Experimental investigation of the cooling performance of an additively manufactured prototype for nuclear fusion energy application

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Abstract Metal Additive Manufacturing (MAM) is a non-traditional technology recently introduced to manufacture multifunctional mechanical components. In fact, recent developments in Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) process have enabled the production of materials characterized by high density and high thermal conductivity properties, such as copper alloys and pure copper, making the technology attractive for thermal science. In nuclear fusion energy applications, mechanical components often encounter extremely high heat fluxes. An innovative solution using unconventional integrated cooling channels is therefore required to safely manage the components. However, the high surface roughness in 3D-printed parts represents an intrinsic limitation of the LPBF technology: the cooling channels show high-pressure drops due to the high viscous dissipation generated by the rough surface. To address this challenge, a lab-scale prototype of an e-beam extraction grid for a fusion experiment with an original integrated cooling system was designed and manufactured. Additionally, a novel heating mask was designed and manufactured to reproduce the realistic heat load distribution on the grid during the experimental tests. The prototype was built using additive manufacturing with a CuCrZr copper alloy. The grid underwent heat treatment via solution annealing and age hardening, to increase thermal conductivity from about 100 W m−1 K−1 to almost 300 W m−1 K−1. The prototype was tested at three different constant heat fluxes by varying the water flow rate while measuring the pressure and the maximum temperatures of the grid. A CFD numerical model was also calibrated to estimate the thermo-hydraulic performance of the prototype under test conditions. The experimental and numerical results are presented in terms of overall thermal performance, maximum temperature, and pressure drop.

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