Special Features of First-Wall Heat Transfer in Liquid-Metal Fusion Reactor Blankets

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Abstract
The presence of strong magnetic fields and of volumetric heat generation in the fusion reactor environment result in an unusual heat transfer situation for liquid metals, as compared to nonconducting coolants. The effects of velocity profiles and volumetric heat generation on heat transfer in liquid-metal blankets are examined both analytically and numerically. Analysis shows that unlike the fully developed Nusselt number, the spatial dependence within the entry region is relatively insensitive to the shape of the velocity profile and the amount of bulk heating. Hence, closed form solutions f or fully developed heat transfer can be used together with a normalized entrance region curve to estimate heat transfer throughout the blanket.