Investigation of the spreading of a liquid metal droplet under a vertical magnetic field

In the liquid metal divertor of a magnetic confinement fusion device, the spreading characteristics of the liquid metal are crucial for ensuring the stable operation of the divertor. This study has experimentally investigated the spreading characteristics of a GaInSn alloy droplet on a solid substrate under a strong vertical magnetic field, with the magnetic field intensity ranging from 0 to 2.5 T. First, several parameters of the droplet, such as droplet shape, spreading factor, dynamic contact angle, spreading velocity, and rebound behavior after impacting, were studied without a magnetic field. The fitting relationship between maximum spreading factor βmax and Weber number We was obtained and has been compared with the scaling laws from the literature. Furthermore, the effect of the vertical magnetic field on those parameters has been investigated systematically. Quantitative results on βmax and the maximum spreading time tDmax, varied with the Hartmann number (Ha) and the We number, provide a comprehensive understanding of the spreading dynamics. The specific relationship between βmax and We number under different magnetic field intensities (B) shows that a vertical magnetic field has a great inhibiting effect on liquid metal droplet spreading. Finally, the influence of oxidation on droplet spreading characteristics also has been studied. These basic findings are important for the application of liquid metal on a divertor/limiter in a fusion reactor, offering a theoretical reference engineering design.