The application of liquid metals as plasma-facing materials (PFMs) is a potential means to resolve the technical issues associated with power exhausting and particle handing in magnetic fusion devices. Natural convection is a phenomenon commonly present in liquids. To investigate the natural convection effects on deuterium transport behavior in liquid metals, a series of experiments on deuterium Plasma Driven Permeation (PDP) through a liquid metal GaInSn alloy have been carried out. It has been found that deuterium permeation through the liquid is enhanced by one order of magnitude with natural convection. The motion of the liquid and the deuterium transport process in the liquid have been simulated by a finite element analysis method.

Liquid metal; Hydrogen diffusion; Natural convection; Plasma facing material

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