Title  Magnetohydrodynamic Simulation of Electromagnetic Pump in TC-1	Researchers D. Cook, Y. Chen Collaborators Ning Li, LBE Team Leader, Los Alamos National Laboratory
Background  Electromagnetic (EM) induction pumps are used in a number of nuclear energy related applications, such as circulation of molten lead-bismuth eutectic alloys in neutron targets, and circulation of liquid sodium metal in Gen IV Sodium-cooled Fast Reactors (SFR). Because EM pumps have no moving parts which can fail, they are considerably more reliable than conventional mechanical pumps for molten metal usage, and thus EM pumps are favored over mechanical pumps even though their pumping efficiency is lower and their initial cost is higher when compared to mechanical pumps of similar flow rates.   The figure below shows a cut-away picture of an annular, linear induction pump (ALIP), such as has been used in prototype SFRs and the Target Complex 1 (TC-1) loop at UNLV. These ALIPs consist of three main parts: · an inner cylindrical core fabricated from a ferromagnetic material, · an annular channel through which the liquid sodium flows, and · an outer ferromagnetic core in which a set of inductor coils are embedded.  During operation, a 3-phase, alternating current travels through the inductor coils. This current produces a magnetic field which, in turn, induces a current in the liquid sodium in the pump annulus and inner core. Pumping forces develop in the liquid sodium due to the interaction of the magnetic field and the induced current, causing the liquid sodium to flow down the length of the annulus. The magnitude of these pumping forces, and hence the operational efficiency of the pump, is dependent on a large number of design parameters, including coil current and position, material selection for the inner and outer cores, and size of the annular gap.  Research on the design of EM pumps has been conducted by a number of researchers in Korea, Germany, Japan and Russia. No major papers on the topic have been published by researchers in the U.S. in the past 10 years. If the U.S. is to continue to maintain a research presence in nuclear power research and development, it is imperative that a solid foundation in EM pump design be developed by researchers within this country. The development of this foundation is the primary aim of this research task.   Cut-away picture of an annular, linear induction pump (ALIP)	Research Objectives and Methods The research objectives of this task are: · A literature review of topics pertinent to EM pump design. These topics include the equations governing the physical phenomena occurring in EM pumps and mathematical algorithms used in modeling these physical phenomena, different EM pump configurations, and the effects of materials properties on pump performance. · Development of computational models of the TC-1 loop at UNLV. · Evaluation of the computational models through comparison with experimental data taken on the TC-1 loop. · A parametric study of the TC-1 loop investigating the pumping efficiency as a function of operating conditions, materials properties, and geometric parameters.
Students  Chensong Dai G   Lillian Jane Ratliff U Lucas Bang U Siul Ruiz U	Department Mechanical Engineering
Final Report	Annual Report
Proposal 04/01/06	Quarterly Reports