Pump/intermediate heat exchanger assembly for a liquid metal reactor

Abstract

A heat exchanger and electromagnetic pump assembly is disclosed as comprising a heat exchanger including a housing for defining an annularly shaped cavity and supporting therein a plurality of tubes. An electromagnetic pump is disposed beneath the heat exchanger and is comprised of a plurality of flow couplers disposed in a circular array. Each flow coupler is comprised of a pump duct for receiving primary liquid metal, and a generator duct for receiving an intermediate liquid metal. A downcomer tube is disposed centrally of the assembly and passes through the annularly shaped cavity and the array of flow couplers to discharge the intermediate fluid into a first plenum chamber. The first plenum chamber is disposed in communication with the generator ducts of all of the flow couplers, thus permitting the intermediate liquid metal to flow upward therethrough. The generator ducts exit their flows of the intermediate liquid metal in common to a second plenum chamber, which is disposed in communication with the annularly shaped cavity to permit the flow of the intermediate liquid metal therethrough, whereby the intermediate liquid metal is heated by the flow of the primary liquid metal through the tubes. A third plenum chamber receives collectively the flows of the primary liquid metals from the tube and for directing the primary liquid metal to the pump ducts of the flow couplers, whereby a force is exerted on the primary liquid metal, pumping it through the pump ducts.