Description of a facility for vapor clearing rates studies of IFE reactorsflibe liquid chambers

The design and operating characteristics of the ALICE (Advanced Liquid Ioni zed Condensation Experiment) facility at UCLA are here presented. The goal of this vapor condensation experiment is to rapidly generate an IFE prototy pical post-shot vapor density in a control volume using characteristic liqu id chamber material (flibe, Li2BeF4), and investigate the condensation rate s for the proposed schemes. This experimental goal is achieved by: 1) a pul sed electrothermal plasma source that simulates the pellet explosion for ra pid vapor generation and 2) an expansion chamber that represents the IFE li quid chamber. This paper reports also on the construction and operation of a furnace for flibe casting. Melting and handling procedures connected with the use of flibe are also discussed. The first flibe liner has been insert ed in the plasma source. Results from the first low energy experiments are showed.