Computational Fluid Dynamics Analysis of Lead-Lithium Dispersion Behavior in a Gas-Liquid Contactor for Tritium Extraction

Abstract

Gas-liquid contactors (GLCs) are a candidate tritium extraction technology for removing tritium from lead-lithium (PbLi). While GLC technology offers promising advantages such as high extraction efficiency and a high relative technology readiness level, GLC scalability is critically dependent on accurate modeling multiphase flow behavior. Traditional semitheoretical packed bed models frequently assume uniform distribution of phases, which is an approximation that may diverge significantly from real operating conditions. This study investigates the validity of the uniform distribution assumption through high-fidelity computational fluid dynamics simulations, incorporating validated phase dispersion models to capture the spreadability of PbLi within a packed bed. Key hydrodynamic characteristics, including volume-averaged liquid holdup and wet pressure drop, were found to be relatively insensitive to the choice of modeling approach, due to mass conservation principles and volume-averaged momentum exchange formulations. However, the mass transfer efficiency exhibited notable sensitivity. Simulations assuming a uniform phase distribution consistently predict saturation behavior across all mass transfer models. Conversely, when phase dispersion was incorporated, the saturation phenomenon disappeared, and several simulation results showed a more consistent comparison of semitheoretical models with experimental data from the MELODIE campaign. These findings underscore the limitations of the uniform distribution assumption in GLC mass transfer analyses and reinforce the necessity for advanced numerical modeling in the designing of effective tritium extraction systems.

Department(s)

Nuclear Engineering and Radiation Science

Keywords and Phrases

computational fluid dynamics; Eulerian-Eulerian; fusion; Gas-liquid contactor; porous medium approach; tritium extraction from Pb-Li

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

1943-7641; 1536-1055

Document Type

Article - Journal

Document Version

Citation

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 2026 Taylor and Francis Group; Taylor and Francis; American Nuclear Society, All rights reserved.

Publication Date

01 Jan 2026

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