System for measuring the surface tension of liquid alkali metals

Abstract

The embodiments of the present application relate to the field of testing liquid surface tension, and specifically to a system for measuring the surface tension of liquid alkali metal, which includes an alkali metal container, a heating device, a gas injection component, and a pressure differential measuring component. The alkali metal container is used to contain liquid alkali metal; the heating device is used to provide heat to the alkali metal container so that the liquid alkali metal in the alkali metal container is at a preset temperature; the gas injection component is used to inject gas into the liquid alkali metal to form bubbles in the liquid alkali metal and enable the bubbles to burst; the pressure differential measuring component is used to measure the pressure difference before and after the bubble bursts, thereby determining the surface tension of the liquid alkali metal based on the pressure difference. The system provided in the embodiments of the present application forms bubbles that can burst in the liquid alkali metal through the gas injection component, and measures the pressure difference before and after the bubble bursts through the pressure differential measuring component, thereby achieving the measurement of the surface tension of the liquid alkali metal, which is conducive to improving the accuracy of the measurement results of the surface tension of the liquid alkali metal.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of the present application relate to the field of testing liquid surface tension, and in particular to a system for measuring the surface tension of liquid alkali metal. Background Art

[0002] The statements herein merely provide background information related to the present application and do not necessarily constitute prior art.

[0003] Liquid alkali metals, as excellent heat transfer media, are widely used in the chemical, metallurgical, energy, pharmaceutical, and nuclear industries. The surface tension of liquid alkali metals is a key characteristic of these materials and is crucial to their quality. To improve their quality, it is necessary to measure their surface tension.

[0004] Currently, commonly used surface tension measurement methods are mostly applicable to measuring the surface tension of ordinary liquids (such as water and aqueous solutions, organic solvents, etc.). However, due to the significant differences in the properties of ordinary liquids and liquid alkali metals, when the surface tension of liquid alkali metals is measured using the methods for measuring the surface tension of ordinary liquids, the measurement results of the surface tension of liquid alkali metals are not accurate or even cannot be measured. Summary of the Invention

[0005] A brief overview of the present application is provided below to provide a basic understanding of certain aspects of the present application. It should be understood that this overview is not an exhaustive overview of the present application. It is not intended to identify key or important portions of the present application, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the present application. Its purpose is simply to present certain concepts in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that will be discussed later.

[0006] In the related art, the hanging ring method is often used to measure the surface tension of the liquid. When using the hanging ring method to measure the surface tension of the liquid, it is necessary to immerse the suspended metal ring in the liquid to be measured. After it is completely immersed, the metal ring is pulled upward out of the liquid surface to be measured. In this process, the metal ring will be subjected to a downward force, which includes the gravity of the metal ring and the surface tension provided by the liquid to be measured; by measuring the downward force applied to the metal ring, the surface tension provided by the liquid to be measured can be determined. However, since liquid alkali metals cannot be wetted by commonly used hanging ring materials, it is not suitable to use the hanging ring method to measure the surface tension of liquid alkali metals. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a system that can measure the surface tension of liquid alkali metals.

[0007] To address the aforementioned issues, embodiments of the present application provide a system for measuring the surface tension of liquid alkali metal, comprising an alkali metal container, a heating device, a gas injection component, and a pressure differential measurement component. The alkali metal container is used to contain the liquid alkali metal; the heating device is used to provide heat to the alkali metal container to maintain the liquid alkali metal within the container at a preset temperature; the gas injection component is used to inject gas into the liquid alkali metal to form bubbles within the liquid alkali metal and enable the bubbles to rupture; and the pressure differential measurement component is used to measure the pressure differential before and after the bubbles rupture, thereby determining the surface tension of the liquid alkali metal based on the pressure differential before and after the bubbles rupture.

[0008] The system for measuring the surface tension of liquid alkali metal provided in the embodiments of the present application injects gas into the liquid alkali metal through a gas injection component to cause the bubbles to burst, and measures the pressure difference before and after the bubble burst through a pressure differential measuring component, thereby achieving measurement of the surface tension of the liquid alkali metal, which is beneficial to improving the accuracy of the measurement results of the surface tension of the liquid alkali metal. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009] Other objects and advantages of the present application will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments of the present application with reference to the accompanying drawings, which will help to provide a comprehensive understanding of the present application.

[0010] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the structure of a system for measuring the surface tension of liquid alkali metal provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0011] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of the components of the system for measuring the surface tension of liquid alkali metal provided by an embodiment of the present application, omitting the gas injection lifting device and the glove box.

[0012] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of the structure of the gas injection lifting device of the system for measuring the surface tension of liquid alkali metal provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0013] Description of reference numerals:

[0014] 100. Measurement system;

[0015] 10. Alkali metal container; 105. Temperature measuring element; 106. Containing box; 107. Fastener; 11. Sealing element; 111. Cover; 112. Connecting element; 12. Sealing fitting; 121. Bellows; 122. Connecting fitting; 123. Bottom wall connector; 124. Sealing ring;

[0016] 20. Heating device; 21. Inner shell; 22. Shell connector; 221. Connecting cylinder; 222. Connecting flange; 23. Radial cooling element; 231. Cooling chamber; 24. Outer shell; 241. Top cover; 25. Cooling assembly; 251. First cooling element; 2511. First cooling chamber; 252. Second cooling element; 2521. Second cooling chamber; 26. Insulation layer; 261. Top insulation layer; 262. Bottom insulation layer; 263. Side insulation layer; 264. External insulation layer; 201. Heating chamber; 203. Inlet and outlet passages;

[0017] 30. Gas injection parts;

[0018] 40. Differential pressure measuring device;

[0019] 50. Gas supply components;

[0020] 60. Gas injection lifting device; 62. Reinforcement member; 63. Support plate; 64. Moving member; 65. Moving matching member; 66. Driving member; 67. Vibration damping member;

[0021] 70. Connecting pipe fittings;

[0022] 80. Baffle; 81. Main body; 82. Edge; 83. Through hole;

[0023] 90. Glove box; 91. Bottom wall; 92. Opening.

[0024] It should be noted that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, but are merely shown in a schematic manner that does not affect the reader's understanding. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] Exemplary embodiments of the present application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. For the sake of clarity and conciseness, not all features of actual implementations are described in the specification. However, it should be understood that many implementation-specific decisions must be made in the process of developing any such actual implementation in order to achieve the developer's specific goals, such as meeting those constraints related to the system and business, and these constraints may vary depending on the implementation. In addition, it should be understood that although the development work may be very complex and time-consuming, it is a routine task for those skilled in the art who benefit from the content of this application.

[0026] It is also necessary to explain here that, in order to avoid obscuring the present application due to unnecessary details, the accompanying drawings only show the device structure and / or processing steps that are closely related to the solution according to the present application, while other details that are not closely related to the present application are omitted.

[0027] The embodiment of the present application provides a system for measuring the surface tension of liquid alkali metal (hereinafter referred to as the measurement system). Figure 1 The apparatus may include an alkali metal container 10, a heating device 20, a gas injection component 30, and a pressure differential measuring component 40. The alkali metal container 10 is used to contain liquid alkali metal; the heating device 20 is used to provide heat to the alkali metal container 10 to keep the liquid alkali metal in the alkali metal container 10 at a preset temperature; the gas injection component 30 is used to inject gas into the liquid alkali metal to form bubbles in the liquid alkali metal and cause the bubbles to burst; the pressure differential measuring component 40 is used to measure the pressure difference before and after the bubble burst, thereby determining the surface tension of the liquid alkali metal based on the pressure difference before and after the bubble burst.

[0028] The measurement system 100 provided in the embodiment of the present application injects gas into the liquid alkali metal through the gas injection component 30 to allow the bubbles to burst, and measures the pressure difference before and after the bubble burst through the pressure difference measuring component 40 (that is, measures the pressure difference immediately before the bubble burst and the pressure difference immediately after the bubble burst), thereby achieving the measurement of the surface tension of the liquid alkali metal, which is beneficial to improving the accuracy of the measurement results of the surface tension of the liquid alkali metal.

[0029] In some embodiments, a differential pressure measuring element 40 may be connected to the gas injection element 30 to measure the pressure difference before and after the bubble collapses. In some embodiments, the differential pressure measured by the differential pressure measuring element 40 may be the pressure difference between the pressure inside the gas injection element 30 and the pressure outside. The differential pressure measuring element 40 may be, for example, a micro differential pressure gauge.

[0030] In some embodiments, the surface tension σ of the liquid alkali metal can be determined based on the pressure difference ΔP1 before the bubble burst, the pressure difference ΔP2 after the bubble burst, and the maximum inner diameter R of the bubble (i.e., the inner diameter of the bubble when it is about to burst) measured by the pressure difference measuring element 40.

