Technology Transfer Department

Application sectors

Problem to solve

NACIE ha the aim to investigate forced and natural circulation in loop with heavy liquid metals. The precence of an electro-magnetic pump allows to reach flow rates up to 30 kg/s and allows to test this technology. The definition of heat exchange in prototypical test setions like fuel pin bundles and heat eexchangersis relevant to inveatigate topics related to LFR GEN_IV reactors.

Description

The NACIE facility is made by a primary system with heavy liquid metal with 2 ½” pipes, height 8m and width 2m with an expansion tank. The loop was originally filled with Lead-Bismuth and it was then converted in pure lead. The loop is designed for 550 °C and 10 bar. The facility has a secondary loop with pressurized water and an electromagnetic pumpwith flow rates up to 30 kg/s. The electromagnetic pump has replaced the old gas-lift system. The loop is instrumented with an innovative thermal flow meter. In 2024 an heat exchanger called LHT (Lead Heat Transfer) was installed to characterize heat transfer test with power up to 70 kW. The LHT test section has and open secondary system with water. In the lower part of the loop an heating test section is installed with a maximum power of 250 kW. This Fuel Pin Simulator test section can be changed. The difference in height between heat source and heat sink (6 m) ensures buoyancy of the molten lead. The facility has a storage tank and an auxiliary gas system and iy has a lead inventory of 300 l. The facility is equipped with and Oxygen Control System (OCS) for lead conditioning in the storage tank.

Research group involved