Experimental studies into the performance of the lead coolant axial pump wet ends to justify main circulation pumps for the HMLC reactor plant circuits

Abstract

The paper presents the results of the studies to justify the design solutions for the main circulation pumps of the heavy liquid-metal cooled reactor plant circuits. A substantial difference has been shown in the performance of pumps for the heavy liquid-metal coolant transfer. The studies have confirmed the qualitative difference in the cavitation performance of coolants, the state of the gases and vapors they contain, the influence of supply and discharge devices, and the effects of the impeller blade section performance and geometry and the hub-tip ratio on the pump performance. The studies were performed based on NNSTU’s lead-cooled test facilities with the coolant temperature in a range of 440 to 550 °C and the coolant flow rate of up to 2000 t/h. The outer diameter of the impellers and the straightening devices was about 200 mm, and the thickness of the flat 08Kh18N10T-steel blades was 4.0 mm and that of the airfoil blades was up to 6.0 mm. The pump shaft speed changed in a stepped manner from 600 rpm to 1100 rpm after each 100 rpm. The studies were conducted to justify the engineering and design solutions for pumps as applied to conditions of small and medium plants with fast neutron lead cooled reactors currently under investigation at NNSTU (BRS-GPG). The experimental results can be recommended for use to design other HLMC transfer pumps.