Design and Optimization of Low-Recycling Liquid-Metal Divertorlets for Fusion Reactors

Divertorlets is a liquid metal divertor concept that divides the target into small, recirculating sections to reduce plasma exposure time and overheating. To explore the full parameter design space, various designs are rapidly prototyped with 3D-printed PLA and tested with galinstan in the LMX-U facility at PPPL. Promising designs are then manufactured via 3D printing using liquid lithium compatible materials such as stainless steel and tungsten for testing under reactor-like conditions. Operation is driven by applied currents and magnetic fields, with research focused on optimizing the current density distribution to control the resulting velocity and temperature profiles. Key considerations for reactor performance include reducing surface fluctuations and splashing, utilizing stabilizing meshes, and managing thermoelectric MHD effects from the surface heat flux. This integrated approach of iterative design and material progression advances the divertorlets concept toward a robust solution for a fusion reactor.