Design and commissioning of new facility CORELLA-2 for erosion-corrosion tests in liquid Pb and LBE at high temperature

Liquid lead (Pb) and lead‑bismuth eutectic (LBE) are attractive heat-transfer fluids for energy-related technologies despite their chemical aggressiveness towards solid materials. In this work, the new erosion-corrosion test facility CORELLA-2 is introduced and its design and commissioning are reported. CORELLA-2 is a rotating machine that enables corrosion studies of up to six specimens of arbitrary shape in liquid Pb and LBE under flowing conditions. The facility is designed for temperatures up to 700 ◦C and allows controlled adjustment of the dissolved oxygen content thanks to the use of corrosion- and oxidation-resistant components. Numerical simu-
lations of the flow field supported the design of the facility and provide information on the relative speed between the specimens and the liquid metal. First experiments performed in liquid Pb at a relative speed of 1 m/s and a temperature of 450 ◦C demonstrate successful commissioning of the new erosion-corrosion test facility
CORELLA-2.