development of fuel- and coolant-salt centrifugal pumps for the

ORNL-TM-2987

Contract No. W-7405 -eng-26

Reactor Division

DEVELOPMENT OF FUEL- AND COOLANT-SALT CENTRIFUGAL PUMPS FOR THE MOLTEN-SALT REACTOR EXPERIMENT

P. G. Smith

OCTOBER 1970

L E G A L N O T I C E This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by the United States Government. Neither the United States nor the United States Atomic Energy Commission, nor any of their employees, nor any of their contractors, subcontractors, or their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied. or assumss m y legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, com- pleteness or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights.

,QAK R I E E NATIONAt LABORATORY Oak Ridge, Tennessee

operated by UNION CARBIDE CORPORATION

f o r the U.S. ATWIC ENERGY COMMISSION

m m ON OF THIS DOCuEmT IS

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iii

CONTENTS

Page -

L *.* -

Abstract ....................................................... 1

General Description of the Molten-Salt Pump .................... 2

Test Apparatus Molten-Salt Pump Test Stand ............................... 5 Molten-Salt Properties .................................... 9

Force-Deflection Characteristics of Shaft ................. 9 Critical Speed of Shaft Assembly 9 Room-Temperature Dry Runs ................................. 11

Molten-Salt Tests .............................................. 11 Hydraulic Performance ..................................... 11

Beach Tests and Cold Shakedown Tests

..........................

Cavitation Performance .................................... 14 Effectiveness of Shaft Annulus Purge Against Back Diffusion

Measurement of Undissolved Gas Content in Circulating Salt of Radioactive Gas ....................................... 14

17

Molten-Salt Tests ............................................. 21 Problems Encountered During Pump Fabrication and

Fabrication F’roblems ...................................... 22

Shaft Annulus Plugging .................................... 22 Insufficient Running Clearances ........................... 24 Oil Leakage from the Catch Basin into the Pump Tank ....... 26 Pump Tank Off-Gas Line Plugging ........................... 28 Failure of Weld Attachment of P a r t s of Flow-Straightening Device ................................................... 28

Mark-2 Fuel-Salt Pump .......................................... 33 Description of Pump ....................................... 33 Hydraulic Performance ..................................... 36 Measurement of Undissolved Gas Content in Circulating salt ..................................................... 36 Restrictions to Purge-Gas Flow ............................. 36

38 Performance of Molten-Salt Pumps in MSRE ....................... Conclusions .................................................... 40 Acknowledgments ................................................ 40

iv

I

References ...................................................... 41

Appendix. MSRE Drawings ........................................ 43 1

hc

DEVELOPMENT OF FUEL- AND COOLANT-SALT CENTRIFUGAL PUMPS FOR THE MOLTEN-SALT REACTOR EXPERIMENT

P. G. Smith

Abstract

The Molten-Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE), a small nuclear power reactor that produced about 7 Mw of heat while operating at approximately l225'F and atmospheric pressure, requires a pump in each of two circulating molten-salt systems. for each system through water and molten-salt tests of prototype pumps at temperatures to 1400'F and hot shakedown operation of the actual reactor pumps before they were quali- fied for reactor service. The development experience with the pumps in the molten-salt pump test stand and the performance of the reactor pumps in the MSRE are discussed here. The hydraulic performance of the pumps circulating molten salt corresponded closely with the performance obtained with water. mately 30,OOO-hr operating life of the MSRE, which spanned the period August 1964 to December 1969, during which the reactor produced 105,737 Mwhr(t) of nuclear energy. up pump (Mark-2), which contains additional volume in the puplp tank to accommodate thermally expanded salt, was also fabricated and tested for the MSRE.

A vertical centrifugal sump-type pump was developed

The reactor pumps served well throughout the approxi-

A back-

Keywords: pump, molten salt, Molten-Salt Reactor Ek- periment, centrifugal pump, sump-type pump, high temperature, nuclear reactors, pump hydraulic performance, water test Pump

A centrifugal pump was developed for circulating molten salt at elevated temperatures in the Molten-Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE) .' the MSRE is a salt-fue test facility with a heat-generation rate of approximately 7 Mw(t) . salt pumps are required, one in the fuel-salt loop and the other in the coolant-salt loop. Since t identical, primary attention is given here to the fuel-salt pump.

Briefly, ite-moderated single-region nuclear reactor

Two

signs of the two pumps are essentially

The pump is a vertical-shaft sump pump with an overhung impeller and an oil-lubricated face seal. tests, water tests,S cold shakedown operations, and high-temperature

It was developed through a series of bench

2

molten-salt t e s t s

tes t ing and the resul ts of pump operation at ambient and elevated tem-

peratures (up t o lbO°F) are discussed i n t h i s report. Hydraulic performance data, priming conditions, and coastdam characterist ics were

obtained, and the effectiveness of spray devices for xenon removal was

The problems encountered during development and

demonstrated.

Thermal-stress and strain-fatigue analyses' were made for the pump

tanks of both the fuel- and coolant-salt pumps. They were made for an estimated operating history tha t included 100 heating cycles from room temperature t o 1200OF and 500 reactor power change cycles from zero t o

full power.

200 cfm was required f o r the fue l pump tank, while the coolant pump tank

w a s capable of the required service without air cooling.

sign of a similar pump were discussed elsewhere i n some d e t a i ~ . ~

problems and tests required for developing other specific elevated-

temperature pumps have been reported.6ao

'

The calculations indicated tha t a cooling air f l a w r a t e of

The pattern followed in the development of these pumps and the de-

The

Fuel- and coolant-salt pumps were instal led i n the appropriate salt c i rcu i t s of the ERE, where they each circulated salt or helium at ele-

vated temperatures fo r a t o t a l of approximately 30,000 hr. The reactor was operated up t o f u l l power and was recently shut dawn permanently.

During operation of the reactor, which produced 105,737 Mwhr(t) of nuclear energy, the lubricants for the bearings and seals and the insu-

la t ion fo r the drive motor were exposed t o a nuclear radiation environ-

ment

The numbers of the drawings fo r the fuel- and coolant-salt pumps,

the drive motors, the lubrication stand, and the Mark-2 fuel-sal t pump

are l i s t e d i n the Appendix.

General Description of the Molten-Salt Pump

The pump is of the centrifugal sump type with a ver t ica l shaft .

u f

- .

.

It consists of three main components: the pump tank, the rotary assembly, * and the drive motor (see Fig. 1 ) . The three main components are bolted W

ORNL-LR-OWQ-56043-BR2

LUBE OIL BREATHER LUBE OIL IN

BALL BEARINGS (Face to Face) BEARING HOUSING

GAS PURGE I N BASIN

SHAFT SEAL ( S e e Inset

BALL BEARINGS I Back to Back 1

SHIELD COOLANT PASSAGES ( In Parallel With Lube Oil )

SHIELD PLUG

GAS PURGE OUT (See Inset)

LUBE OIL OUT

SEAL OIL LEAKA

LEAK DETECTOR

GAS FILLED EXPANSION

To Overflow Tank

Fig. 1. Cross Section of Fuel-Salt Pump.

4

together and sealed with oval ring-joint gasketed flanges. jo in t grooves are connected t o a le&-detection system.

rotary assembly may be removed from the pump tank e i ther as a uni t or separately. A l l parts i n contact with molten salt are constructed of

Hastelloy N,* a nickel-molybdenum-chromium-iron alloy.

The ring- The motor and

The pump tank, which provides volume t o accommodate the thermally

expanded salt of the system, contains the pump volute or casing, the

xenon-removal spray device, the salt level indicators, and various access

nozzles.

The rotary assembly consists principally of the bearing housing; the

pump shaft, which is mounted on commercially available conventional b a l l

bearings; the shaft seals, which constrain the circulating lubricating

o i l from leaking out of the bearing housing; t he shield plug, which is

cooled with circulating o i l ; and the pump impeller. other parts of the rotary assembly that come i n contact w i t h the salt are suspended i n the pump tank through a large flanged nozzle at the top

of the tank.

