A radioscopic technique to study convective fluid dynamics in opaque liquid metals

Abstract

Experimental verification of theoretical investigations into the behaviour of liquid metal convective flows is required to validate analytical models and numerical simulation codes. A real-time radioscopic density visualization system has been developed and is beginning to provide useful data. The X-ray facility for studying opaque low-Prandtl-number fluid flow is described. Density changes as low as 10−3 g cm−3 can be visualized by careful control of scatter radiation. The new capability is demonstrated with natural convection benchmark experiments in a narrow vertical layer of gallium melt of aspect ratio A=1.4. The density field in that cell is three-dimensional. Good agreement between calculations and experiments is obtained. Experiments with solidification are provided for further theoretical use.