US3672209A - Liquid metal monitors - Google Patents

Liquid metal monitors Download PDF

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Publication number
US3672209A
US3672209A US75157A US3672209DA US3672209A US 3672209 A US3672209 A US 3672209A US 75157 A US75157 A US 75157A US 3672209D A US3672209D A US 3672209DA US 3672209 A US3672209 A US 3672209A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
liquid metal
orifice
circuit
heater
monitor
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US75157A
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English (en)
Inventor
Peter Francis Roach
Daniel Fraser Davidson
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UK Atomic Energy Authority
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UK Atomic Energy Authority
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by UK Atomic Energy Authority filed Critical UK Atomic Energy Authority
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Publication of US3672209A publication Critical patent/US3672209A/en
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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G21—NUCLEAR PHYSICS; NUCLEAR ENGINEERING
    • G21C—NUCLEAR REACTORS
    • G21C17/00—Monitoring; Testing ; Maintaining
    • G21C17/02—Devices or arrangements for monitoring coolant or moderator
    • G21C17/022—Devices or arrangements for monitoring coolant or moderator for monitoring liquid coolants or moderators
    • G21C17/025—Devices or arrangements for monitoring coolant or moderator for monitoring liquid coolants or moderators for monitoring liquid metal coolants
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
    • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
    • G01N25/00—Investigating or analyzing materials by the use of thermal means
    • G01N25/02—Investigating or analyzing materials by the use of thermal means by investigating changes of state or changes of phase; by investigating sintering
    • G01N25/04—Investigating or analyzing materials by the use of thermal means by investigating changes of state or changes of phase; by investigating sintering of melting point; of freezing point; of softening point
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E30/00—Energy generation of nuclear origin
    • Y02E30/30—Nuclear fission reactors