The shield plug and

The drive, which is housed i n a hermetically sealed vessel, is a squirrel-cage induction-type motor rated fo r 75-hp duty a t 1200 rpm.

The e lec t r ica l insulation system i s res i s tan t t o a radiation dose of up

t o le rads and the grease lubricant i s reported’l t o be capable of w i t h -

standing a dose of more than 3 X le rads.

The pump has some unusual features required by i t s application t h a t

are not found i n the conventional sump pump.

salt-spraying device t o remove 135Xe (neutron absorber) from the circu-

la t ing fuel salt and also has two gas-bubble sensors t o indicate salt level. The spray device is connected t o the volute discharge, from which

it receives a proportioned flow of about 50 gpm of salt at pump design

head and flow.

through the pump tank and return t o t h e system at t h e pump in le t .

s p l i t purge-gas flow in the shaft annulus keeps o i l vapors from entering

the salt system and f iss ion gases from entering the region of the shaft

The pump tank contains a

This flow and other leakage flows (bypass f h w ) pass

A

*Hastelloy N, known a lso as INOR-8 and Allvac N, has the basic composition, by weight, 15-18s Mo, 6 8 % C r , 5 s Fe (max), 0.60.8$ C, balance N i .

8

5

lower seal. The down-the-shaft portion of the purge-gas flow removes ,. lesXe- by contact with the salt- spray and dilutes and transports it from

the pump tank to the 'off-gas system. The pump is mounted on a flexible support designed to accommodate thermal expansions. A flow of nitrogen across the exterior of the upper nonwetted portion of the pump tank removes nuclear heat deposited in the tank wall. The bolt extensions,

which can be seen in Fig. 2, provide for remote installation and removal of the drive motor and rotary assembly in the MSRE.

Test Apparatus

Molten-Salt Pump Test Stand

A schematic view of the test stand components is shown in Fig. 3. The components include the drive motor, the test pump, and the salt piping, which is 6-in. IPS sched 40, except for a section of pipe at the pump inlet, which is &in. IPS sched 40. Other components include a venturi flowmeter, the heat removal system, a drain tank for salt storage, the preheating system, a flow straightener, high-temperature pressure

and temperature sensors, the lubrication system,ls and two salt freeze flanges, one of which provides a place to mount an orifice plate to set the system resistance to salt flow. The system resistance was varied

with four orifice plates having different hole diameters. The heat removal system, tihich is a salt-to-air heat exchanger, was used to control the salt temperature. The~drain tank stored the fluoride salt in the molten state when the system-was not in operation. Commercial diaphragm-

sealed NaK-filled pressure transmitters.were used to indicate pressure at the pump discharge and at the inlet and throat of the venturi. Trans- former controlled heaters were used to preheat the salt piping and 'corn- ponents, and Chromel-Alutnel thermocouples monitored the system.temperatures. Conventional instrumentation &s used to_display and; record temperatures, salt flow, pumi drive motor 'poi;er, and salt level in the pump

.~ tank. A photograph of the test facility, Fig.‘ 4, shows the pump‘in the

left upper foreground, a portion of the salt piping beneath and to the rear of the pump, and a portion of the control cabinets;

6

Fig. 2. Fuel-Salt Pump Drive Motor, Rotary Assembly, and Bolting - for Remote Maintenance.

t

W

ORNL-LR-DWG 72414

-L-r’. /THERMAL l-t---l

PIPE HEATER x

-8-in. PIPE FLANGE4

VENTURI METER, ,6-h PIPE

/ I ST RAIGHTENER -FLOW

MSRE FREEZE FLANGE

Fig. 3. Schematic Diagram of Molten-Salt Pump Test Stand.

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4J m 4 Q a CH 0

9 -2 <+**

Molten-Salt Properties

i

The molten salt used for pump tests was a mixture of lithium fluoride ( LiF) , beryllium fluoride (BeF, ) , zirconium fluoride ( ZrF, ) , thorium fluoride (ThF,), and uranium fluoride (m4) in proportions of 66.4, 27.4, 4.7, 0.9, and 0.7 mole 8, respectively. ture and melts at approximately b50'~. three temperatures of interest are given below:

The mixture is solid at room tempera- The density13 and viscosity14 at

Temperature Density Viscosity ( OF) 0bm/ft3 1 ( CPS 1

1100 132 11

1200 130 b 1300 129 6

Bench Tests and Cold Shakedown Tests

Force-Deflection Characteristics of Shaft

The force-deflkction characteristics of the shaft were measured with the shaft assembly supported in the bearing housing and with the force applied at the,impeller.

the impeller versus force is shown in Fig. 5. deflection data obtained during water tests were used to determine the

unbalanced force-vector acting on the impeller at various head, flow, and speed operating conditions.16 shaft bending stresses and bearing reactions and to specify the shaft support bearings.

A typical curve of shaft deflection at This information and

The force values were used to analyze

Critical Speed of Shaft As

The critical sheed of each shaft assembly was determined by vibrating the shaft assembly in the supported in the bearing housing and mounted vertically on a rugged-steel structure anchored to the building floor. at the impeller and held constant Over a range of applied frequencies.

ansverse direction. The shaft assembly was

The vibrating force was applied

(x 10-31

E .I- Y

z E: I- o W 2 L W n

Fig. 5 . of Pump.

40

30

20

10

0 0

10

, . . . .

.. .

ORNL-DWG 70-6823

100 200 300 FORCE ( l b )

400 500

Shaft Deflection Versus Radial Force Applied t o Impeller

w 9

f

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11

Data were obtained for frequency versus vibration amplitude. The c r i t i c a l speed determined by the frequency at which the amplitude increased sharply checked quite closely with the calculated value.

the value w a s calculated t o be 2850 rpm and was measured t o be within 100 rpm of th i s value.

For the fuel-salt pump

Room-Temerature Drv Runs

After assembly a pump rotary element is normally operated for about

one week or longer i n a cold shakedown stand before instal la t ion i n the

hot test stand. This operation is conducted t o verify that the element

is free of mechanical problems and t o test the performance of the shaft

bearings and seals. s ea l is usually 10 cc/day or less.

The o i l leakage from a properly performing shaft

Molten-Salt Tests

Tests with molten salt were conducted with the prototype and re-

actor pumps t o (1) verify the hydraulic performance observed i n the

water tes t s , (2) determine the effectiveness of the gas purge down the shaf t annulus against the intrusion of radioactive gas, (3) measure the

concentration of undissolved gas i n the circulating salt, (4) perform

acceptance tests of the reactor pumps prior t o t h e i r instal la t ion in to the reactor system, and (5) t e s t the overall long-term re l i ab i l i t y of

the pump and drive motor a t design and off-design conditions.

presents a summary of the molten-salt tes t operation of the prototype

pump, the rotary elements f o r the reactor pumps, and the Mark-2 fuel-

Table 1

salt pump.

3ydraulic Performance

Hydraulic performance sts were conducted with l3-in.- and 11 1/2-in.- OD fuel pump impellers i n the molten-salt pump tes t stand with the fuel- salt pump tank and volute instal led,

13-in.-OD impeller with both water and molten salt i s shown i n Fig. 6, i n which the head i s plotted against flow for three t e s t speeds.

