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The History of Liquid Metal Pump Development in India


Affiliations
1 No. D/9, Runwal Paradise, Bhusari Colony, Pune 411 038, India
2 Sodium Experiments and Hydraulics Division, Fast Reactor Technology Group, Sodium Pumps Section, Reactor Design Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603 102, India
3 Sodium Pumps Section, Reactor Design Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603 102, India
 

In a fast breeder reactor, the liquid sodium coolant is circulated through the core using vertical centrifugal pumps. These pumps are critical equipment for reactor operation and they have many unique design features. Indigenous development of pumps is vital for the demonstration and expansion of fast reactor technology which constitutes the critical second stage of our three-stage programme.

Indigenous design and development of vertical centrifugal sodium pumps was taken up more than two decades ago in close collaboration with Indian industry. This article provides an account of the work done in the areas of pump hydraulics, mechanical design and testing, and manufacture.


Keywords

Cavitation, Liquid Metal, Model Testing, Manufacture, Sodium Centrifugal Pump.
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  • The History of Liquid Metal Pump Development in India

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Authors

R. D. Kale
No. D/9, Runwal Paradise, Bhusari Colony, Pune 411 038, India
B. K. Sreedhar
Sodium Experiments and Hydraulics Division, Fast Reactor Technology Group, Sodium Pumps Section, Reactor Design Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603 102, India
K. V. Sreedharan
Sodium Pumps Section, Reactor Design Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603 102, India

Abstract


In a fast breeder reactor, the liquid sodium coolant is circulated through the core using vertical centrifugal pumps. These pumps are critical equipment for reactor operation and they have many unique design features. Indigenous development of pumps is vital for the demonstration and expansion of fast reactor technology which constitutes the critical second stage of our three-stage programme.

Indigenous design and development of vertical centrifugal sodium pumps was taken up more than two decades ago in close collaboration with Indian industry. This article provides an account of the work done in the areas of pump hydraulics, mechanical design and testing, and manufacture.


Keywords


Cavitation, Liquid Metal, Model Testing, Manufacture, Sodium Centrifugal Pump.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv114%2Fi02%2F292-307