Performance testing of indigenously developed DC conduction pump for sodium cooled fast reactor

Abstract

Liquid sodium is a good electrical conductor and this property enables utilization of electro-magnetic (EM) pump for sodium service. Being non-intrusive EM pumps are well suited to sodium system as the chance of any sodium leak is minimized. However, EM pump utilization is restricted to auxiliary sodium circuit and centrifugal pumps are preferred for main circuits in view of their higher efficiency. DC conduction type EM pump is utilized for low flow and high temperature application. It comprises of stainless steel duct through which sodium passes and the magnetic field is produced by an electromagnet covering the duct. A DC conduction pump has been designed, built and tested for its performance in sodium before putting in the reactor. This paper presents the design approach and the performance vis-a-vis prediction.