The head-capacity performance of the

A t 1030 rpm,

12

1

1

2

3

4

5

6

6

7

7 8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

eo

Shakedam test of prototyp b l - s.slt pnnp

prototype rue1-salt pnnp Ey&uulic perfoneace test or

M above

Bamc aa above

B S C J L - ~ ~ ~ ~ B ~ O ~ tests or prototype iUc1-salt pnnp

Oaa-COnCentrstion tests in circu- latlng Mlt ma bach-ditluslca tests or prototype ruei-salt wm

Das-concentration tests of prototype -1-salt pmrD in circulating salt

fuel-salt pump

ana fuel EUmp supports

Ey&uulic perfoneace of prototype

Roor test of lubrication stand

Roof test of coolant p m r ~ lubrication Stand Ma fuel pzmp .up

Reactor iuel pnnp hot shakedown test

Reactor coolant pnnp hot shahe- down test

Reactor fuel plmp hot shakedam

Reactor sparc -1 pnnp hot shake-

Reactor s w e coalant pump hot

test

down test

shakedovn test

Reactor spare fuel pnnp hot shakedovn, back-diffusim, gas ccmcen- tratim testa

Reactor apere fuel-pump impeller

Reactor spare coolant drive motor

sbabcdovn tests

shakedm tests

prototype rue1 PJmP test

Reactor spare tuel p m r ~ hot ~babs- dovn tests

Reactor spare coalant p m r ~ hot

P a r f m c e d endurance tests of

shakedown teats

hhk-2 Pmrp

Scheduled

variable rrequency

Variable frequency

motor-generstor set W u r e

motor-generator set failure

Scheduled

Scheduled

Scheduled

Shaft rubbed at startup

Scheduled

Scheduled

m e r rubbed volute

Scheduled

Bchedulea

Scheduled

SChedul&

Scheduled

13

b d a

c

.

-

60

50

40

I c .c Y

0

I 30

c

s' 2 0

40

0

ORNL-DWG 65-6666

I I I ALLIS-CHALMLRS MFG. CO. IMPELLER AND VOLUTE DESIGN SIZE 8x6; TYPE E ; IMPELLER P482, 13-in. OD - ORNL WATER PERFORMANCE .~

DATA POINTS: ORNL MOLTEN SALT PERFORMANCE AT 42OOOF

0 200 400 600 800 1000 I200 1400 1600 1800 0, FLOW (gal/min)

Fig. 6. Hydraulic Performance of Prototype Fuel-Salt Pump with Water and with Molten Salt.

14

the molten-salt head varies as much as 1 1/2 f t from t h a t of water, and

at 860 and 700 rpm the head fo r the molten salt is low by approximately

1 f t .

U

Cavitation Performance

The NPSH requirements fo r the pumps, as reported by the manufacturer

of the hydraulic components (volutes and impellers), are 5.5 and 11 ft, respectively, fo r the fuel- and coolant-salt pumps at t h e i r operating

conditions.

are 5 and 10 psia, respectively.

and evacuation of the pump tank gas space would be required t o investigate

the suction pressure at which cavitation sets in.

required t o cause cavitation and the operating pressure of the pump tanks

i n the E R E i s 5 psig, experimental investigations of cavitation inception were considered unnecessary and therefore were not performed.

Converted t o pressure of the circulating salt the NPSH values

These pressures are below atmospheric,

Sinceevacuation is

Effectiveness of Shaft Annulus k g e Against Back Diffusion of Radioactive G a s

e

The migration of radioactive gases from the pump tank t o the region

of the shaf t lower seal v ia the shaft annulus could result i n polymeriza-

t i o n of the o i l t h a t leaks past the seal and lead t o plugging of the dra in l i n e from the o i l catch basin.

helium purge gas was introduced down the shaf t annulus. Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the shaf t annulus configuration and the purge-gas

f l o w paths.

contains a labyrinth sea l (not shown), which has a 0.005-in. diametral clearance.

To minimize th i s migration, a flow of

The upper end of the f l o w path for the dam-the-shaft purge

In back-diffusion t e s t s , 85- and nitrogen were injected in to the

pump tank as shown.

l i ne and i n the l i n e from the leakage-oil catch basin were determined

with count-rate meters for various flow rates of purge gas. The data

shown i n Table 2 were obtained during the t e s t s .

tected i n the purge gas fromthe catch basin even with a count rate

meter capable of detecting a concentration as s m a l l as 0.95 x lo-'' Ci/cn?.

The concentrations of 85Kr i n the pump tank off-gas

f

The 85Kr was not de-

4

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15

ORNL-DWG 63-6482

16

These data indicate the capability of the purge gas at flow rates of approximately 0.25 liter/min to reduce the concentration of *6Kr in the catch basin by a factor as much as 35,000 times below the concentration in the pump tank.

Table 2. Back-Diffusion Test Results

IDimeCrstl clearance: 0.005 in.

Shaft Purge Catch Basin Purgea SSKr Concentration in hunp Tank ( liters/day) ( liters/day) (Ci/cl#)’

487 u 7 497 481

354 360 360 673 360 681 681

x 0 .trg 0.m

2.06 2 077 3.28 1.85 1.21 1.65 0 075 o .go

3 054

e

a concentration in catch basin was less than

0.95 x 10-l’ at all purge flows.

The maximum permissible concentration of radioactive gases in the catch basin to avoid polymerization of the leakage oil was calculated to be 3.1 X lo-+ Ci/cxrP. data of Table 2 indicate a maximum permissible concentration or radioactive gases of 2.4 to 11.0 Ci/cnP in the pump tank. additional calculations relating the flow rate of purge gas in the dam-

Calculations based on this limitation and the

The results of

the-shaft annulus to the concentration of radioactive gases in the pump

f

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c

tank for a conservative assumption of the MSRE nuclear operating conditions are presented in Fig. 8. This figure indicates that a flow rate of purge gas of less than 1 liter/min suffices to protect the seal oil leakage in the catch basin from polymerization by radioactive gases. A satisfactory supply of purge gas was available at the MSRE.

Additional back-diffusion tests were made with esKr injection in which the shaft ~tnnulus labyrinth seal clearance was 0.010 in., and the data obtained are given in Table 3. 1.5 x 10-l' Ci/cI#, SSKr could only be detected in the catch basin at

With a detector sensitivity of

low down-the-shaft purge flow rates.

Table 3. Back-Diffusion Test Results

Diametral clearance: 0.010 in.

*5Kr Concent rat ion (Ci/cS 1 Catch Basin

b g e Shaft Purge (liters/day 1 ( liters/day)

In Pump Tank Ip Catch Basin

212 173 2.66 x d . 5 x lo-'* 2 32 164 5.50 x lo-' d . 5 x lo-'' 72 105 4.24 x IO-' ~8.17 x lo-*

Measurement of Undissolved Gas Content in Circulating Salt

Undesirable quantit i s bubbles in the pump tank liquid can

be entrained in the circ leaked into the pump tank from the high-pressure side of the pump. high velocity of these salt leaks from the internal spray and other sources within the pump t downward velocity of the the impeller inlet and on

s a l t by the return of salt that has The

carry gas under the salt surface. The ng salt may then carry the bubbles to the circulating salt.

To obtain inslght i the concentration of undissolved gas in the circulating salt was measured by using gamma radiation densitometry.

18

,

i

!

ORNL-DWG 63-6483 20 I I I I I I

10 Mw POWER

50 gpm BYPASS FLOW - 100 % STRIPPING EFFICIENCY

5 psig PUMP TANK PRESSURE

w 0

0 v)

0 I000 2000 3000 4000 5000 PUMP TANK PURGE ( liters/day)

Fig. 8. Concentration of Radioactive Gas Versus Purge-Gas Flow Rate i n Prototype Fuel-Salt Pump.

W

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I

j j x

i g ,

A 40-Ci 1s7Cs source of 0.622-Mev gamma rays was placed on one side of the salt piping a t the pump in le t , a region of low s t a t i c salt pressure,

and a radiation detector was placed on the other side.

consisted of a cylinder of plast ic phosphor ( 3 in . i n diameter and 6 in .

The detector

long) and an electron multiplier phototube. photons, which are transmitted from the source through the salt.

The p las t ic phosphor absorbs

Light i s emitted by the plast ic phosphor t o a phototube that produces a current.

