Eddy Current Flow Meter Flow Rate Measurements in Liquid Sodium at the Superfennec Loop


Eddy Current Flow Meter Flow Rate Measurements in Liquid Sodium at the Superfennec Loop

Krauter, N.; Paumel, K.; Girard, M.; Eckert, S.; Gerbeth, G.

The Eddy Current Flow Meter is an inductive flow rate sensor which can be used in many liquid metal applications and is well suited for operation in liquid metal cooled fast reactors. There it can be used as part of the safety instrumentation in order to detect a loss of flow in the reactor core. To further qualify the Eddy Current Flow Meter for use in liquid metal cooled reactors, measurements with a high temperature prototype of the sensor have been performed at the sodium loop SUPERFENNEC for sodium temperatures between 200 °C and 300 °C and flow velocities of up to 2.5 m/s. By measuring the magnitude or phase shift of the output voltage of the sensor, the flow rate or velocity of the liquid sodium in a certain volume around the sensor can be determined. Depending on the frequency of the excitation current, the sensitivity of the sensor is changing. Therefore, measurement results for different frequencies and temperatures are presented as well as the results of a frequency sweep for determining the optimal excitation frequency of the sensor.

Keywords: Flow Measurements; Eddy Current Flow Meter; Liquid Sodium; Inductive Measurements

  • Poster (Online presentation)
    International Conference on Fast Reactors and Related Fuel Cycles FR22: Sustainable Clean Energy for the Future (CN-291), 19.-22.04.2022, Wien, Österreich

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Publ.-Id: 32637