Helium circulator design and testing Original Research Article

The helium circulator is a key component of the 10 MW high temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTR-10), which assures the thermal energy transfer from the reactor core to the steam generator and operates at 3.0 MPa, 250 °C helium condition. At the rated condition, the mass flow rate is 4.32 kg s−1 and the pressure rise can reach 51.7 kPa at the rotational speed of 5000 rpm. In fact, the pressure rise required for the HTR-10 is only 14.7 kPa with a rotational speed of 3052 rpm. Thus, the layout of the blower contains a considerable margin. This paper presents the design procedures of the circulator during its development. Test results both in the factory and in the HTR-10 are given. Furthermore, the circulator design features and aerodynamic performance are highlighted.