The current i s a f'unction of the photon transmission through the salt, which i n tu rn is an Inverse function of the density of the salt. The

signal current from the detector is fed t o a suppression c i rcu i t that

indicates only variations i n the current. The current indication i s

recorded on Visicorder tape. Thus an increase i n the concentration of

undissolved gas, which causes a decrease i n salt density, i s indicated

by an increase i n the current output of the densitometer.

The densitometer was calibrated over a small range of thermal change

i n salt density corresponding t o the salt temperature range 1100 t o

1400'F. During calibration the salt contained no entrained gas. The

pump was not operating, so gas bubbles could leave the densitometer and enter the higher elevations i n the salt system. Thermal-convection

velocit ies i n the salt were too small t o entrain fresh gas from the pump tank.

The two Visicorder traces shown i n Fig. 9 give a measure of helium

concentration i n the salt loop a t two different salt levels i n the pump tank. 1650 gpm through the 6-in,-diam pipe and a salt temperature of '1185 OF;

approximately 85 gpm of salt was bypassed through the spray ring. The

curves are plotted with the flow density at zero deflection for compari-

son and t o i l l u s t r a t e the transient behavior of the gas concentration when the pump i s first stopped (flow reduction t o zero) and then started

(flow increase from 0 t o 1650 gpm) . fo r the normal level of salt i n the pump tank ( 3 3/8 in. above center

l i ne of the volute). pump tank ( 4 7/16 in . above the center l i ne of the volute).

concentration i n the circulating salt when operating at the normal level was 4.6 vol $, and a t the other higher level it w a s 1.7 vol $.

The pump was operated with a 13-in.-OD impeller at a flow of

Trace I presents the density data

Trace I1 relates t o a higher salt level i n the

The gas

The

F i g by Gamma Impeller

20

ORNL-OWG 65-11798 10

9

E

7

6

5 > - a 4

s z 0 3

Y 2 LL w 4 0

0

-1 SALT TEMPERATURE: 1185OF

-2

-3

-4 0 20 40 60 EO io0 420 440 460 480 200

TIME (sec)

. 9. Concentration of Undissolved Gas Versus Time as Determined Radiation Densitometry of Prototype Fuel-Salt Pump with 13-in. and 1650-gpm Salt Flow.

f

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21

sensitivity of the Visicorder was 0.64 vol $ per division. At the higher operating level, the discharge ports of the xenon removal spray ring were covered with salt. spray ring is a major contributor to the agitation that causes gas bubbles, it is understandable that the gas concentration was lower when operating at the higher level in the pump tank.

Since the high-velocity spray from the xenon-removal

In a separate test, the same densitometer arrangement was used to measure gas concentrations in the fuel salt circuit at the MSRE. principal conditions included the impeller diameter of 11 1/2 in., a salt flow of 1150 gpm at 1200°F, normal operating level, and a spray-ring flow of 50 gpm. conditions. of 2 to 3 vol $ was indicated. densitometer on the molten-salt test loop and with a 11 1/2-in.-diam impeller, a flow of 1200 gpm at 1200°F, the salt at the normal operating level, and a spray-ring flow of 50 gpm gave a void fraction of 0.1 vol $.

The

The void fraction in the salt was not detectable at these At a lower level of salt in the pump tank, a void fraction

Subsequent measurements with the same

Comparing the gas concentrations for operation with the l3-in.- and the 11 1/2-in.-diam impellers at the normal operating level shows that the content is less with the smaller impeller by a factor of 46. This is attributable to the xenon-removal spray flow, which is approximately 50 gpm for the smaller impeller, compared with 85 gpm with the 13-in.-diam impeller. The jet velocity from the spray ring is considerably less with the 50-gpm flow; thus there is less agitation of the liquid level surface upon impingement of the jet streams.

Fabrication problems were encountered with the dished heads for the pump tanks, the impeller and volute castings, and the hermetic vessels for enclosing the drive motors. with the shaft purge flow, shaft and impeller running clearances, shaft seals, and the flow straightener in the test stand salt piping during

Pump operating problems were encountered

testing and operation of the pumps at elevated temperatures.

22

Fabrication Problems

The Hastelloy N dished heads fo r the pump tanks were originally fab-

ricated by hot spinning of plate stock.

many crack-like defects on the knuckle radius tha t were readily detectable

by dye-penetrant inspection.

of the cracks by grinding, and t h i s rendered them usable for t e s t purposes.

Later, during fabrication of the reactor pumps, the problem was solved by

hot pressing the plate stock.

The result ing heads contained

However, the heads were repaired by removal

Considerable e f for t and t i m e were expended t o obtain satisfactory

Hastelloy N castings for the impellers and volutes. were unsatisfactory due t o defects such as cracks result ing from shrinkage,

inclusions, and porosity. Castings of improved quality, which were accept-

able a f t e r repairs, were obtained from a second foundry. The castings were

improved by modifying the chemistry of the casting melts and by the founder giving close supervision and attention t o the de ta i l s of the casting procedures. .

The i n i t i a l castings

Two problems were encountered during the fabrication of the hermetically sealed vessels for the drive motors. The design originally specified brazing a cooling co i l of stainless s t e e l pipe t o the outside of the cylin- dr ica l carbon s t e e l vessel.

expansion between the two materials, continuous attachment of the c o i l t o

the vessel was not achieved by brazing.

the co i l i n place.

up of weld metal, "buttering," on the inner surface of the vessel t o accom-

modate the attachment of a flat head.

the vessel w a l l i n the region of the buildup.

grinding and weld repair resolved the problem.

obtained but at the expense o f delays i n delivery of the vessels and additional expense t o the fabricator.

However, because of the difference i n thermal

The problem was solved by welding

A more serious problem was encountered during the build-

Large laminar defects appeared i n

Removal of the defects by

Satisfactory vessels were

c

.

. Shaft Annulus Plugging

During t e s t 6 (see Table 1) the recorded t race of drive motor power began fluctuating a f t e r 700 hr of operation with molten salt at 120O0F, An anomalous value of gas pressure, which exceeded the supply pressufe

. _-

W

23

by approximately 5 psi , was observed i n the pump tank. The t e s t was

therefore terminated, and inspection of the rotary assembly revealed

the presence of sol idif ied salt i n the annulus between pump shaft and

shield plug. I

Subsequent analysis showed tha t the gas flow i n the lower portion of the shaft annulus had been reversed and w a s upward instead of down-

ward, the proper direction. The flow reversed because the gas flow from the l iquid level indicators, although thought t o be s m a l l , w a s

actually significant.

of the off-gas flow l ine from the pump tank; consequently the excess gas flowed upward, joined the annulus purge gas, and l e f t the pump

through the shaft seal o i l leakage drain l ine .

salt were carried by the reversed purge flow in to the lower end of the shaft annulus where they solidified, accumulated, and f ina l ly acted as a brake on the shaft .

r i a l taken from the shaft annulus was very close t o tha t of the salt being circulated.

of the sample indicated tha t the material w a s carried in to the annulus

as an aerosol.

The excess gas exceeded the throt t led capacity

Small droplets of molten .

The chemical composition of a sample of the mate-

The resul ts of x-ray and petrographic examinations

To prevent the recurrence of t h i s incident and t o provide protection against back diffusion, the flow rates of the gas t o and from the pump

tank were monitored more closely t o assure tha t purge gas did flow down

the shaft annulus. the flow ra t e of the purge gas associated w i t h the op

The flow rate of gas from the pump tank must equal

the shaft annulus plus the flow ra te of n of the bubble-type level indicators.

Another case of shaf t annulus plugging was encountered during t e s t

17 (see Table 1). The plugging was indicated by a buildup of pressure i n the seal o i l leakage catch basin compared w i t h the pump tank pressure.