Definitions

  • That patent discloses a liquid metal monitor of the kind comprising an orifice in a liquid metal flow path wherein the temperature of the liquid metal at the orifice is controlled so as to maintain a partial plug of impurity precipitate in the orifice, thereby restricting the flow through the orifice to a selected fraction of the unplugged flow.
  • the temperature of the liquid metal at the orifice when the amount of partial plugging is stable, is indicative of the impurity content of the liquid metal.
  • the monitor is characterized in that means are provided at the orifice for dividing the liquid metal flow into two parts, so that one of the parts passes through and the other part bypasses the orifice.
  • a monitor of the kind described will be referred to as a monitor of the kind described.
  • a liquid metal monitor of the kind described includes heat transfer means whereby heat energy istransferred from the liquid metal upstream of the orifice to liquid metal downstream of the orifice.
  • the heat transfer means comprises cooling means whereby liquid metal upstream of the orifice can be cooled, and heating means whereby liquid metal downstream of the orifice can be reheated, said cooling means and heating means effecting heat transfer between liquid metal in the monitor and heat exchange medium in a separate fluid circuit, said separate circuit including a cooler and a pump for the medium, and control means whereby the rate of pumping of the pump in the separate circuit is rendered partly dependent upon the rate of flow of liquid metal through the orifice and partly dependent upon the temperature of liquid metal in the region of the orifice thereby creating a double servo loop control which serves to reduce disturbances of the temperature reading due to change in liquid metal inlet temperature.
  • the preferred embodiment of liquid metal monitor finds application in monitoring liquid metal having radioactive contamination.
  • FIG. I is a flow circuit diagram
  • FIG. 2 is a part cut away perspective view of components linked as indicated in FIG. 1 and incorporated in a nuclear reactor installation.
  • FIG. I shows a liquid metal monitor having three interlinked main sections namely a liquid metal circuit section I, a heat transfer medium section II, and a pumping control section III.
  • a channel 11 carries a supply of liquid metal sodium to be monitored. Such sodium is drawn from the channel 11 by means of electro-magnetic pump 12 which serves to drive the sodium through a duct 13. Downstream of pump 12 the duct is surrounded by a first jacket 14 through which the heat exchange medium of the invention (in this case embodied by a mixture of liquid metal sodium and potassium) can be passed as will be described hereafter.
  • electro-magnetic pump 12 which serves to drive the sodium through a duct 13.
  • the duct Downstream of pump 12 the duct is surrounded by a first jacket 14 through which the heat exchange medium of the invention (in this case embodied by a mixture of liquid metal sodium and potassium) can be passed as will be described hereafter.
  • An orifice plate 15 is positioned in duct 13 downstream of the first jacket and acts to divide sodium flow along duct 13 so that it either passes into a bypass duct 16 or through the orifices in plate 15 into an orifice duct 17.
  • a thermocouple 23 is embedded in the duct wall in the region of plate 15.
  • the orifice duct 17 Downstream of orifice plate 15 the orifice duct 17 is surrounded by a second jacket 18 which is coupled to the first jacket by pipe 18a and incorporated in the heat exchange medium circuit as will be hereinafter described.
  • Bypass duct 16 opens into a return line 19 leading back to the channel 11.
  • the bypass duct contains a valve 20 and a magnetic brake 21 governing the fraction of total flow in duct 13 passing through the bypass duct.
  • Orifice duct 17, also opening into return line 19, includes an electromagnetic flow meter 22 whose output (a function of the sodium flow through orifice duct 17 is fed to the pumping control section as will be hereinafter described.
  • This section is made up of a closed loop 30 for coolant consisting of a liquid metal sodium potassium mixture which is driven around the loop by liquid metal pump 31 whose speed of operation can be varied.
  • the liquid metal mixture in the loop is cooled by means of an air cooler 33 having vanes over which air is driven by a fan (not shown).
  • An electro-magnetic brake 32 serves to limit convection flow in the coolant liquid metal mixture which flow can otherwise persist in the loop with the pump 31 switched off.
  • thermocouple 23 This section on the basis of the outputs of thermocouple 23 and electromagnetic flowmeter 22 governs the operation of pump 31.
  • the thermocouple and flowmeter outputs are fed into a differential DC amplifier 35.
  • the output of the amplifier 35 is proportional to the differential of the two inputs and the varying output is used to effect correspondingly variable control of the pump 31.
  • the saturation temperature represented by the output of thermocouple 23 is continuously recorded on a pen recorder 34.
  • the output of flowmeter 22 is fed to the differential amplifier 35 by way of a controller 36.
  • FIG. 2 shows the circuit of FIG. 1 incorporated in an installation for the primary coolant circuit of the Prototype Fast Reactor at Dounreay. Items corresponding to those of FIG. I are given the same reference number though not all items of FIG. 1 are shown in FIG. 2.
  • the installation comprises a removable stainless steel pod 50 in which the circuit items are enclosed.
  • the pod 50 is mounted inside a fixed outer vessel 51 which depends from a thick concrete biological shield 52.
