LIQUID LEAD-BISMUTH EUTECTIC AS A COOLANT IN GENERATION IV NUCLEAR REACTORS AND IN HIGH TEMPERATURE SOLAR CONCENTRATOR APPLICATIONS: CHARACTERISTICS, CHALLENGES, ISSUES

Authors

  • Miroslav P. Popović University of California, Berkeley, 2621 Hearst Ave, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
  • Alan M. Bolind University of California, Berkeley, 2621 Hearst Ave, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
  • Cristian Cionea University of California, Berkeley, 2621 Hearst Ave, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
  • Peter Hosemann University of California, Berkeley, 2621 Hearst Ave, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7251/COMEN1501020P

Abstract

Heavy liquid metals have found a wide range of application in energy conversion systems, due to their beneficial thermal properties, especially their low melting points and their capability of operating at higher temperatures without boiling. In addition, the neutronic properties of various liquid metals make them attractive for fusion as well as in Generation IV nuclear reactors. Lately, concentrated solar power (CSP) systems have developed an interest in this technology, calling for temperatures up to 800 oC. The main challenge in realizing engineering scale units is to find proper structural materials that can withstand the corrosion and provide mechanical strength at operation conditions. Lead-Bismuth Eutectic (LBE) is one of the main candidate coolants for liquid metal cooled reactors and solar thermal power applications due to its physical properties such as good thermal conduction, low thermal expansion and melting point, non-violent reactivity to water and low neutron absorption. However, the key limiting factor for LBE usage is the fact of its high corrosiveness to steels and other structural materials. In this work, the results of our systematic materials study in liquid LBE and its alternatives are presented. Various potential structural materials were exposed to LBE, Rose’s metal (Pb-Bi-Sn) and Pb-Bi-Zn eutectic, in static corrosion tests. Post corrosion characterization was conducted by micro-structural analysis (SEM/EDS, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy) and preferential corrosion mechanisms were evaluated.

References

[1] M. S. El-Genk, J.-M. P. Tournier, Uses of liquid-metal and water heat pipes in space reactor power systems, Frontiers in Heat Pipes, Vol. 2 (2011) 013002.

[2] H. Khatib, IEA World Energy outlook 2010, Ener. Pol., Vol. 39 (2011) 2507−2511.

[3] J. Hinkley, B. Curtin, Concentrating Solar Power-Drivers and Opportunities for Cost-Competitive Electricity, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australia (2011).

[4] A. M. Bassily, Modeling, numerical optimization, and irreversibility reduction of a triple-pressure reheat combined cycle, Energy, Vol. 32 (2007) 778−794.

[5] D. Frazer, E. Stergar, C. Cionea, P. Hosemann, Liquid metal as a heat transport fluid for thermal solar power applications, SolarPACES 2013, Energy Procedia, Vol. 49 (2014) 627–636.

[6] R. O. Scarlat, P. F. Peterson, The current status of fluoride salt cooled high temperature reactor (FHR) technology and its overlap with HIF target chamber concepts, Nucl. Instr. and Meth. in Phys. Res. A, Vol. 733 (2014) 57−64.

[7] Idaho National Laboratory Lead-Cooled Fast Reactor (LFR) Fact Sheet: http://www4vip.inl.gov/research/lead-cooled-fast-reactor/.

[8] J. Zhang, N. Li, Review of the studies on fundamental issues in LBE corrosion, J. Nucl. Mat., Vol. 373 (2008) 351–377.

[9] J. Abella, A. Verdaguer, S. Colominas, K Ginestar, L. Martinelli, Fundamental data: solubility of nickel and oxygen and diffusivity of iron and oxygen in molten LBE, J. Nucl. Mat., Vol. 415 (2011) 329−337.

[10] Ellingham Index Page: http://www.engr.sjsu.edu/ellingham/.

[11] Handbook on Lead-bismuth Eutectic Alloy and Lead Properties, Materials Compatibility, Thermal-hydraulics and Technologies, 2007 ed., Nuclear Energy Agency, Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (NEA/OECD), Paris, France, 2007.

[12] B. F. Gromov, Y. I. Orlov, P. N. Martynov, V. A. Gulevsky, The problems of technology of the heavy liquid metal coolants (lead-bismuth, lead), Nucl. Eng. Des., Vol. 173 (1997).

[13] C. Schroer, J. Konys, Physical Chemistry of Corrosion and Oxygen Control in Liquid Lead and Lead-Bismuth Eutectic (Wissenschaftliche Berichte, FZKA 7364), Karlsruhe 2007. (https://www.deutsche-digitale-bibliot-hek.de/binary/UXLSJBDAKUYFBCOB6OENDWQCLUZX4Y24/full/1.pdf).

[14] High Operating Temperature Heat Transfer Fluids for Solar Thermal Power Generation, DOE Project Grant (UCLA) DE-EE0005941, Annual report for 2014.

[15] P. Hosemann, M. de Caro, K. Woloshun, F. Rubio, S. A. Maloy, Heavy Liquid Metal Corrosion of Structural Materials in Advanced Nuclear Systems, JOM: the journal of the Minerals, Metals & Materials Society 07/2013; 65(8).

[16] P. Hosemann, R. Dickerson, P. Dicker-son, N. Li, S. A. Maloy, Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) on oxide layers formed on D9 stainless steel in lead bismuth eutectic (LBE), Corr. Sci., Vol. 66 (2013) 196−202.

[17] A. M. Bolind, A. P. Shivprasad, D. Frazer, P. Hosemann, Essential aspects of control-ling the oxygen content of molten tin in engineering applications, Mat. Des., Vol. 52 (2013) 168−178.

Downloads

Published

2015-11-11

Issue

Vol. 6 No. 1 (2015): Contemporary Materials VI-1

Section

Articles