Experimental and cfd simulation studies on the free surface flow behavior and development in a liquid metal windowless target

A spallation target is one of the key components of the accelerator driven system. A liquid metal windowless target is an advanced type of a spallation target and has great application prospects. In this study, the free surface flow behavior and development in a scaled-down liquid metal windowless target are investigated in experiments and simulations. The experiments are carried out based on a liquid gallium experimental loop. The CFD simulations are performed based on a three-dimensional target model by using ANSYS CFX. The main working parameters of the target are measured through experiments and then set as the boundary conditions for simulations. The simulated values of the free surface height are in good agreement with the experimental data. The free surface height gradually decreases with an increase in the inlet flow rate and with a decrease in the outlet pressure. The simulation results reveal that a flow stagnation zone presenting large eddies and a reverse flow are formed below the outlet of the inner tube.