Design of a Resistance-Based High Temperature Liquid Metal Flow Meter

Flow rate is a parameter that is vital to measure in high temperature pumped liquid metal systems, yet traditional flow meters are unable to perform at these extreme conditions. As a part of the Atomic Simulation & Energy (ASE) Research Group here at MIT, this research seeks to develop a flow meter able to measure the 1200 ºC pumped liquid tin in their methane pyrolysis system. This paper presents a summary of a literature review of methods for measuring liquid metal flow rate. The most viable method allows flow rate to be determined by a height measurement through Torricelli’s law. While liquid metal surface height can be measured in a variety of ways, this paper explores the use of a resistant-based measurement. After reviewing existing designs, an original simple rod design and temperature-insensitive rod-sheath design are presented. A working prototype of the rod-sheath design is detailed and discussed with an experimental procedure as well as considerations recommended for continued work on this inquiry.

Name thesis:degree_name

Bachelor

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2022

Author dc:creator

• Vawter, Logan

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Henry, Asegun

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
• Copyright retained by author(s)

Licence dc:rights.uri

• https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/144553

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/144553