The pressure d i f fe ren t ia l s i ) thus created caused o i l t o leak

the outer surface of the shield plug and

age was detected by a hydrocarbon analyzer

u t of the catch basin

in to the pump tank.

sampling the pump tank off

of the shaft annulus, and it removed by heating the system circulating salt from 1200 t o 1250°F or by

e plug w a s located at the lower end

of such a nature it could be temporarily

24

stopping the pump br ie f ly and then restar t ing it. en t i a l between the catch basin and pump tank would disappear, and leakage

of o i l would stop as indicated by the hydrocarbon analyzer. After termi- nation of the t e s t , material from the plug was analyzed and found t o be

of a composition similar t o the t e s t salt.

The pressure differ-

The original salt deposit is believed t o have resulted from a f i l l i n g operation of the system wherein the supply of salt i n the dump

tank was depleted before reaching the normal l eve l i n the pump tank.

G a s then bubbled up through the dip-line connecting the dump tank t o the

salt piping and rose into the pump tank, where it erupted from the surface

and splashed salt against the lower end of the shield plug.

ture of the surface was l o w enough t o freeze the salt and re ta in it. The tempera-

Insufficient Running Clearances

It is normal practice t o t r y t o operate centrifugal pumps at or

near t he i r highest efficiency. During operation along the constant system flow-resistance curve tha t passes through t h i s best-efficiency point,

a lso called the balance l i n e (see Fig. lo), the various losses i n the

i m p e l l e r and volute are minimum, and the pressure distribution i n the

volute is nearly uniform.

minimum net radial force on the impeller.

or lower l ines of system f l o w resist"ance (see Fig. lo), the volute pres-

sure distribution becomes nonuniform, and a net radial force i s exerted

on the impeller t ha t increases as the operating condition departs far ther

This uniform distribution gives r i s e t o the

During operation on higher

from the balance l ine.

radial forces on the impeller t ha t deflect the overhung shaft .

incidents of insufficient running clearance t o accommodate t h i s deflection

were encountered during operation of the MSRE pumps with molten salt i n the t e s t f ac i l i t y . During the i n i t i a l molten-salt test ( t e s t 1, Table l), the prototype pump shaft seized i n the shield plug.

design conditions deflected the shaft suff ic ient ly t o cause rubbing of the

hot, dry shaft against the bore of the shield plug at i t s lower end.

shaft was friction-welded t o the plug over a length of about 4 in .

radial running clearance between the shaft and the shield plug w a s

Thus operation at off-design conditions produces

Three

Operation at off-

The

The

U

25

j c

f a a w I

ORNL-LR-DWG 72413R

CONSTANT FLOW- 0 RESISTANCE LINES MSRE FUEL

CIRCUIT (DESIGN)

MINIMUM RADIAL FORCE ON IMPELLER

PROTOTYPE PUMP OPERATION WITH !3-in. IMPELLER

FLOW 4

Fig. 10. Relationship Between Lines of Constant Flow Resistance, Pump Characteristic Curves, and Impeller Radial Load for Centrifugal Pumps.

26

therefore increased from 0.010 t o 0.045 in . t o avoid shaft seizure a t

anticipated off-design operating conditions.

During t e s t 9, the shaft of the MSRE fuel-sal t pump rubbed against

the helium purge labyrinth seal.

w a s stopped before seizure could occur. The diametral clearance was 0.005 in. The rubbing evidently occurred as a resu l t of the buildup

during assembly of eccentr ic i t ies i n the mechanical structure of the

pump, shaft deflection due t o dynamic loading, and shaf t run-out. The

diametral clearance w a s increased t o 0.010 in .

The rubbing was detected and the pump

During t e s t 12, the impeller of the spare reactor fuel-salt pump

rubbed against the volute.

was suppl ied to the exterior of the nonwetted portion of the pump tank

while the pump was being operated at 120O0F. mounting of the volute was s l igh t ly skewed i n the pump tank, and the

axial running clearance between the volute and the i n l e t shroud of the

impeller was l e s s than required. Additional properly delineated axial

running clearance between the impeller i n l e t shroud and volute was there-

fore provided.

Rubbing occurred when a flow of cooling air

It was found tha t the

O i l Leakage from the Catch Basin in to the Pump Tank

O i l leakage from the catch basin down the outside of the shield

plug and in to the pump tank was observed i n some of the molten-salt

pump tests and during i n i t i a l operation of the fuel-sal t pump with

barren salt i n the MSRE.

sealed with a soft-annealed solid-copper O-ring compressed between

The leakage path traversed a joint t ha t was

W

adjacent f lat horizontal surfaces on the bearing housing and shield

plug (see Fig. 11). for the fue l and coolant pumps for the MSRE.

Modifications were made on the spare rotary elements

A weld arrangement w a s devised t o seal the jo in t between the bearing

housing and the shield plug i n a positive manner.

tween the pump shaft, the shaft lower seal, bearing housing, catch basin,

shield plug, and the pump tank are shown i n the larger section i n Fig. 11.

!Phe insets show the portions affected before and a f t e r modification.

modification w a s made on both the fuel- and coolant-salt pump spare rotary elements for the E R E .

The relationships be-

- The -

ORNL-DWG 66-2049

SOLID COPPER O-RING BUNA N O-RING

LOWER SEAL

LOWER SEAL CATCH BASIN

AFTER MODIFICATION I BEFORE MODIFICATION

I SHIELD PLUG SHAFT

Fig. 11, Cross Sections of Catch Basin Region of Rotary Element Be- fore and After Modification t o Seal the O i l Leak Passage Between Shield Plug and Bearing Housing.

28

Pump !lank Off-Gas Line mugging u During test 17 (see Table 1) the purge-gas flow rate down the shaft I

annulus was set at 4 liters/min to investigate plugging that had been experienced in the fuel-salt pump off-gas line at the MSRE and to test filters for possible use to prevent the plugging. The purge flow rate on all previous tests was considerably lower (factor of ,10 or more). At the high test purge rate some partial plugging in the pump tank off- gas line was experienced. of salt aerosol swept out of the pump tank by the purge gas. is presumably generated by agitation of the salt in the pump tank by the high-velocity salt jets that issue from the xenon-removal spray ring. The problem was a nuisance but did not interfere with pump operation.

-

The plugging was caused by the solidification The aerosol

Failure of Weld Attachment of Parts of Flow-Straightening Device

Test 12 (see !Fable 1) was terminated after the operator reported a strange noise that he had heard only one time. the trace on the pump power recorder was also observed. indicated that one of the three parts of a flow-straightening device had become detached and lodged in the impeller inlet. damage to the inlet edges of the impeller vanes and deformed a swirl preventer of cruciform configuration that was located adjacent to the

A slight roughening of Inspection

This caused some

impeller inlet. the three parts fromthe straightener. damage to the leading edges of the impeller vanes, and Fig. 14 shows the damage done to the swirl preventer. in the flow straightener from which the three parts were detached. than the barely perceptible roughening of the power trace, no effects of the lodged p a r t s on the hydraulic performance of the pump could be detected.

Figure 12 shows the posttest configuration of one of Figure 13 shows the rubbing

Figure 15 indicates the locations Other

-

The salt flow had carried the detached parts downstream through the venturi meter and the interconnecting salt piping and upward into the impeller inlet. fashion to the carrier pieces, as shown in Fig. 15. The straightener itself was located just upstream of the venturi meter to straighten the salt flow before entry into the meter.

rn

The straightener parts had been welded in intermittent

-

29

-

Impeller In l e t .

! f

I

i 1

30

c

Fig. 13. Rubbing Damage t o Inlet Edges of Impeller Blades. Damage was caused by rubbing of impeller against detached par t of flow straightener tha t lodged i n impeller i n l e t .

i

31

Fig. 14. Damaged Sw enter. Damage was caused by lodging of detached par t of flow straightener i n impeller in le t .

