This invention discloses a megawatt-class small
liquid metal-cooled reactor natural circulation
simulation test device and method. The test device simulates fuel rods with a total
power output in the MW range, realistically simulating the high-power operation of a small natural circulation
liquid metal reactor. A vacuum
insulation layer covering the heating section of the simulated fuel rods is installed between the rising channel of the hot
pool and the descending channel of the
cold pool to block lateral heat conduction and eliminate the "thermal
short circuit" problem. A three-loop coupled cooling design of
liquid metal-
heat transfer oil-water is adopted, ensuring high safety. Furthermore, an air lift auxiliary device and a heat tracing device are integrated. The former effectively breaks the fluid stagnation during the initial startup phase through gas-liquid two-phase disturbance to assist in establishing natural circulation, while the latter ensures that the
working fluid remains in a
molten state during non-operational or low-power conditions, preventing equipment damage due to
working fluid solidification. This invention can accurately simulate the real natural circulation characteristics of a small liquid
metal-cooled reactor, combining high precision, safety, and
operational reliability.