into design requirements of such systems, and i ncrease the fundamental understanding of turbulent liquid jet flow in vacuu m.