32

Fig. 15. Failure of Weld Attachment of Parts in Flow Straightener. Locatibns are shown from which parts were detached.

t

33

A t t h i s time it was decided t o modify the s a l t piping as shown i n

Fig. 16 t o locate the venturi meter i n the upper leg of the salt piping

and the straightener upstream of it near the outlet end of the air cooler.

The designs of the straightener and the welds joining i t s parts were also

modified t o reduce the vibration-induced fatigue thought t o be the reason

for the detachment of the three parts. venter were ,replaced also.

The impeller and the swirl pre-

! -

i i z !

Mark-2 Fuel-Salt Pump

The Mark-2 fuel-salt pump represents a modification t o the original design of the fuel-salt pump t o provide additional volume needed t o ac-

commodate the thermal expansion of the system fuel salt. fuel-sal t pump, an overflow tank had t o be ins ta l led a t the MSFtE t o pro-

For the original

vide the additional volume,

Although the Mark-2 pump was fabricated and operated with salt i n the molten-salt pump t e s t stand, it was never instal led in to the MSRE.

It i s s t i l l being operated i n the test stand, and i n April 1970 had c i r - culated the salt LiF-BeFs -ZrF4 -ThF4 -UF4 (68.4-24.6-5 .O-1 .1-0.9 mole $) fo r more than 14,000 hr, mainly at 1200'F.

satisfactory i n every respect, except for pa r t i a l res t r ic t ions t o the

Its performance has been

purge-gas flow tha t occur occasionally i n the off-gas l i ne and i n the pump shaft annulus.

Description of Pump

The Mark-2 pump has the same hydraulic components (impeller and

volute), bearing housing, and drive motor designs as those used i n the

original f'uel-salt pump. However, the height of the pump tank was in-

creased by 9 3/4 in . t o provide 5 3/4 f't3 of additional volume f o r the

thermally expanded fuel salt. The pump shaft is the same, except t h a t the length of the salt-wetted portion was increased a corresponding

amount. The configuration of the pump i s shown i n cross section i n Fig. 17.

The detailed designs of internal equipment i n the pump tank (i .e. , salt splash baff les and salt spray ring) d i f f e r from those provided for

34

ORNL-DWG 66-2048

o t 2 3 - R E T

INLET PRESSURE

MSRE FREEZE

Fig. 16. Stand as Modified After Failure of Weld Attachment of Parts in Flow Straightener.

Configuration of' Salt Piping in the Molten-Salt Pump Test

W 6

.

35

OWL-DWG 69-10459

Fig. 17. ' Cross Section of Mark-2 Fuel-Salt' Pump.

36

the original tank (Fig. 1 ) .

direct ly in to the pool of salt i n the pump tank but are aimed at the

inner surface of the salt spray baffle. In addition the Mark-2 pump tank is equipped with a buoyanq leve l indicator (not shown i n Fig. l7), which was not used i n the original pump tank.

The j e t s from the spray ring do pot impinge

Hydraulic Performance

Eydraulic performance data were obtained at various pump speeds

along a constant l i ne of flow resistance and at a constant salt tem-

perature of l200OF. The idata are superimposed i n Fig. 18 on a graph

of water t e s t performance data provided by the vendor of the impeller

and volute. The head values fromthe molten-salt data are within 2 ft of the vendor's values.

Measurement of Undissolved Gas Content i n Circulating Sa l t

The content of undissolved gas circulating i n the salt was measured

with the pump operating at three different salt levels i n the pump tank.

A t the normal leve l and the high level, 5 3/8 in . above normal, there

w a s no gas detectable i n the circulating salt by use of the radiation

densitometer. 0.1 vol $ was measured.

previous section,) A t the normal and high levels, the baffles are

evidently effective i n keeping gas bubbles from being carried in to the

circulating salt at the pump inlet.

A t the l o w level, 2.4 in . below normal, a gas content of (The radiation densitometer is described 5n a

Restrictions t o Purge-Gas Flow

During operation of the pump, partial res t r ic t ions have been experienced i n the purge-gas flow passages.

revealed so l id material i n the off-gas l i n e as far as 40 ft downstream

from the pump tank. It had collected i n valves and other res t r ic ted

flow areas, and therefore it w a s d i f f i cu l t t o maintain the purge-gas

flow of 4 liters/min, the MSFE design ra te . A commercial f i l t e r was therefore instal led approximately 15 ft downstream from the pump tank,

Examination after i n i t i a l operation

W 8

.

s

37

.

*

P

.

ORNL-DWG 70-6824

0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 , - 4, FLOW (gal )

aulic Performance of Mark-2 Fuel-Salt Pump.

3'8

and there was no further plugging. A res t r ic t ion now occurs on the w average of about once per month i n the pump tank off-gas nozzle or at a valve ju s t upstream of the filter. It is removed by rapping gn the

s

l i ne or by application of heat with a torch. - Examination of a sample of the plug material revealed tha t it was

salt in nearly spherical droplet form 15 salt material is carried as an aerosol i n the purge gas from the pump

tank gas space in to the pump tank off-gas l ine .

i n diameter o r l ess . The

There have been eight occasions of partial plugging i n the shaft

annulus ( i n l e t purge-gas passage).

e i ther stopping the pump momentarily and restar t ing it or by heating

the system salt t o 1325OF for a short period (about 1 hr ) and then re-

turning it t o 1200OF.

This plugging can be cleared by

Performance of Molten-Salt Pumps i n MSRE

Two molten-salt pumps, one for fue l salt and one for coolant salt, were instal led i n the MSa. They were developed with the aid of water

tes tsa and the salt tests conducted i n the molten-salt pump test stand,

as described above. The two pumps are ident ical except for the hydraulic design (impeller and volute); the fue l pump tank has a spray ring t o pro-

vide for xenon removal, whereas the coolant pump does not; and the fuel

pump is driven at 1175 rpm, while the coolant pump is driven at 1775 rpm.

Their accumulated operating s t a t i s t i c s , up t o the shutdown of the MSRE

on December 12, 1969, are presented i n Table 4, which gives the accumu-

la ted pump operating hours for circulation of molten salt, helium, and

the combiped hours for helium and splt when the system was at gOO°F or

above.

was satisfactory, and the t o t a l operating times f o r the pumps exceeded 58,000 hr.

The service of the MSRE salt pumps, which began i n August 1964,

During operation of the pumps only one problem was encountered - par t i a l res t r ic t ion of the off-gas flow. This problem did not in te r -

fere with the operation of the MSRE but was a nuisance i n that it re-

quired considerable attention from time t o time. We believe t h a t the

rest r ic t ions resulted fromtwo sources: the freezing of s a l t aerosol

.

W

39

and the radiolytic polymerization of o i l i n the off-gas l ines . Measure-

ments of the hydrocarbon content i n the pump off-gas showed 1 t o 2 g/day

bi - L

of hydrocarbons.

section, as i s the source of the o i l .

the off-gas out le t nozzles of the pump tanks and at other locations,

such as valve seats or other points of reduced flow area. respects, the operation of the salt pumps was deemed satisfactory by the MSFE Operations Group.

The source of salt aerosol i s discussed i n a previous

Partial res t r ic t ions occurred a t

In all other

Table 4. Molten-Salt Pump Operation i n MSRE

Process Head Flow Speed Temperature Total -P Fluid (ft) kPm) (rpm) (OF) Hours

~ ~

Fuel H e l i u m and 2900 30,848 molten salt

Molten salt 50 1200 1175 1000-1225 21,788

H e l i u m 100-1225 7,385

Coolant Helium and 2900 27,438 molten salt

Molten salt 78 800 1175 1000-1275 26,076

H e l i u m 100-1275 4,707

An incident occurred with the fuel-salt pump during one s a l t - f i l l i n g

The salt was forced operation i n preparation for s tar tup of the reactor.

t o an excessively high leve

entering the shaf t annulus freezing. Under these circumstances the

motor output torque was not suff ic ient t o turn the shaft . After application of eyCra heat t o the pump tank and suff ic ient time f o r heat t o

t ransfer in to the frozen reg pump was again operative. l l i n g procedures were modified, and

the pump tank, which resulted i n salt

* , the shaf t became free t o rotate and the

6 t h i s incident did not recur.

