Session: Poster Session

Paper Number: 162900

Investigation of Oxidation Behavior of Spark Plasma Sintered Tungsten Alloys for High Temperature Thermal Management Systems 

The increasing demand for green and sustainable energy has motivated engineering communities globally to develop new materials to support energy production. One promising area of clean energy production is fusion reactors. Fusion reactors are devices capable of producing enormous amounts of heat flux. To effectively convert this thermal energy into useful electrical energy, innovative designs of devices and components are required to interface between the reactor and power generation cycles. One method of transferring high thermal energy is using alkali metal heat pipes. Tungsten-lithium heat pipes were selected as the primary device for this study, and the Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) technique was used to fabricate the heat pipe shell. In this research, the oxidation behavior of Spark Plasma Sintered tungsten alloys was investigated. These alloys were composed of tungsten and zirconium carbide (ZrC) additives, ranging from 0-10%. Samples were tested for oxidation in an air atmosphere at temperatures between 600°C and 1200°C, with varying hold times. The combination of carbide additives and Spark Plasma Sintering produced promising results in improving the oxidation resistance of the tungsten alloy. Oxidation behavior was evaluated through mass change measurements using a microbalance, while surface analysis was conducted using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS). The test results revealed the rate of formation of the oxide layer, primarily tungsten trioxide (WO₃). Furthermore, SEM and EDS analysis demonstrated that using carbide additives in the alloy significantly improved oxidation resistance. This study provides critical insights into the oxidation resistance of tungsten alloys fabricated using the SPS method, supporting the development of high-performance materials for heat pipes in nuclear fusion systems. Additionally, the development of tungsten-lithium heat pipes holds relevance for other high-temperature applications, including gas turbines, power cycles, heat exchangers, waste heat recovery in aircraft engines, and thermal management in hypersonic aircraft.

Presenting Author: Abhilash M. Prasad CATER - University of Central Florida

Presenting Author Biography: I’m Abhilash M. Prasad, a Graduate Research Student at the University of Central Florida, working in the Center for Advanced Turbomachinery and Energy Research (CATER) lab. My research focuses on materials science and heat transfer for high-temperature energy systems. I am currently developing high-temperature metal alkali heat pipes for fusion reactors and supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO₂) heat exchangers for molten salt reactors, contributing to innovations in sustainable energy systems and thermal management. My work integrates advanced manufacturing techniques, such as Spark Plasma Sintering for Heat pipes, and Additive manufacturing for Heat exchangers to address critical challenges in next-generation energy technologies.

Authors:

Abhilash M. Prasad CATER - University of Central Florida
Md Shahjahan Hossain COSMOS - University of Central Florida
Elena Torres CATER - University of Central Florida
Marcel Otto CATER - University of Central Florida
Ranajay Ghosh CATER - University of Central Florida
Erik Fernandez CATER - University of Central Florida
Zachariah Koyn Energy Driven Technologies
Jayanta Kapat CATER - University of Central Florida