LIquid Metal Competence center Karlsruhe (LIMCKA)

Flüssigmetall-Kompetenzzentrum des KIT

The research at KIT on liquid metals as a heat transfer medium in energy and process technology combines scientific work on thermal hydraulics and technology development in a unique and comprehensive manner with liquid metal-specific material research and materials development. Our vision is to strengthen and expand on this basis the national and international leading position of KIT liquid metal research. The current and future topics are embedded in several major strategic projects and projects.

Potential services provided by LIMCKA

All complemented by engineering and simulation support with qualified and validated tools

Engineering support for component and loop design
Access to experimental facilities
Development of demonstrators and prototypes
System and safety assessment
First- principle, performance and qualification experiments
Material data base for LM applications

Industrial Customers?

Liquid metal technology requires a broad knowledge and engineering basis for successful developing new application areas such as:

CSP – definition of key components and technologies
Medicine: providing cooling to high energy targets
Engineering: providing high heat load solutions for FUSION (Divertor, FW….)
Training including safety provisions and LM handling

Competences within LIMCKA

Material technology

Momentum/energy/mass transfer

Systems & components

Structural materials

Functional materials

Protective layers and surface alloys

Material degradation

Joints – heat treatment

Fabrication

Momentum transfer

Heat transfer

Multi-phase flows

Process design

Fluid conditioning

Thermo-electric conversion

System design

Safety assessment

Operational/loop analysis

Instrumentation

Component qualification

Active liquid metal system units

Involvement in HGF Programs

MTET	FUSION	NUSAFE
https://www.mtet.kit.edu/	https://www.fusion.kit.edu/english/index.php	https://www.nusafe.kit.edu/english/index.php

Infrastructures – Platforms - LIMCKA Labs

ITES, Karlsruhe Liquid Metal Laboratory	INR, Karlsruhe Sodium Laboratory KASOLA	IHM	IAM-AWP
https://www.ites.kit.edu/english/140.php	https://www.inr.kit.edu/english/58.php	https://www.ihm.kit.edu/english/index.php	https://www.iam.kit.edu/awp/english/index.php
HELiS (ITES) Hydrogen production Experiment in liquid tin THESYS (ITES) – heat transfer experiments in PbBi flows GALINKA (ITES) loop for functional verification of liquid metal measurement techniques in GaInSn THEADES (ITES) test loop for prototypes of PbBi operated power components ALINA (ITES) generic free surface and duct flow studies in sodium	SOLTEC 1-3 (IAM-AWP, IHM, INR)- material qualification in flowing sodium and test facility for monolithic CSP receiver ATEFA (INR) facility to test thermo-electric conversion units in sodium (AMTEC) DITEFA (INR) – generic momentum and heat transfer in Gallium-indium tin with traversable t,u-sensors KASOLA (INR) test loop for prototypical systems and components in sodium up to 150m³/h. KARIFA (INR) test facility with 20 KW laser heating	COSTA 1-6 (IHM) Corrosion in stagnant lead and lead alloys at defined oxygen partial pressures CORELLA (IHM) Corrosion-erosion in flowing Pb alloy FRETHME (IHM) fretting in stagnant Pb alloy GESA/ GESA - SOFIE (IHM) Pulsed electron beam facility for surface modification MINIPOT (IHM) - oxygen and impurity transport in liquid PbBi	CORTINA (IAM-AWP) corrosion in sodium CORRIDA (IAM-AWP) corrosion in flowing PbBi PICCOLO (IAM-AWP) corrosion erosion in flowing PbLi