Sodium vaporizer and methods
AssigneeTerraPower, LLC
InventorsChristopher M. Regan, Jacob Wilcox
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vaporizer includes an outer tube configured to receive a flow of heated gas and an inner tube disposed at least partially within the outer tube. The inner tube is spaced apart from the outer tube such that the flow of heated gas is channeled through an annular space therebetween. The vaporizer also includes a crucible disposed at least partially within the inner tube. The crucible is extendable and retractable relative to the inner tube and within the outer tube. The crucible is configured to hold a molten metal such that a surface area of the molten metal exposed to the flow of heated gas is adjustable based on the position of the crucible relative to the inner tube. A heater is configured to vaporize the molten material and the vapor mixes with the flow of heated gas.
Claims19
A method for vaporizing molten metal comprising:
- heating a charge of molten metal held within a crucible to generate a vapor output, wherein the crucible is disposed at least partially within an inner chamber;
- flowing heated inert gas into an inlet of an outer chamber, wherein the inner chamber is at least partially disposed within the outer chamber;
- channeling the flow of heated inert gas between the inner chamber and the outer chamber;
- passing the flow of heated inert gas over a surface area of the molten metal, wherein upon the heated inert gas passing over the surface area, at least a portion of the vapor output mixes therewith;
- selectively moving the crucible relative to the inner chamber so as to adjust the surface area of the molten metal exposed to the flow of heated inert gas and change the vapor output of the molten metal;
- and
- calibrating a sodium ionization detector via the vapor output.
A method of calibrating a sodium ionization detector comprising:
- providing a vaporizer system including a vaporizer and a downstream calibration system, wherein the vaporizer includes a crucible, an inner chamber, and an outer chamber, and the vaporizer includes a detector and a gas scrubber;
- heating a charge of molten material to a temperature to generate a vapor output, the molten material held within the crucible disposed at least partially within the inner chamber of the vaporizer;
- flowing heated inert gas between the inner chamber and the outer chamber;
- exposing a surface area of the molten material to the flow of heated inert gas, wherein at least a portion of the vapor output mixes with the flow of heated inert gas forming a mixture;
- detecting a current signal at the detector of the mixture channeled therethrough;
- collecting the mixture at the gas scrubber;
- and
- generating a calibration curve for the sodium ionization detector based on the mixture collected and the current signal detected at the calibration system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.