  • the removable pod 50 is located on the shield 52 by bolts 54 extending through flange 55 incorporated in the pod 50.
  • the bolts engage flange 56 embedded in the shield 52.
  • shielding 57 which is co-extensive with the shield 52.
  • the outer vessel 51 contains liquid sodium metal (serving as the coolant for the reactor fuel elements) up to the level indicated by arrow 58.
  • Sodium metal is circulated by external means (not shown) through inlet 59 into the outer vessel and returned to the bulk of sodium through outlet 50.
  • Sampling ports 61 enable sodium within the outer vessel 51 to be drawn into, and rejected from the pod 50.
  • the sampling ports 6! correspond to the pipes dipping into the channel 1 l of FIG. 1.
  • Spindle 65 extends downwardly through shielding 57 to enable control of valve 20 (partly obscured) referred to in connection with FIG. 1.
  • the monitor By mounting the monitor in a pod in the way described the monitor can be removed for maintenance since radiation makes maintenance or repair in situ" in the outer vessel 51 impracticable. It is considered inexpedient in the present embodiment to blow cooling air directly on to pipes carrying radioactive sodium as was disclosed in US. Pat. No. 3,390,571.
  • the intermediate sodium potassium mixture heat exchange circuit is here used to overcome this inexpediency. The principles of the monitor were discussed in the above Patent and are not detailed further.
  • Sodium metal from channel 1 l is driven through duct 13 by means of pump 12. Cooling of the sodium metal in duct 13 occurs by heat exchange with liquid sodium potassium mixture driven through thefirst jacket 14. Cooled sodium in duct 13 then arrives at the orifice plate 15 and divides into two parts one part passing into bypass duct 16 and the other part passing through the orifices of plate 15 into the orifice duct 17. Both orifice and bypass flows receive heat in passing through the part of duct 17 surrounded by second jacket 18. This jacket receives by way of pipe 180 the hot sodium potassium mixture from first jacket 14 which served to receive heat from liquid sodium upstream of orifice plate 15.
  • Liquid sodium in orifice duct 17 is then returned to channel 11 by way of return line 19 after passing through the electromagnetic flowmeter 22.
  • Flow. through the duct 16 is governed by valve 20 and magnetic brake 21 before being restored to channel 11 by way ofretum line 19.
  • the temperature of the orifice (which is displayed as the saturation temperature) will also vary, although the actual impurity saturation temperature may have remained constant. Changes in the orifice temperature are communicated to the differential amplifier 35 which in turn controls the pump 31. The pump (and hence the coolant flow and orifice temperature) is adjusted in such a way as to reduce the the original orifice temperature excursion. Thus, the error in the saturation temperature reading caused by a change in inlet sodium temperature, is reduced by the application of feedback.
  • Controller 36 embodies an adjustable "set-point the position of which determines the value of the restricted orifice flow. It also embodies variable terms for optimizing controlloop performance.
  • the construction is generally similar to that described in US. Pat. No. 3,390,571, with the exception that the electrical heater downstream of the orifice is replaced by an air heater.
  • the air heater is fed with hot air leaving the cooler upstream of the orifice and transfers the heat to the liquid metal downstream of the orifice, subsequently discharging the cooled air to the atmosphere.
  • Such a construction of liquid metal monitor is suitable where the liquid metal is not actively contaminated.
  • a liquid metal monitor of the kind comprising an on fice in a liquid metal flow path which orifice can be at least partially plugged by impurity precipitated from liquid metal in the flow path, and a division of the liquid metal flow at the orifice into two parts so that subsequently one of the parts passes through the orifice and the other part bypasses the same
  • the improvement comprising heat transfer means for transferring heat energy from the liquid metal in the flowpath upstream of the orifice to liquid metal in both parts of the flowpath downstream of the orifice, said heat transfer means comprising cooling means for the liquid metal in the flowpath upstream of the orifice and heating means for reheating the liquid metal in both parts of the flowpath downstream of the orifice, a separate fluid circuit between which and the liquid metal of the monitor heat transfer is effected by said cooling means and heating means, said separate fluid circuit including a heater, a cooler, a pump for the heat exchange fluid medium, and control means for rendering the rate of pumping of the heat exchange fluid medium in said separate circuit partly
  • a liquid metal monitor according to Claim 1 wherein the heat exchange medium in the separate circuit is a liquid metal sodium-potassium mixture which is driven round the circuit by a liquid metal pump and is cooled by means of an air cooler.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Plasma & Fusion (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • High Energy & Nuclear Physics (AREA)
  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Analytical Chemistry (AREA)
  • Biochemistry (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Immunology (AREA)
  • Pathology (AREA)
  • Monitoring And Testing Of Nuclear Reactors (AREA)
  • Investigating Or Analyzing Materials Using Thermal Means (AREA)
  • Investigating Or Analyzing Non-Biological Materials By The Use Of Chemical Means (AREA)
US75157A 1969-10-07 1970-09-24 Liquid metal monitors Expired - Lifetime US3672209A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB4931769 1969-10-07

