Mechanistic analysis of solidification-induced flow blockage and thermohydraulic deterioration in forced convection systems

Flow-induced solidification of high-melting-point liquid metals in cooled passages can reduce the effective flow area, increase hydraulic resistance, and deteriorate heat transfer performance. To quantify these coupled effects, a three-dimensional solidification model was developed and validated against experimental data; calculated outlet temperatures agree with measurements within ±4%. Using the validated model, 147 operating conditions (99 for correlation calibration and 48 for validation) were simulated to quantify the dependence of steady-state blockage ratio (VOR), extra pressure-drop parameter (Ψ) and wall–solid heat-transfer behavior on inlet boundary conditions. An empirical correlation predicting VOR from five boundary parameters was obtained; the fitted correlation shows ≤12% deviation from the calibration dataset and ≤ 16% deviation for the validation dataset. Results indicate a near-linear dependence of Ψ on VOR for fixed liquid-metal Reynolds number and a monotonic dependence of the associated deterioration coefficient on Re. The wall–solid heat-transfer coefficient decreases with increasing solidified-layer thickness and increases with liquid-metal inlet velocity and temperature. These results provide a quantitative basis for rapid prediction of blockage severity and thermohydraulic deterioration in liquid-metal forced convection systems.