Science and Technology of Liquid Metal Coolants in Nuclear Engineering is a comprehensive consolidation of the latest research and knowledge on liquid metal coolants. Over the last decades, various new technologies have been developed for the liquid metal coolants of fast breeder and fusion reactors and accelerator driven systems. Details of pumps and instrumentation used in these coolants and their operating principles are included to provide the reader with a well-rounded understanding of the topic and to guide on the operation of different liquid metal coolant systems.
Methods for the safe handling and control of impurity levels in these coolants are clearly discussed, along with alkali metal fires and their management, including methods for safe disposal of sodium waste.
1. 1.1: Introduction - p. 2 2. 1.2: Metallic bonding and the state of liquid metals11 The term “liquid metal” would be used to refer to all metals in their liquid state in this book, although it should strictly refer to those with melting point below 660.2°C. - p. 3 3. 1.3: Cohesive energy of liquid metals - p. 7 4. 1.4: Structure of liquid metals - p. 12 5. 1.5: Surface energy of liquids and the phenomenon of wetting - p. 17 6. 1.6: Viscosity of liquid metals - p. 32 7. 1.7: Electrical conductivity of metallic materials - p. 36 8. 1.8: Thermal conductivity of materials - p. 53 9. 1.9: Molar heat capacity of liquid metals - p. 61 10. 1.10: Vapor pressure of liquid metals - p. 67 11. 1.11: Magnetic properties of metals - p. 69 12. 1.12: Nuclear properties of the liquid metal coolants - p. 80 13. 1.13: Choice of coolant for advanced nuclear systems - p. 80 14. 2 Chemical properties of liquid metal coolants - p. 103 15. 3 Handling and operations of liquid metal systems - p. 155 16. 3.1: Introduction - p. 156 17. 3.2: Handling alkali metals - p. 157 18. 3.3: Handling Pb, LBE, and Pb-Li eutectic alloy - p. 163 19. 3.4: Purification of liquid metals - p. 164 20. 3.5: Chemical characterization of liquid metal coolants - p. 192 21. 3.6: Alkali metal fires - p. 204 22. 3.7: Methods of extinguishing alkali metal fires - p. 211 23. 3.8: Disposal of sodium - p. 214 24. 3.9: Regeneration of cold traps of sodium systems - p. 220 25. 4 Pumps and instruments for liquid metal coolant circuits - p. 239 26. 4.1: Introduction - p. 240 27. 4.2: Pumps for liquid metal circuits - p. 241 28. 4.3: Level measurements in liquid metal systems - p. 260 29. 4.4: Flow measurements in liquid metal circuits - p. 271 30. 4.5: Viewing of components immersed in liquid metals - p. 285 31. 4.6: Detectors for liquid metal leaks - p. 299 32. 4.7: On-line impurity monitors for liquid metal coolants - p. 311 33. 4.7.1: Impurity monitors for liquid sodium systems - p. 312 34. 4.7.2: Monitors for lithium circuits - p. 358 35. 4.7.3: Monitors for liquid Pb-17Li alloy circuits - p. 367 36. 4.7.4: Oxygen monitors for heavy liquid metal coolant circuits [220–224] - p. 369 37. 5 Corrosion and mass transfer in liquid metal systems - p. 385 38. Epilogue - p. 437 39. Annexure 1 Radial density function - p. 441 40. Annexure 2 Ferromagnetic materials - p. 447 41. Annexure 3 Basics of heat transfer by liquid metals - p. 455 42. Annexure 4 Thermochemical aspects of dissolution of solutes in liquid metals - p. 465 43. Annexure 5 Kinetics of precipitation of solutes from solutions - p. 473 44. Annexure 6 Magnetic effects of current, inductance, and eddy currents - p. 481 45. Annexure 7 Propagation of sound waves through matter - p. 491 46. Annexure 8 Piezoelectricity and piezoelectric materials - p. 499 47. Annexure 9 Solid electrolytes - p. 507 48. Index - p. 523
Science and Technology of Liquid Metal Coolants in Nuclear Engineering is a comprehensive consolidation of the latest research and knowledge on liquid metal coolants. Over the last decades, various new technologies have been developed for the liquid metal coolants of fast breeder and fusion reactors and accelerator driven systems. Details of pumps and instrumentation used in these coolants and their operating principles are included to provide the reader with a well-rounded understanding of the topic and to guide on the operation of different liquid metal coolant systems.
