Pump/intermediate heat exchanger assembly for a liquid metal reactor

A heat exchanger and pump assembly for transferring thermal energy from a heated, first electrically conductive fluid to a pumped second electrically conductive fluid and for transferring internal energy from said pumped second electrically conductive fluid to said first electrically conductive fluid, said assembly comprising:

• (a) a heat exchanger comprising means for defining an annularly shaped cavity for receiving a flow of said second electrically conductive fluid and a plurality of tubes disposed within said cavity, each of said tubes for receiving a flow of said first electrically conductive fluid therethrough, whereby said second electrically conductive fluid in said cavity is heated;
• (b) a pump assembly disposed beneath said heat exchanger and comprised of a plurality of flow couplers disposed in a circular array, each flow coupler comprised of a pump duct for receiving said first electrically conductive fluid and a generator duct for receiving said second electrically conductive fluid;
• (c) a conduit disposed centrally of said annularly shaped cavity and within said array of said flow couplers for receiving said second electrically conductive fluid;
• (d) a first plenum chamber disposed beneath said pump assembly, in communication with said centrally disposed conduit for receiving said second electrically conductive fluid and in communication with each of said generator ducts of said flow couplers for directing said pumped second electrically conductive fluid upwardly through said generator ducts;
• (e) a second plenum chamber disposed intermediate said heat exchanger and said pump assembly, in communication with each of said generator ducts for collecting said second electrically conductive fluid as discharged from each of said generator ducts and in communication with said annular cavity for directing said collected second electrically conductive fluid thereto;
• (f) a third plenum chamber disposed intermediate said heat exchanger and said pump assembly, in communication with said tubes for receiving said first electrically conductive fluid as discharged therefrom and in communication with said pump ducts for introducing said first electrically conductive fluid therein, whereby the internal energy of said pumped second electrically conductive fluid is transferred to and pumps said first electrically conductive fluid;
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• (g) a plurality of excitation coils, each of said excitation coils disposed intermediate adjacent ones of said flow couplers and actuable for generating in concert with each other a toroidal magnetic field passing through each of said generator and pump ducts, separate electrical leads for each of said excitation coils, whereby the magnetic field generated by each of said excitation coils may be selectively controlled;
• (h) said conduit comprises first and second pipes disposed concentrically about each other and forming an annular passage therebetween for receiving said electrical leads.

A heat exchanger and pump assembly for transferring thermal energy from a heated, first electrically conductive fluid to a pumped second electrically conductive fluid and for transferring internal energy from said pumped second electrically conductive fluid to said first electrically conductive fluid, said assembly comprising:

• (a) a heat exchanger comprising means for defining an annularly shaped cavity for receiving a flow of said second electrically conductive fluid and a plurality of tubes disposed within said cavity, each of said tubes for receiving a flow of said first electrically conductive fluid therethrough, whereby said second electrically conductive fluid in said cavity is heated;
• (b) a pump assembly disposed beneath said heat exchanger and comprised of a plurality of flow couplers diposed in a circular array, each flow coupler comprised of a pump duct for receiving said first electrically conductive fluid and a generator duct for receiving said second electrically conductive fluid;
• (c) a conduit disposed centrally of said annularly shaped cavity and within said array of said flow couplers for receiving said second electrically conductive fluid;
• (d) a first plenum chamber disposed beneath said pump assembly, in communication with said centrally disposed conduit for receiving said second electrically conductive fluid and in communication with each of said generator ducts of said flow couplers for directing said pumped second electrically conductive fluid upwardly through said generator ducts;
• (e) a second plenum chamber disposed intermediate said heat exchanger and said pump assembly, in communication with each of said generator ducts for collecting said second electrically conductive fluid as discharged from each of said generator ducts and in communication with said annular cavity for directing said collected second electrically conductive fluid thereto;
• (f) a third plenum chamber disposed intermediate said heat exchanger and said pump assembly, in communication with said tubes for receiving said first electrically conductive fluid as discharged therefrom and in communication with said pump ducts for introducing said first electrically conductive fluid therein, whereby the internal energy of said pumped second electrically conductive fluid is transferred to and pumps said first electrically conductive fluid;
• (g) a plurality of excitation coils, each of said excitation coils disposed intermediate adjacent ones of said flow couplers and actuable for generating in concert with each other a toroidal magnetic field passing through each of said generator and pump ducts, each of said plurality of excitation coils is wound of a plurality of turns, each of said coils being hollow;
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• (h) means for introducing said second electrically conductive fluid into each of said hollow coils, whereby said excitation coils are cooled.