40

Conclusions

The developmen, and t e s t program produce fuel- and coolant-sal,

pumps that , on the whole, operated sa t i s fac tor i ly and dependably during

the operating l i fe of the MSRE from August 1964 t o December 1969. The molten-salt hydraulic performance of the pumps compared favorably with

the room-temperature water t e s t performance. The pump head with molten

salt was observed t o be within 2 f t , or 54, of the water t e s t head, and

this difference is within the accuracy of the instrumentation.

The pump shaft purge was effective i n protecting the lower shaft

seal region of the fuel-salt pump from radioactive f iss ion products,

and the path for removal of sea l o i l leakage remained opened during a l l MSRE operation. The o i l leakage r a t e for the lower shaft seals was ac-

ceptable (maximum of 30 cc/day) throughout MSRE operation. ..

A seal weld scheme, which joins the shield plug and the bearing

housing, was developed t o prevent o i l leakage in the lower sea l catch basin from entering the pump tank.

elements, which were not needed i n the MSRE and therefore were never

installed.

It was applied t o the spare rotary

Consideration should be given t o the handling of salt aerosol i n

the design of salt pumps fo r advanced molten-salt reactor systems and

t o minimizing the production of aerosol. A device should be provided

t o remove the aerosol content i n the purge gas and return it t o the salt system.

Acknowledgments

The satisfactory design, development, fabrication, and operation of reactor-grade molten-salt pumps for the MSRE required the effor ts , enthusiasm, loyalty, and cooperation of more people thab can be named i n t h i s report. F’rom t h i s Large group, recognition must be given t o

L. V. Wilson for his effor ts i n the design of the pumps and t o R. B.

Briggs, A. G. Grindell, and R, E. MacFherson for the substantial guidance

and encouragement they provided throughout the MSRE salt pump development

program.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11

12.

13

R e f e rence s

R. B. Briggs, MSRP Semiann. Progr. Rept. July 31, 1964, USAEC Report ORNL-3708, p. 375, Oak Ridge-National Laboratory,

P. G. Smith, Water T e s t Development of the Fuel Pump for the MSRE, USAEC Report ORNL-TM-79, p. 47, O a k Ridge National Laboratory, Mar. 27, 1962.

C. H. Gabbard, Thermal-Stress and Strain-Fatigue Analyses of the MSRE Fuel and Coolant Pump Tanks, USAEC Report ORNL-TM-78, p. 71, O a k Ridge National Laboratory, Oct. 3, 1962.

A. G. Grindell, W. F. Boudreau, and H. W. Savage, Development of Centrifugal Plullps f o r Operation with Liquid Metal and Molten Sal ts at 1100-1500°F, Nucl. Sci . Eng. , "(1) : 8-1 (1960).

R. W. Kelly, G. M. Wood, and H. V, Marman, Development of a High- Temperature Liquid Metal Turbopump, Trans. ASME, Series A, J. of h g . fo r Power, 85(2): 99-107 (1963).

C. Ferguson e t al., Design Summary Report of LCRE Reflector Coolant Pumps and Sump, USAEC Report PWAC-384, p. 41, Pra t t & Whitney A i r - craft , Middletown, Connecticut , December 1963.

0. S. Seim and R. A. Jaross, 5000 gpm Electromagnetic and Mechanical Pumps fo r EBR-I1 Sodium System, Second Nuclear Engineering and Science Conference sponsored by ASME, Philadelphia, Pa. , March 11-14, 1957.

H. W. Savage, G. D. Whitman, W. G. Cobb, and W. B. McDonald, Compo- nents of the Fused-Salt and Sodium Circuits of the Aircraft Reactor Experiment, USAEC Report OWL-2348, pp. 21-33, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Feb. 15, 1958.

0. P. Steele 111, High-Temperature Mechanical "Canned Motor" Liquid Met& Pumps, Nuclear Engineering Science Conference sponsored by Engineers Jo in t Council, Chicago, March 17+1, 1958.

R. W. Atz, Performance of " P F Prototype Free-Surface Sodium Pumps, USAEC Report NAA-SR-4336, Atomics International, June 30, 1960.

J. G. Carroll e t al., Field Tests on a Radiation-Resistance Grease, LUbriCatinK fig. , 18(2): 64-70 (1962).

P. G. Smith, Development and Operational Experience with the Lubrica- t i on Systems f o r the Molten-Salt Reactor Experiment Sa l t Pumps, Oak R i d g e National Laboratory, unpublished in t e rna l memorandum, June 1970.

R. B. Briggs, MSRP Semimn. Progr. Rept. November 1964, USmC Report 0RNL-3708, pp. 23F235 , Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

42

bi 14. R. B. Briggs, MSRP Semiann. Progr. Rept. December 31, 1962, USAEC

Report ORNL-3369, pp. 123-124, Oak Ridge National Laboratory. *

,

I

15. R. B. Briggs, MSRP Semiann. Progr. Rept. January 31, 1963, USAEC Report ORNL-3419, pp. 37-40, Oak RiGe National Laboratory.

t

u

43

Fuel-Salt Pump Drawings

BM-8930 F-9830

E-10965 0-10964 F-9846 D-10344

B-9727 D-9711 D-10068 F-9841

D-10561

D-9849 E-9710

D-9839 D-9837 D-9847 F-9844

E-9843 D-10967 D-9834 D-9832 F-9845 D-9838 F-9836

E-9835 D-9833 D-9831 D-9848 D-9850

D-9720

Appendix

MSRE DRAWINGS

MSRE Fuel Pump

Assembly

Pump Tank Test Assembly

Flange Weldment Upper Shell Weldment

Details

Dished Head

Volute

Bubbler Header Weldment Lower Shell Weldment

Sprinkler Head Weldment

Thimble Weldment

Impeller

Details

Details

Labyrinth Flange Weldment

Shield Plug Assembly

Details Motor Guide Weldmest

Details Filler B a r Shaft

Shaft Coolant Plug Weldment

ousing Assembly Bearing Housing Welbnent Upper Seal

Bearing Clamp Ring

Modified Flexible Couplipg

Modified Oval Ring, ASA ~16-20

Details

44

D-10067

D-9840

D-10889 D-10888

D-10887 D-10886

EM-9718 D-9718 D-9721 C-9722 D-9720

B-9719 a-9730 D-9730 D-9905 BM-10066 D-10066

Shield Plate

Details

Assembly: Shaft Leak Tester

Assembly: Leakage Test Fixture

Weldment: Leakage Test Fixture

Details

Seal, MSRE Pump Seal Assembly

Seal Body Subassembly

Seal Body Seal Spring Plate

Seal Nose

Universal Joint, MSRE Fuel Pump Universal Joint Assembly

Details

Bolt Ektension, MSRF: Fuel Pump

Bolt Extens ion Assembly

u f

Coolant -Salt Pump Drawings

EM-10062

D-9837 F-10062

E-10966

F-10063

D-10964

B-9727 D-10068

D-9771 D-10344 D-10344 F-10064

D-10065

D-9770 D-9834

MSRE Coolant pump

Assembly

Details

Pump Tank Tes t Assembly

Flange Weldment

Upper Shell Weldment

Dished Head

Bubbler Header Weldment

Volute

Details Details

Lower Shell

Thimble Weldment

Impeller Details

D-9847 D-9849 F-9844

E-9843 D-10967 D-9833 D-9837 D-9832

45

Labyrinth Flange Weldment

Details Shield Plug Assembly

Details

Motor Guide Weldment

Details

Details Filler B a r

*

Fuel and Coolant Pump Drive-Motor Drawings

F-9845 Shaft

D-9838 Shaft Coolant Plug Weldment

F-9836 Bearing Housing Assembly

E-9835 Bearing Housing Weldment

D-9831 Bearing Clamp Ring D-9848 Modified Flexible Coupling

D-9850 Modified Oval Ring D-9839 Tachometer Block

D-9720 Details D-10092 lmpeller Wrench Assembly

BM-9718 Seal., MSRE Pump D-9718 Seal Assembly

D-9721 Seal. Body Subassembly

C-9722 Seal Body

D-9720 Details D-9719 Seal Nose

653 J 015 General Assembly

653 J 009 General Assembly 828 D 144 eneral Assembly

472 B 183 Stator Lamination Details 1 319157 Wiring Diagram f g r 6 Pole

ring Diagram for 4 Pole ED 18399 440 A 811 Terminal u 440 A 800 B a l l Bearing Detail

