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A Magneto‑Hydrodynamic System for Generating High‑Pressure Impluses in Spallation Targets--Creare Incorporated, 16 Great Hollow Road, P.O. Box 71, Hanover, NH 03755; 603‑640‑2487

Dr Richard W. Kaszeta, Principal Investigator, rwk@creare.com

Dr James J. Barry, Business Official, contractsmgr@creare.com

DOE Grant No. DE-FG 02‑08ER85008

Amount: $99,940

The Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) produces neutrons that allow researchers to study key material properties. Neutrons are produced by the interaction of a very short (1 μsec), highly intense (1 MW at 60 Hz) pulse of protons with a flowing bath of mercury called the target. The process deposits a large amount of thermal energy in the mercury. Because mercury has a high coefficient of thermal expansion, a high-amplitude (~10 MPa) and short-duration (1 μsec) pressure pulse is created, which causes erosion damage to the target assembly, impacting SNS target lifetime and operating costs. This project will develop a new facility that is capable of producing pressure pulses of similar magnitude and rise time to those experienced in the SNS. The approach involves the development of a magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD)-based technique to create a high-amplitude, short-duration pressure pulse. The basic principle of MHD is that an electric current passed through an electrically conductive fluid in a magnetic field gives rise to a pressure gradient via the Lorenz force.

Commercial Applications and other Benefits as described by the awardee: This technology would allow the study of transient pressure waves in a variety of industrial applications, including water hammer and other flows with cavitation or other short-duration, large-magnitude pressure waves. The technology also should be applicable to the cooling and heat transfer systems of nuclear power plants, which often use liquid metals as working fluids.