About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
MS&T25: Materials Science & Technology
|
| Symposium
|
Advancement of Measurement Technologies for Harsh Environments
|
| Presentation Title |
Operation and Sensor Testing with INL Molten Salt Sensor Testbed |
| Author(s) |
Diego Jose Macias, Qiufeng Yang, Silvino A Balderrama Prieto, Christopher T. Gundersen, Victoria Davis, Chrarles Payne, Ammon N. Williams, Ruchi Gakhar |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Diego Jose Macias |
| Abstract Scope |
Monitoring key properties of molten salt systems—such as salt purity, level, and surface tension—is essential for reliable operation of Molten Salt Reactors but remains technically challenging due to extreme temperatures and flow conditions involved. These environments pose significant engineering challenges for the development and deployment of sensors. To address this, a Thermal Convection Loop (TCL) was developed at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) to evaluate the performance of proposed sensors under high temperature flowing molten salt conditions. The TCL circulates LiCl-KCl eutectic salt between 400-600 °C and features a drain/ refill capability, enabling efficient and safe installation of sensors.
This flexible platform is being used to evaluate a suite of sensing technologies, including a bubbler system, a multipoint thermocouple, an optical multipoint thermocouple, and an electrochemistry sensor. This presentation will share operational experience and insights, challenges encountered, and sensor data obtained from the initial testing campaigns with the TCL. |