Methodological approaches for conducting experiments with lithium-containing alloys under thermal loads conditions at the TiGrA facility

Abstract In recent decades, intensive research has been conducted to develop a new divertor concept for DEMO-type fusion reactors, where traditional solid materials are proposed to be replaced with liquid metals. Lithium, gallium, and tin are being considered as potential liquid-metal components for use in tokamaks. It is noteworthy that in the last decade there has been increased interest in liquid tin and lithium-containing alloys for their potential application as plasma-facing materials in future fusion devices. This work is devoted to developing a methodological approach for conducting experiments with various lithium-containing alloys under thermal load conditions, performed on the TiGrA facility. The Li 17 Pb 83 eutectic alloy (17% lithium and 83% lead in atomic fractions), which is well-studied nowadays, was chosen as a lithium-containing alloy. The paper outlines the stages of creating a new system for supplying gas and vapor-gas mixtures of various isotopic compositions to the working chamber of the TiGrA facility during experiments with the Li 17 Pb 83 alloy under non-isothermal heating conditions. As a result of the study, a practical methodology has been developed, which will be used for further experiments on the upgraded TiGrA facility.