Demonstration of Microwave Resonant Cavity Transducer Performance in Fluid Flow Sensing: Development of Sensor Performance Model of Microwave Cavity Flow Meter for Advanced Reactor High Temperature Fluids

Technical Report · Thu Mar 31 00:00:00 EDT 2022

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1861797· OSTI ID:1861797

Heifetz, Alexander ^[1]; Koehl, Eugene R. ^[1]; Fang, Tianyang ^[2]; Saniie, Jafar ^[3]; Bakhtiari, Sasan ^[1]

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1. Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
2. Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL (United States)
3. Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL (United States)

We are investigating a microwave cavity-based transducer for in-core high-temperature fluid flow sensing in molten salt cooled reactors (MSCR) and sodium fast reactors (SFR). This sensor is a hollow metallic cylindrical cavity. The principle of sensing consists of making one wall of the cylindrical cavity flexible enough so that dynamic pressure, which is proportional to fluid velocity, will cause membrane deflection. Membrane deflection causes cavity volume change, which leads to a shift in the resonant frequency. To validate sensor physics, we have performed proof-of-principle test of flow sensing in water. For this test, we have developed a cylindrical resonator for K-band, which was machined from brass. The cavity was excited through WR-42 waveguide through a subwavelength hole on the side of the wall of the cylinder. To increase the spectral signal visibility, we developed a signal processing method for baseline subtraction. A flow loop for proof-of-principle test of transducer performance in water was assembled. A commercial flow meter was installed in the loop for reference measurements. Cylindrical cavity was excited in the TEM₀₁₁ mode with resonant frequency f ≈ 17.8GHz. Frequency shift of cavity spectral response was obtained by gradually increasing water flow rate from 0 to 60gpm. Corresponding monotonic increase of resonant frequency shift by several MHz was observed.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE), Nuclear Energy Enabling Technologies (NEET)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-06CH11357
• OSTI ID: 1861797
• Report Number(s): ANL-22/18; 174447; TRN: US2308238
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY