In the PCV (pre conditioning vessel) the cleaning and oxygen control experiments take place. This includes skimming, gas treatment and plasma cleaning, monitored by oxygen probes, visual inspection and post-experiment analyses. |
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The VICE set-up is a life size mock-up of the lower part of the MYRRHA beam line leading to the spallation target. In this vessel the low pressure (<10-3 mbar) gas dynamics above a LBE free surface is studied experimentally in a realistic target geometry to demonstrate the feasibility of the vacuum interface of a windowless spallation target. |
c) Trapping of evaporated species (SLEEVE) In addition to VICE, a smaller scale experiment called SLEEVE (Small Lead-bismuth-Eutectic EVaporation Experiment) is conceived to asses in more detail the sticking probability of emanated species onto a stainless steel surface. As a second objective, SLEEVE will allow for a more detailed investigation of the outgassing and evaporation properties of the LBE free surface. As such, it will complement the VICE setup. |
d) Monte Carlo modelling The Monte Carlo method (using the MOLFLOW code) allows accurate modelling of gas flow dynamics in a vacuum system provided that input parameters like outgassing and sticking factors of the different surfaces are known for each gas species. i) Experiment By modelling a gas dynamics experiment performed in a realistic geometry (like VICE) and comparing calculations with data, the code input parameters are validated. ii) Spallation loop vacuum system Using the "experimentally" determined outgassing rates and sticking factors, it is then possible to simulate the performance of each variation in the vacuum design of the spallation source including the tracking of radioactive gas and vapors. |