Flow Monitoring in Liquid-Metal Cooling Loops
Non-contact measurement of the velocity and flow rate of liquid lead / sodium / lead-bismuth alloy based on the eddy-current principle; suitable for 200-500 ℃ high-temperature corrosive environments.
Background
Generation-IV reactors and novel nuclear-energy systems widely use liquid metals (lead, sodium, lead-bismuth alloy, etc.) as coolant. Their velocity and flow rate are key parameters for core thermal-hydraulic safety, yet conventional electromagnetic and ultrasonic flow meters struggle to operate long-term in high-temperature corrosive environments.
Measurement challenges
- Operating temperatures of 200-500 ℃ limit the life of conventional sensors
- Liquid metal is highly corrosive, requiring a probe with no moving mechanical parts
- Critical safety scenarios demand extremely high measurement stability and reliability
Our solution
The ECFM-2020 liquid-metal flow meter: an excitation coil inside the probe generates an alternating magnetic field, inducing eddy currents in the metal fluid and a secondary magnetic field; a high-sensitivity detection circuit captures the secondary-field perturbation to obtain fluid velocity and flow rate directly. The probe has no moving mechanical parts and a compact structure, operating reliably long-term under high-temperature corrosive conditions.
Results
- Achieves non-contact online flow monitoring of the liquid-metal cooling loop
- The probe runs maintenance-free long-term and introduces no flow disturbance
- Output is compatible with existing DCS / safety-protection systems