Methods for the safe handling and control of impurity levels in these coolants are clearly discussed, along with alkali metal fires and their management, including methods for safe disposal of sodium waste.
1. 1.1: Introduction - p. 2 2. 1.2: Metallic bonding and the state of liquid metals11 The term “liquid metal” would be used to refer to all metals in their liquid state in this book, although it should strictly refer to those with melting point below 660.2°C. - p. 3 3. 1.3: Cohesive energy of liquid metals - p. 7 4. 1.4: Structure of liquid metals - p. 12 5. 1.5: Surface energy of liquids and the phenomenon of wetting - p. 17 6. 1.6: Viscosity of liquid metals - p. 32 7. 1.7: Electrical conductivity of metallic materials - p. 36 8. 1.8: Thermal conductivity of materials - p. 53 9. 1.9: Molar heat capacity of liquid metals - p. 61 10. 1.10: Vapor pressure of liquid metals - p. 67 11. 1.11: Magnetic properties of metals - p. 69 12. 1.12: Nuclear properties of the liquid metal coolants - p. 80 13. 1.13: Choice of coolant for advanced nuclear systems - p. 80 14. 2 Chemical properties of liquid metal coolants - p. 103 15. 3 Handling and operations of liquid metal systems - p. 155 16. 3.1: Introduction - p. 156 17. 3.2: Handling alkali metals - p. 157 18. 3.3: Handling Pb, LBE, and Pb-Li eutectic alloy - p. 163 19. 3.4: Purification of liquid metals - p. 164 20. 3.5: Chemical characterization of liquid metal coolants - p. 192 21. 3.6: Alkali metal fires - p. 204 22. 3.7: Methods of extinguishing alkali metal fires - p. 211 23. 3.8: Disposal of sodium - p. 214 24. 3.9: Regeneration of cold traps of sodium systems - p. 220 25. 4 Pumps and instruments for liquid metal coolant circuits - p. 239 26. 4.1: Introduction - p. 240 27. 4.2: Pumps for liquid metal circuits - p. 241 28. 4.3: Level measurements in liquid metal systems - p. 260 29. 4.4: Flow measurements in liquid metal circuits - p. 271 30. 4.5: Viewing of components immersed in liquid metals - p. 285 31. 4.6: Detectors for liquid metal leaks - p. 299 32. 4.7: On-line impurity monitors for liquid metal coolants - p. 311 33. 4.7.1: Impurity monitors for liquid sodium systems - p. 312 34. 4.7.2: Monitors for lithium circuits - p. 358 35. 4.7.3: Monitors for liquid Pb-17Li alloy circuits - p. 367 36. 4.7.4: Oxygen monitors for heavy liquid metal coolant circuits [220–224] - p. 369 37. 5 Corrosion and mass transfer in liquid metal systems - p. 385 38. Epilogue - p. 437 39. Annexure 1 Radial density function - p. 441 40. Annexure 2 Ferromagnetic materials - p. 447 41. Annexure 3 Basics of heat transfer by liquid metals - p. 455 42. Annexure 4 Thermochemical aspects of dissolution of solutes in liquid metals - p. 465 43. Annexure 5 Kinetics of precipitation of solutes from solutions - p. 473 44. Annexure 6 Magnetic effects of current, inductance, and eddy currents - p. 481 45. Annexure 7 Propagation of sound waves through matter - p. 491 46. Annexure 8 Piezoelectricity and piezoelectric materials - p. 499 47. Annexure 9 Solid electrolytes - p. 507 48. Index - p. 523
