The Copenhagen Atomics pumped molten salt loop comes complete with control software, which can be operated from a mobile-phone app.
Operating conditions are logged, cloud hosted, and can be viewed online or downloaded as a .CSV file using a customer specific log-in and password.
Copenhagen Atomics specialists are available for hands-on assistance during installation at the customer location.
Fully integrated molten salt test platform running up to 700 °C integrated with our proprietary automated operation and alarm system and cloud based data logging system.
Loop operation up to 700 °C and flow up to 300l/min. Fully contained inside the loop cabinet.
Cloud data acquisition/interface to process test data with other systems and data export feature.
Delivered and tested with highly purified salt from Copenhagen Atomics.
Comes with a double barrier safety concept and Ability to swap components and to customize test loop.
Accelerates time scales and reduces project risks on science experiments and a versatile foundation for any molten salt experiments.
Copenhagen Atomics’ portable salt loop is designed as an accessible testing and development platform for researchers and engineers.
The loop can be used to perform various experiments e.g. components testing such as tests of gaskets, flanges, filters, valves, pumps, pressure sensors, flow meters, and heat exchangers, etc., at a wide range of flow conditions, temperatures, salt composition, etc.
The loop is also well suited for material and chemistry experiments, e.g. salt material compatibility testing, graphite salt entrainment testing, corrosion testing, plate out, radiolysis, bobbling extraction of volatile compounds etc.
The ability to test materials, components and technologies at relevant dynamic conditions enables fast development and demonstrate the durability and feasibility required for approval. The loop is constructed in a modular fashion which enables the user to swap and connect different components.
Each loop is constructed and tested with FLiNaK or another custom salt at the factory, by Copenhagen Atomics, before shipping.
The molten salt loop is suitable for rapid prototype validation, long durability testing, salt compatibility testing, and many types of experiments that requires a molten salt flow.
Components such as gaskets, flanges, filters, valves, pumps, pressure sensors, flow meters, and heat exchangers, etc. can be tested in a dynamic molten salt environment.
The internal volume of the loop’s furnace is approximately 350 liters and have been tested up to 700˚ Celcius. Depending on the configuration, about half of this volume is available for customization to suit various experiments and test.
The salt circulates from the salt tank via the pump and back, completing a loop. The piping is equipped with salt pressure sensors, flow meter, bypass filtration, valves, and can be customized to house other equipment, such as sample chambers, salt heater, salt heat exchanges, etc.
The salt tank contains 25L of molten salt that can be FLiNaK or another fluoride or chloride salt.
Significant value in a Copenhagen Atomics pumped loop is the hardware and the high quality salt. The rest is the software and the data handling.
The test loop is operated by a mobile phone or a computer via a web interface. Ability to start, stop and run scripts, and to adjust temperatures and pump speed. Unique login with assigned privileges for each loop user.
This is also where you update software, firmware and scripts and change the naming of your sensors and set alarms.
This is how you view everything going on inside the loop, while it is running. You can view data recorded in real time from home or from your mobile phone. Zoom in on data and download data as .csv files (or Excel files).
With the Copenhagen Atomics plotsUI it is easy to set up individual views. And the user interface makes it easy to browse historical data.
Download: Loop Datasheet
A more technical and in-depth document
Get in touch with us to find the best solution for your needs
Version 5.6 is 120x80x215 cm (47x31x85 inches), it cannot stand up against a wall or other equipment when it is operating. You need a minimum 20 cm space around the loop in order for the heat to dissipate. If you place it only 20 cm from a wall, then you must check that the wall material can handle the heat. See the datasheet for more information. Depending on your lab configuration you may also need space for a cold trap to remove moisture from the loop, a water chiller to keep the electronics cabinet cold and an argon pressure bottle if argon is not available from your lab piping. You may also need a transformer to convert your voltage to European voltages. See other questions below about voltages.
The loop can be rolled on a pallet pusher through most doors and into elevators.
By default the loop uses a 32 Amp, 350 - 420 Volt, 3 phase European CEE connector. It can run on 45 - 65 Hz. American customers typically buy a transformer, which is readily available to step down American 480 Volt industrial supply.
The loops we sell in Europe come with CE marking. You can ask for our certification of conformity. For the US market, these are optionally fitted with UL approved cabling and electronics.
Several of our customers use the loops as pumping stations, where they pump salt through some external equipment. Because molten salt compatible pumps are not readily available many of our customers simply use our loops as a pumping station. By using internal pneumatic adjustable salt valves, it is possible to adjust how much flow one wish to pump around in the internal loop inside the loop furnace or adjust a certain flow to go out through an external pipe assembly e,g, with reheaters, heat exchangers, measure equipment and more.
Yes you can connect two loops, each on a separate scale and in this way make very accurate flow measurements through the pipe connections
The loop can deliver a maximum pressure around 2 bar. Depending on the type of salt it can reach 5 meters maximum pumping height. FLiNaK salt has a density around 2.2 depending on the temperature. Uranium and thorium salts have densities above 4 kg/liter. Most of the salts we use have a high change in density and viscosity with change in temperature.
Copenhagen Atomics molten salt test loops come with control software which can be controlled from a webbrowser and the data recorded are also available in real time web data plots. You can control it from your computer or mobile phone as long as it is connected to the same LAN (WiFi) as the loop. Simple new commands can be set up within a few hours. The control software can also interface with other equipment. But this typically requires help from our integration engineers.
There are a number of ways to interface. The simplest is to get data out of the loop by using SignalR (a https protocol for near real type data reception). It is also possible to interface with Ethernet or RS485 or USB or 0-5V or 4-20mA typical industrial interfaces.