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The purpose of this paper is to study the dimensionless characteristics of a molten salt pump and propose an approach to carry out the modeling experiment by using water instead of molten salts.

External characteristics of the pump were estimated by using the steady flow model and compared with the experimental results. By taking water as the working fluid, the pathlines in the volute of the model pump were validated by the results obtained of high-speed photography. According to the derived dimensionless characteristics of the molten salt pump, the modeling experimental schemes were proposed. Adopting the validated numerical simulation model, the performance of the molten salt pump was studied in detail.

The modeling experimental schemes designed according to the dimensionless characteristics are theoretically feasible. However, to carry out the experiment successfully, factors such as rotational speed, geometric size, flow rate and head should be taken into account. The flow in the pumps is similar under the similar operating condition and the external characteristics of the similar pump can be converted to each other. Compared with transporting water, the decline of the head and efficiency is within 5 per cent when the viscosity is lower than 0.01453 Pa · s. The pump is not suitable for running under the critical Reynolds number of 1.0 × 10⁷.

The current work revealed the relationships among the dimensionless performances of a molten salt pump and proposed a critical Reynolds number Re_Qcr for the pump running.

The purpose of this paper is to study the transition process from the crystalline particles appearing before the pump inlet to the stable operation of the pump.

Firstly, a modeling test method was put forward for the high-temperature molten salt pump. Then, according to a modeling test scheme, the experiment of the solid–liquid two-phase flow was carried out by using a model pump similar to the prototype pump. Meanwhile, the numerical method to simulate the transition process of a molten salt pump was studied, and the correctness of the numerical model was verified by the experimental results. Finally, the transition process of the molten salt pump was studied by the verified numerical model in detail.

In the simulation of the transition process, it is more accurate to judge the end of the transition process based on the unchanged particle volume fraction (PVF) at the pump outlet than on the periodic fluctuation of the outlet pressure. The outlet pressure is closely related to the PVF in the pump. The variation of the outlet pressure is slightly prior to that of the PVF at the pump outlet and mainly affected by the PVF in the impeller and volute. After 0.63 s, the PVF at each monitoring point changes periodically, and the time-averaged value does not change with time.

This study is of great significance to further improve the design method of molten salt pump and predict the abrasion characteristic of the pump due to interactions with solid particles.

A numerical method is established to simulate the transition process of a molten salt pump, and a method is proposed to verify the numerical model of two-phase flow by modeling test.

This paper aims to figure out the steady flow status in the molten salt pump under various temperatures and blade number conditions, and give good insight on the structure and temperature-dependent efficiencies of all pump cases. Finally, the main objective of present work is to get best working condition and blade numbers for optimized hydraulic performance.

The steady flow in the molten salt pump was studied numerically based on the three-dimensional Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes equations and the standard k-ε turbulence model. Under different temperature conditions, the internal flow fields in the pumps with different blade number were systematically simulated. Besides, a quantitative backflow analysis method was proposed for further investigation.

With the molten salt fluid temperature, sharply increasing from 160°C to 480°C, the static pressure decreases gently in all pump cases, and seven-blades pump has the least backflow under low flow rate condition. The efficiencies of all pump cases increase slowly at low temperature (about 160 to 320°C), but there is almost no variation at high temperature, and obviously seven-blades pump has the best efficiency and head in all pump cases over the wide range of temperatures. The seven-blades pump has the best performance in all selected pump cases.

The steady flow in molten salt pumps was systematically studied under various temperature and blade number conditions for the first time. A quantitative backflow analysis method was proposed first for further investigation on the local flow status in the molten salt pump. A definition about the low velocity region in molten salt pumps was built up to account for whether the studied pump gains most energy. This method can help us to know how to improve the efficiencies of molten salt pumps.

RECENT years have seen the introduction by the Dow Corning Corporation of three silicone greases that have been applied with great success to the lubrication of ball bearings operating at abnormally high and low temperatures. These greases have good heat stability, low volatility and freezing points while over a wide range of temperature their consistency changes only slightly.

The purpose of this paper is to propose a prediction method of gas-liquid two-phase flow patterns and reveal the flow characteristics in the suction chamber of a centrifugal pump.

