Curvilinear electromagnetic pump
AssigneeTerraPower, LLC
InventorRobert A Corbin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A curvilinear electromagnetic pump is configured to follow a curve, such as by coupling multiple linear pump segments together that are offset by an angle with respect to each other. The curvilinear electromagnetic pump can curve within two dimensions, or within three dimensions. The curvilinear electromagnetic pump allows for more efficient arrangement of components and systems within a nuclear reactor vessel and allows a significantly reduced reactor vessel height as compared to a linear pump arranged vertically. The curvilinear electromagnetic pump may follow the curvature of the reactor vessel wall and may be entirely disposed near the bottom of the reactor vessel.
Claims11
A curvilinear electromagnetic pump, comprising:
- a first pump section, the first pump section comprising:
- a first pump housing defining a pump inlet,
- a first linear fluid flow channel through the first pump housing, and
- a first collection of outer stators, the first collection of outer stators configured to be electrically driven to create a moving magnetic field;
- a second pump section, the second pump section comprising:
- a second pump housing defining a pump outlet,
- a second linear fluid flow channel, and
- a second collection of outer stators, the second collection of outer stators configured to be electrically driven to create the moving magnetic field;
- and
- wherein the second pump section is coupled to the first pump section and is offset by an angle with respect to the first pump section,
- wherein the curvilinear electromagnetic pump is positioned within a nuclear reactor vessel and a fluid flow path of the curvilinear electromagnetic pump is configured to follow a circular arc of an outer wall of the nuclear reactor vessel in a circumferential direction, and
- wherein the pump inlet is configured to be disposed at a location within the nuclear reactor vessel that is higher in elevation than the pump outlet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.