Design of a Liquid Sodium Corrosion Testing Facility

摘要: In pool type sodium reactors, flow into the core must be distributed to optimize efficiency, heat removal, and safety. The TerraPower Natrium® reactor aims to accomplish this using an orifice plate upstream from the core. One of the main concerns is possible excessive corrosion of the orifices due to the molten sodium flow at high speeds through it. Small changes in the orifice diameter can have a large impact on the flow distribution through the core, hence, affecting the performance and safety of the reactor. Velocity limits must be established to minimize corrosion. A limit of 10 m/s has traditionally been used, however there is belief that this may be conservative.The present study involves the design and construction of a molten sodium loop with sodium purity, temperature and pressure control for testing the corrosion of orifices associated with the flow of liquid sodium at different velocities through it. The test plan, including orifice corrosion characterization, is also included in the paper.