Search Results (3)

Multinuclear NMR studies of the gaseous mixtures that involve volatile compounds and ³He atoms are featured in this review. The precise analyses of ³He and other nuclei resonance frequencies show linear dependencies on gas density. Extrapolation of the gas phase results to the zero-pressure limit gives the ν₀(³He) and ν₀(ⁿX) resonance frequencies of nuclei in a single 3-helium atom and nuclei in molecules at a given temperature. The NMR frequency comparison method provides an approach for determining different nuclear magnetic moments. The application of quantum chemical shielding calculations, which include a more complete and careful theoretical treatment, allows the shielding of isolated molecules to be achieved with great accuracy and precision. They are used for the evaluation of nuclear moments, without shielding impacts on the bare nuclei, for: ^10/11B, ¹³C, ¹⁴N, ¹⁷O, ¹⁹F, ²¹Ne, ²⁹Si, ³¹P, ³³S, ^35/37Cl, ³³S, ⁸³Kr, ^129/131Xe, and ¹⁸³W. On the other hand, new results of nuclear moments were used for the reevaluation of absolute nuclear magnetic shielding in the molecules under study. Additionally, ³He gas in water solutions of lithium and sodium salts was used for measuring ^6/7Li and ²³Na magnetic moments and reevaluating the shielding parameters of Li⁺ and Na⁺ water-solvated cations. In this paper, guest ³He atoms that play a role in probing the electron density in many host macromolecules are also presented. Full article

The breeding blanket is one of the fundamental components of a nuclear fusion reactor and is responsible for the fuel production, generating tritium through neutronic capture reaction between lithium and neutrons. Lithium is a liquid PbLi alloy and the helium formed as reaction by-product can coalesce into bubbles, generating a two-phase mixture with a high-density ratio (${\eta }_{\rho }\sim {\mathcal{O}}^5$). These bubbles can accumulate and stagnate within the blanket channels with potentially harmful consequences. In this work, the interIsoFoam solver of OpenFOAM v2012 is used to simulate bubble motion for a two-phase mixture representative of the He-PbLi system to test its potential for future developments in the field of fusion. In a first phase, several traditional benchmarks were carried out, both 2D and 3D, and considering the two variants of the VOF method implemented in the solver, isoAdvector and plicRDF. Subsequently, He bubbles of different diameters rising in liquid PbLi (${\eta }_{\rho }=1.2\times {10}^5$) were analysed to investigate different regimes. For a Eötvös number (Eo) greater than 10, it was possible to recreate the axisymmetric, skirted, oscillatory regimes and the peripheral and central breakup regimes. For Eo < 10, non-physical deformations of the interface are observed, probably generated by spurious velocities that have a greater impact on the solution for very small bubbles and rising velocities. Full article

Fusion energy stands out as a promising alternative for a future decarbonised energy system. In order to be sustainable, future fusion nuclear reactors will have to produce their own tritium. In the so-called breeding blanket of a reactor, the neutron bombardment of lithium will produce the desired tritium, but also helium, which can trigger nucleation mechanisms owing to the very low solubility of helium in liquid metals. An understanding of the underlying microscopic processes is important for improving the efficiency, sustainability and reliability of the fusion energy conversion process. The spontaneous creation of helium droplets or bubbles in the liquid metal used as breeding material in some designs may be a serious issue for the performance of the breeding blankets. This phenomenon has yet to be fully studied and understood. This work aims to provide some insight on the behaviour of lithium and helium mixtures at experimentally corresponding operating conditions (843 K and pressures between ${10}^8$ and 10${}^{10}$ Pa). We report a microscopic study of the thermodynamic, structural and dynamical properties of lithium–helium mixtures, as a first step to the simulation of the environment in a nuclear fusion power plant. We introduce a new microscopic model devised to describe the formation of helium droplets in the thermodynamic range considered. Our model predicts the formation of helium droplets at pressures around 10${}^9$ Pa, with radii between 1 and 2 Å. The diffusion coefficient of lithium (2 Å${}^2$/ps) is in excellent agreement with reference experimental data, whereas the diffusion coefficient of helium is in the range of 1 Å${}^2$/ps and tends to decrease as pressure increases. Full article