f

i

46

472 B 233 Seal W

*

Lubrication Stand Drawings

BM-41801 Lube O i l Package, MSRE E-41801 Piping Assembly

E-41807 Support Frame

E-41803 Tank Piping Subassembly

E-41802 Tank Assembly

E-41806 Flange, Double 0-Ring Seal D-41810 Breather Line

D-41808 Pump Discharge Manifold

D-41812 Details D- 4181 3 D-41809 Supply Manifold D-41811 Return Manif old

F i l t e r Modification and Assembly

D-41804 Style "SSD" Valve Modification

D-41805 General Notes

D-41814 Process Piping Connections

E-41815 Instrumentation Assembly and Power

E-41816 ' Instrument Support Tray

D-55573 Flaw Element (Coolant)

D-55572 Flow Element (Lube)

Connections

Mark-2 Fuel-Pump Drawings

F-56300 Assembly F-56301 E-9710 Impeller

Test Assembly of Pump Tank

D-9839 Impeller Nut

D-9837 Slinger

D-9847 Labyrinth Flange

D-9849 Details

F-9844 Shield Plug Assembly

D-10967 Motor Guide

i

47

D-4b225

D-9834 D-9832

F-56304 D-9838 F-9836

D-9833 0-9831 D-9848 D-9850

D-9720 D-10067

D-56307

D-55508 E d 4 2 4

E- 4842 3 F- 56 302

c-48935 B-9727 D-10964

D-56 305 D-56306 Q-10344

BM-9718 0-9718 D-9721

C-9722 D-9720

B-9719 BM-9730

D-9730

Clamp Seal

F i l l e r Bar Shaft Shaft Coolant Plug

Bearing Housing Assembly

Seal Bearing Clamp Ring Modified Flexible Coupling

Modified Oval Ring

Details

Shield Plate

Spool Piece

XFMR Mtg, Plate

Details

Splash Baffle Weldment

Upper Shell Weldment

Lower Shell Weldment

Volute

Level Indicator - Float Assembly and

Lube O i l J e t Pump Assembly and Details 36-in. Flanged and Dished Head Weldment Flange

De tails

Capsule Guide and Latch Stop

Bubbler Hegder Weldment Details

Seal, MSRE MK-2 Fuel Pump Seal Assembly

Seal Body Subassembly

Seal Body Seal Spring Plate

Seal Nose

Universal Joint, MSRE Fuel Pump

Universal Joint Assembly

48

D-9905 %tails

m-10066 D-10066 Bolt Extension

Bolt Extension, MSRE Fuel Pump

W '1

lpi '0

.. c

I

f

... . u

49

ORNL-TM-2987

Internal Distribution

1. R. F. Apple 2 , S. J. Ball 3. H. F. Bauman 4. S. E. Beall 5. M. Bender 6. C. E. Bettis 7. E. S. Bettis 8. F. F. Blankenship 9. R. Blumberg 10. E. G. Bohlmann 11. C, J. Borkowski 12. R. B. Briggs 13. D. W. Cardwell 14. C. J. Claffey 15. C. W. Collins 16. E. L. Compere 17. W. H. Cook 18. J. W. Cooke 19. W. B. Cottrell 20. J. L. Crowley 21. F. L. Culler 22. J. H. DeVan 23. J. R. Distefano 24. S. J. Ditto

26. W. P. Eatherly 27. J. R. Engel 28. E. P. Epler 29. A. P. Fraas 30. 3. H. Frye 31. L. C. N l e r 32. C. H. Gabbard 33. R. B. Gallaer 34. W. R. Grimes 35. A. G. Grindell 36. R. H. Guymon 37. P. H. Harley 38. W. 0. Harms 39. P, N. Baubenreich 40. R. E, Helms 41. P. G. Herndon 42. E. C. Hise 43. H. W. Hoff'man 44. P. P. Holz 45. A. Houtzeel 46. T. L. Hudson 47. W. R. Huntley

25. F. A. DOS~

48. 49 50 51 9

52 9

53 54 9

55 56 9

57 58 59 60. 61. 62. 63 64. 65 66. 67 68. 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76. 77 9

78 9

79 80. 81. 82. 83 84. 85 8 5 . 87 88. e. 90 91 92 ;a:

H. Inouye W. H. Jordan P. R. Kasten T. W. Kerlin J. J. Keyes J. W. Koger R. B. Korsmeyer A. I. Krakoviak T. S. Kress J. W. pewson R. B. Lindauer M. I. Lundin R. N. Lyon R. E. MacPherson H. E. McCoy H. C. McCurdy C. K. McGlothlan L. E. McNeese J. R. McWherter H. J. Metz A. S. Meyer A. J. Miller R. I;. Moore A. M. Perry M. Richardson R. C. Robertson M. W, Rosenthal H. C. Savage A. W. Savolainen J. H. Shaffer M. J. Skinner G. M. Slaughter A. N. Smith P. G. Smith I. Spiewak

D. A. Sundberg E. H. Taylor

D. B. Trauger A. M. Weinberg J. R. Weir J. C. White G. D. Whitman L. V. Wilson Gale Young H. C. Young

R e De Stulting

R e E. Thorn

50

I

- I

I

I

95-96 97-98 99-102 0

103

104 . $05

106.

107.

108. lW 110. 111. 112. 113.

114 . 115 . 116 . 117 . 118 . 119 120 . 121 . 122.

123-137

Internal Distribution (continued)

Central Research Library Y-12 Document Reference Section Laboratory Records Department Laboratory Records Department (RC)

Ekternal Distribution

C. E. Anthony, Westinghouse Electro Mechanical Division, Cheswick, Pa. 15024 R. N. Bowman, Bingham-Willamette Company, Portland, Oregon 97200 Arthur Bunke, Byron Jackson Pumps, Inc., Los Angeles, Calif. 90000 E. J. Cattabiani, Westinghouse Electro Mechanical Division, Cheswick, Pa. 15024 D. F. Cope, REF, SSR, AEC, ORNL Charles R. Domeck, USAEC, Washington, D.C. David Elias, USAEC, Washington, D.C. A. Giambusso, USAEC, Washington, D.C. Kermit Laughon, USAEC, OSR, ORNL Liquid Metal Engineering Center, c/o Atomics International, P.O. Box 309, Canoga Park, Calif. 91303 (Attention: R. W. Dickinson) C. L. Matthews, USAEC, OSR, ORNL T. W. McIntosh, USAEC, Washington, D.C. C. E. Miller, Jr., DRDT, USAEC, Washington, D.C. M. A. Rosen, D m , USAEC, Washington, D.C. He M. Roth, USAEC, Oak Ridge Operations J. J. Schreiber, DIiDT, USAEC, Washington, D.C. M. Shaw, USAEC, Washington, D.C. W. L. Smalley, USAEC, Oak Ridge Operations Laboratory and University Division, OR0 Division of Technical Information Extension (DTIE)

20000 20000 20000

20000 2oooO

20000

20000 20000

7

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development of fuel- and coolant-salt centrifugal pumps for the

Documents