Liquid Metal Power Cycle

By: Se Joong (David) Kang

What Is Liquidmetal?

• First developed by CalTech

• Most are quite SOLID at room temp

• Hard wearing

• Withstand thermal cycling

• High tensile strength

• High coeff of restitution

• Excellent anti-wearing

Use of Liquid Metal in Power Plant

• Referred as liquid metal cooled reactor

• Its first adaptation occurred in 1957

• Uses molten metals or actually “liquid” metals

• Used in power generation

Commonly Used Sources

• Molten Metals

– sodium, lead, bismuth alloys

• “liquid” metals @ room temp

– Mercury, NaK

Advantages• Higher power density• Reactor doesn’t need to be kept under

pressure• Requires little space

Disadvantages• Difficulty with inspection/reactor repair• Possible corrosion• Potential toxic production

Nuclear Power Plant

Questions?

References• http://art4gamers.com/Wallpapers/LiquidMetal2.jpg• http://www.mainstreamwrestling.net/liquid-metal-blue.jpg• http://www.flickr.com/photos/milangelic/17697317• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquid_metal_cooled_reactor• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquid_metal• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquidmetal• http://www.nucleartourist.com/type/metal.htm