A transparent model pump was experimentally studied, and the gas-liquid two-phase flow in the pump was numerically simulated based on the Eulerian–Eulerian heterogeneous flow model. The numerical simulation method was verified from three aspects: the flow pattern in the suction chamber, the gas spiral length and the external characteristics of the pump. The two-phase flow in the suction chamber was studied in detail by using the numerical simulation method.

There are up to eight flow patterns in the suction chamber. However, at a certain rotational speed, only six flow patterns are observed at the most. At some rotational speeds, only four flow patterns appear. The gas spiral length has little relationship with the gas flow rate. It decreases with the increase of the liquid flow rate and increases with the increase of the rotational speed. The spiral flow greatly increases the turbulence intensity in the suction chamber.

A method for predicting the flow pattern was proposed. Eight flow patterns in the suction chamber were identified. The mechanism of gas-liquid two-phase flow in the suction chamber was revealed. The research results have reference values for the stable operation of two-phase flow pumps and the optimization of suction chambers.

The purpose of this paper is to accurately predict the cavitation performance of a cryogenic pump and reveal the influence of the inlet pressure, the surface roughness and the flow rate on the cavitation performance.

Firstly, the Zwart cavitation model was modified by considering the thermodynamic effect. Secondly, the feasibility of the modified model was validated by the cavitation test of a hydrofoil. Thirdly, the effects of the inlet pressure, the surface roughness and the flow rate on cavitation flow in the cryogenic pump were studied by using the modified cavitation model.

The modified cavitation model can predict the cavitation performance of the cryogenic pump more accurately than the Zwart cavitation model. The thermodynamic effect inhibits cavitation development to a certain extent. The higher the vapor volume fraction, the lower the pressure and the lower the temperature. At the initial stage of the cavitation, the head increases first and then decreases with the increase of the roughness. When the cavitation develops to a certain degree, the head decreases with the increase of the roughness. With the decrease of the flow rate, the hydraulic loss increases and the cavitation at the impeller intensifies.

A cavitation model considering the thermodynamic effect is proposed. The mechanism of the influence of the roughness on the performance of the cryogenic pump is revealed from two aspects. Taking the hydraulic loss as a bridge, the relationships among flow rates, vapor volume fractions, streamlines, temperatures and pressures are established.

Regenerative flow pumps are dynamic machines with the ability to develop high heads at low flow rates. Simplicity, compactness, stable features and low manufacturing costs make them interesting for many applications in industries. The purpose of this study is to present a new method for calculating the flow through regenerative pumps with bucket form blades to predict the performance curves by a cheap and easy-to-use way.

The analysis was carried out based on the geometric shape of a fluid particle trajectory in a regenerative turbomachine. The fluid particle path was assumed to be a helix wrapped into a torus. Loss models were considered and the results of predictions were compared with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) data.

The overall trend of performance curves resulted from presented model looked consistent with CFD data. However, there were slight differences in high and low flow coefficients. The results showed that the predicted geometric shape of the flow path with the presented model (a helix wrapped into a torus) was not consistent with CFD results at high flow coefficients. Due to the complexity and turbulence of the fluid flow and errors in the calculation of losses, as well as slip factor, there was a discrepancy between the results of the presented model and numerical simulation, especially in high and low flow coefficients.

The analysis was carried out based on the geometric shape of a fluid particle trajectory in a regenerative turbomachine with bucket form blades. The fluid particle path was assumed to be a helix wrapped into a torus.

This article discusses the use and development of electric salt‐bath furnaces, their general construction and some of their recent applications. These furnaces are more efficient than the conventional type; they save labour, assure product uniformity and maximum output.

A RECENT visit to the Cricklewood works of Delaney Callay Ltd. revealed what must surely be a unique combination of metal joining facilities including an aluminium salt bath and a vacuum brazing furnace. It is intended to devote this article principally to a description of these latter facilities, but we begin with a few words about the Company's background and the philosophy which has led to their claim to a ‘metal joining service unequalled in Europe’.

Hardsurfacing with Ni/Cr‐base alloys gives additional advantages in protection against corrosion and atmospheric and high‐temperature oxidation. The latter effects frequently contribute greatly to the rate of wear. The self‐fluxing characteristics of such boron‐containing alloys, coupled with a wide melting range, enables the coating of contoured surfaces and application by spraying and fusing. Using a bonding agent very thin protective coatings may be applied by furnace fusion.