Canned Rotodynamic Flow Machine For A Molten Salt Nuclear Reactor And An Active Magnetic Bearing For Use In A Flow Machine For A Molten Salt Nuclear Reactor
AssigneeCopenhagen Atomics A/S
InventorsAslak Stubsgaard, Thomas Jam Pedersen, Thomas Steenberg
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A canned rotodynamic flow machine (1) configured for operating with a working fluid such as molten salt of a molten salt nuclear reactor. The stator windings are formed by one or more electrically conductive solid bars (12).
Claims26
A molten salt loop (43, 44, 45) for a molten salt nuclear reactor, said molten salt loop (43, 44, 45) comprising a canned pump (1) for pumping said molten salt, said pump (1) comprising:
- an impeller (6) on a shaft (7), said impeller (6) being arranged in a volute (3), said volute (3) having an inlet (4) for said molten salt and an outlet (5) for said molten salt, a motor comprising a stator (10) and a rotor (8) on said shaft (7),
- a containment shell (17) disposed about the rotor and shaft, and
- a can (18) disposed about the containment shell, wherein said can separates a molten salt area from a dry area containing the stator (10), with the rotor (8) arranged in the molten salt area, said rotor (8) being operably coupled to said impeller (6) by said shaft (7), and
- one or more active electromagnetic bearings (115, 116, 216) disposed about the shaft (7) and operable to control the position of the rotor within the can (18).
A molten salt loop (43, 44, 45) for a molten salt nuclear reactor, said molten salt loop (43, 44, 45) comprising a pump (1) for pumping said molten salt, said pump (1) comprising an impeller (6) on a shaft (7) and a rotor (8) on said shaft and operably coupled to said shaft (7), and an active electromagnetic bearing (115, 116, 216) disposed about the shaft (7) and operable to control the position of the rotor within the pump.
A method of pumping molten salt in a molten salt nuclear reactor, the method comprising:
- providing a canned pump (1) comprising:
- an impeller (6) coupled to a rotor (8) by a shaft (7);
- one or more active electromagnetic bearings (115, 116, 216) disposed about the shaft (7) and operable to control the position of the rotor within the pump, wherein said bearings comprise a bearing stator (110, 210) with windings formed from one or more electrically conductive solid bearing bars (112, 212);
- and
- rotating said shaft (7) with a motor to drive said impeller (6) and pump the molten salt;
- and
- inducing a magnetic field in said one or more active electromagnetic bearings (115, 116, 216) by supplying current to said solid bearing bars (112, 212) to control the position of said shaft (7).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.