Pre-research Project on Ultra-High-Temperature Electromagnetic Pumps for Space-Megawatt-Class Nuclear Reactors Passes Acceptance Review

On April 19, an online acceptance meeting was held for the project “Design and Analysis of Ultra-High-Temperature Electromagnetic Pumps and High-Temperature Performance Evaluation of Key Components,” which is undertaken by the National Engineering Research Center for Pump and System Technology at Jiangsu University. Following questioning and deliberation, the expert panel unanimously agreed to approve the project’s acceptance. The project is primarily aimed at meeting the development needs of megawatt-class space nuclear power systems and focuses on researching key technologies for a novel electromagnetic pump capable of conveying ultra-high-temperature liquid metal lithium.

According to Zhao Ruijie, the project leader and an associate researcher at Jiangsu University, the project has primarily focused on the design and research of an electromagnetic pump for transporting ultra-high-temperature liquid lithium. Based on the equivalent circuit method and magnetohydrodynamics theory, the team completed the design and performance analysis of the pump’s structure and hydraulic characteristics. Furthermore, by coupling magnetic, fluid, solid, and thermal multiphysics fields, they conducted simulations to select materials for key pump components and evaluate their high-temperature performance. The feasibility of a lightweight design scheme for the ultra-high-temperature electromagnetic pump was also analyzed, leading to the determination of the pump’s structural configuration, electromagnetic parameters, and material selection for critical components under extreme operating conditions—providing both theoretical guidance and technical support for the subsequent development of a prototype.

After more than six years of research, supported by two National Natural Science Foundation of China grants, this project conducted in-depth and systematic studies on the internal flow stability of electromagnetic pumps under complex magneto–fluid coupling conditions, thereby developing a range of design theories and methodologies for both conductive and induction-type electromagnetic pumps. The resulting research findings have been published in internationally renowned journals such as Physics of Fluids and Energy, and have led to the grant of seven national invention patents and one U.S. PCT patent.

Going forward, Jiangsu University will further strengthen its in-depth collaboration with the Shanghai Institute of Nuclear Engineering Research and Design in the field of nuclear power electromagnetic pumps, jointly develop intellectual property rights, and collaboratively advance China’s forward-looking research on space nuclear power, thereby supporting the nation’s major strategic needs.