Interfacial solidification behavior during liquid metal-water interactions

Liquid metals have emerged as promising heat transfer media across advanced energy systems. However, under off-normal conditions they may come into direct contact with water, triggering interfacial solidification—a critical yet largely unexplored phenomenon. Taking the steam generator tube rupture accident in lead-cooled fast reactors as a representative scenario, this study combines numerical simulations with dimensionless analysis to investigate interfacial solidification during subcooled water jetting into a high-temperature liquid metal pool. Results reveal that solidification concentrates at the jet front, structural surfaces enclosed by steam bubbles, and entrained liquid metal droplets. Through analysis of interfacial heat exchange mechanisms, dimensionless criteria governing solidification onset under both steady-state and transient conditions are established. The methodology and findings bridge the knowledge gap in lead-water interfacial solidification and provide a transferable framework for broader liquid metal-water systems.