Publications (1)

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US3672209A true US3672209A (en) 1972-06-27

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US75157A Expired - Lifetime US3672209A (en) 1969-10-07 1970-09-24 Liquid metal monitors

Country Status (7)

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US (1) US3672209A (xx)
BE (1) BE757133A (xx)
DE (1) DE2048629C2 (xx)
FR (1) FR2064178B2 (xx)
GB (1) GB1308466A (xx)
NL (1) NL7014675A (xx)
SE (1) SE376486B (xx)

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3996790A (en) * 1973-07-17 1976-12-14 Hitachi, Ltd. Apparatus for measuring saturation temperature of liquid metal oxide
US4178795A (en) * 1976-09-22 1979-12-18 Doryokuro Kakunenryo Kaihatsu Jigyodan Plugging meter
US5193382A (en) * 1990-07-30 1993-03-16 Commissariat A L'energie Atomique Clogging indicator for controlling sodium quality
US5425064A (en) * 1991-12-20 1995-06-13 N.V. Kema Nuclear turbine coolant flow meter
CN107192462A (zh) * 2017-06-23 2017-09-22 西安交通大学 一种钠冷快堆组件试验件的多维度扫描测温装置及方法
WO2024167557A1 (en) * 2023-02-06 2024-08-15 Terrapower, Llc Primary sodium pump bypass instrumentation modules

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2404099A1 (fr) * 1977-09-21 1979-04-20 Borie Entr Travaux Publics Systeme pour le percement de galeries souterraines en demi-section superieure et pour la pose de demi-anneaux de voute en elements prefabriques
DE3108763C2 (de) * 1981-03-07 1984-12-20 Brown Boveri Reaktor GmbH, 6800 Mannheim Einrichtung zur Ermittlung des Sättigungszustandes bzw. des Abstandes zur Sättigung einer in einem geschlossenen System strömenden erhitzten und unter Druck stehenden Flüssigkeit
CN113484354B (zh) * 2021-05-28 2022-08-30 上海康展物流有限公司 一种冷链箱的时效、稳定性验证装置及验证方法

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2782369A (en) * 1953-05-04 1957-02-19 Callery Chemical Co Determination of contamination of liquid metals
US2997874A (en) * 1956-03-28 1961-08-29 Gen Electric Method and apparatus for determining the solute content of a solution
US3002820A (en) * 1958-04-25 1961-10-03 Atomic Energy Authority Uk Apparatus for determining the metal oxide content of an alkali liquid metal
US3390571A (en) * 1964-10-26 1968-07-02 Atomic Energy Authority Uk Liquid metal monitor
US3462997A (en) * 1964-10-26 1969-08-26 Atomic Energy Authority Uk Liquid metal monitors

Family Cites Families (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1085633A (en) * 1966-03-29 1967-10-04 Atomic Energy Authority Uk Improvements in liquid metal monitor

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2782369A (en) * 1953-05-04 1957-02-19 Callery Chemical Co Determination of contamination of liquid metals
US2997874A (en) * 1956-03-28 1961-08-29 Gen Electric Method and apparatus for determining the solute content of a solution
US3002820A (en) * 1958-04-25 1961-10-03 Atomic Energy Authority Uk Apparatus for determining the metal oxide content of an alkali liquid metal
US3390571A (en) * 1964-10-26 1968-07-02 Atomic Energy Authority Uk Liquid metal monitor
US3462997A (en) * 1964-10-26 1969-08-26 Atomic Energy Authority Uk Liquid metal monitors

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3996790A (en) * 1973-07-17 1976-12-14 Hitachi, Ltd. Apparatus for measuring saturation temperature of liquid metal oxide
US4178795A (en) * 1976-09-22 1979-12-18 Doryokuro Kakunenryo Kaihatsu Jigyodan Plugging meter
US5193382A (en) * 1990-07-30 1993-03-16 Commissariat A L'energie Atomique Clogging indicator for controlling sodium quality
US5425064A (en) * 1991-12-20 1995-06-13 N.V. Kema Nuclear turbine coolant flow meter
CN107192462A (zh) * 2017-06-23 2017-09-22 西安交通大学 一种钠冷快堆组件试验件的多维度扫描测温装置及方法
WO2024167557A1 (en) * 2023-02-06 2024-08-15 Terrapower, Llc Primary sodium pump bypass instrumentation modules

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE2048629C2 (de) 1983-12-15
GB1308466A (en) 1973-02-21
FR2064178A2 (xx) 1971-07-16
BE757133A (fr) 1971-04-06
SE376486B (xx) 1975-05-26
DE2048629A1 (de) 1971-04-15
NL7014675A (xx) 1971-04-13
FR2064178B2 (xx) 1973-01-12

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