Abstract

Lead bismuth eutectic is one of the most promising materials for coolant of fourth-generation reactor due to its outstanding heat transfer performance and chemical stability. However, the density and viscosity of lead bismuth eutectic is quite different from water, leading to a difficulty for flow measurement because of the high temperature operating environment and its strongly corrosive. Therefore, there is currently not a reliable flowmeter for measuring the volume flow of the lead bismuth eutectic. Electromagnetic flow meter has the advantage for measuring lead bismuth eutectic flow, due to the non-contact measurement, simple structure and high temperature resistance, so it has become one of the main selection flowmeters for lead bismuth eutectic flow measurement. And venturi flowmeter is one of the most widely used flowmeter types in water media. Therefore, the measurement characteristics of the electromagnetic flow meter and the venturi flowmeter in liquid lead bismuth eutectic environment had been studied.

In this context, two type flow meters had been calibrated by the volume method. The influence of the temperature and other factors had been studied on these two flowmeters.

The experimental results showed temperature affected the electromagnetic flowmeter measurement results, but it had no effect on venturi flowmeter. And the flow coefficient of electromagnetic flowmeter has a linear relationship with the temperature. And the relationship between temperature and flow coefficient of electromagnetic flowmeter was fitted by the calibrated data. Also, the flow coefficient of venturi flowmeter had been corrected too.

Also, the influence of discharging and refilling the LBE had been studied. And the results showed there is no influence on two type flowmeters. So, there is no necessary to calibrate the flowmeter repeatedly and the experimental process of LBE can simplify.

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