Numerical benchmark of transient pressure-driven metallic melt flows

TL;DR

This paper presents a numerical benchmark for simulating transient pressure-driven melt flows in metals, validating hydrodynamic models against experimental and advanced simulation data for plasma-facing component studies.

Contribution

It introduces a validated hydrodynamic simulation benchmark for metallic melt flows under plasma conditions, supporting future research in surface melting and droplet ejection.

Findings

Hydrodynamic models show good agreement with experimental data.

Simulations accurately predict surface deformation and temperature evolution.

Results support the use of simplified models for complex plasma-metal interactions.

Abstract

Fluid dynamics simulations of melting and crater formation at the surface of a copper cathode exposed to high plasma heat fluxes and pressure gradients are presented. The predicted deformations of the free surface and the temperature evolution inside the metal are benchmarked against previously published simulations. Despite the physical model being entirely hydrodynamic and ignoring a variety of plasma-surface interaction processes, the results are also shown to be remarkably consistent with the predictions of more advanced models, as well as experimental data. This provides a sound basis for future applications of similar models to studies of transient surface melting and droplet ejection from metallic plasma-facing components after disruptions.