[0031]

[0032] △P2=P 内2 -P 外 =P 内气2 +ρgh-P 外 ;

[0033] Among them, P 内1 P is the internal pressure of the gas injection part 30 before the bubble bursts; 外 P is the external pressure of the gas injection part 30; 内气1 P is the gas pressure inside the gas injection part 30 before the bubble bursts; 内气2 is the gas pressure inside the gas injection member 30 after the bubble bursts; ρ represents the density of the liquid alkali metal, g represents the acceleration due to gravity; h is the distance between the lower port of the gas injection member 30 and the liquid surface of the liquid alkali metal;

[0034] According to the above two formulas, we can get:

[0035]

[0036] Before and after the bubble bursts, the gas pressure P inside the gas injection part 30 is 内气1 and P 内气2 The following expressions are obtained:

[0037]

[0038] In the above formula, the maximum inner diameter R of the bubble is generally difficult to accurately measure. To address this issue, the inventors of the present application discovered that when the gas injection member 30 is a capillary tube with a smaller inner diameter, the bubble formed by capillary gas injection will burst when its inner diameter reaches a value substantially equal to that of the capillary tube. Therefore, in an embodiment of the present application, to facilitate determination of the maximum inner diameter R of the bubble, the gas injection member 30 can be a capillary tube with an inner diameter of 1 mm or less. In this case, the maximum inner diameter R of the bubble is the inner diameter of the capillary tube. In some embodiments, the gas injection member 30 can be a capillary tube with an inner diameter of 0.8 mm or less.

[0039] Because the gas injection component 30 expands when heated, the actual inner diameter of the gas injection component 30 is larger than the theoretical inner diameter of the gas injection component 30. To prevent the thermal expansion of the gas injection component 30 from affecting the measurement of the surface tension of the liquid alkali metal, in some embodiments, the actual inner diameter of the gas injection component 30 is used to determine the maximum inner diameter R of the bubble. The actual inner diameter of the gas injection component 30 can be determined by calculation based on the theoretical inner diameter of the gas injection component 30 and the expansion characteristics of the material constituting the gas injection component 30.

[0040] In some embodiments, the lower port of the gas injection member 30 may be located below the liquid surface of the liquid alkali metal, and bubbles may form at the lower port of the gas injection member 30. The gas injection rate of the gas injection member 30 may be controlled so that, during the bubble formation process, a new bubble is formed only after the previous bubble ruptures, that is, only one bubble exists in the liquid alkali metal, and multiple bubbles do not exist simultaneously.

[0041] In some embodiments, the amount of liquid alkali metal in the alkali metal container 10 may be two-thirds to three-quarters of the volume of the alkali metal container 10 to prevent the liquid alkali metal from overflowing during bubble formation and collapse in the alkali metal container 10. The alkali metal container 10 is, for example, a crucible.

[0042] In some embodiments, the liquid alkali metal may be liquid sodium, liquid sodium-potassium alloy, or liquid gallium. In some embodiments, the surface tension of the liquid alkali metal varies at different temperatures. The measurement system 100 can be used to measure the surface tension of the liquid alkali metal at different temperatures, where the temperature of the liquid alkali metal is within a temperature range from its melting point to near its boiling point. For example, the measurement system 100 can be used to measure the surface tension of liquid gallium at temperatures ranging from room temperature to 150°C.

[0043] See also Figure 1 In some embodiments, the measurement system 100 may further include a gas providing member 50 for providing a gas source to the gas injection member 30. In such an embodiment, by providing the gas providing member 50 to provide gas to the gas injection member 30, it is easier to control the gas supply rate and form a single bubble in the alkali metal container 10.

[0044] In some embodiments, the gas providing member 50 can be used to provide an inert gas, such as argon, to the gas injection member 30. In some embodiments, the gas providing member 50 and the gas injection member 30 are connected by a gas supply pipe, and the gas supply pipe is provided with a pressure regulating member and a flow regulating member, which are respectively used to regulate the gas pressure and flow rate of the gas entering the gas injection member 30, so that the gas providing member 50 can quantitatively introduce a certain flow rate of argon into the gas injection member 30, thereby enabling bubbles to be formed continuously (continuously here means forming a bubble - bubble bursting - forming another bubble - bubble bursting...). The pressure regulating member is, for example, a pressure regulating valve or a pressure reducing valve. In some embodiments, the flow rate of the gas of the gas injection member 30 is several milliliters per minute.

[0045] The pressure difference measuring component 40 can be provided on the gas supply pipeline to measure the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the gas injection component 30 .

[0046] See also Figure 2 In some embodiments, the heating device 20 may form a heating chamber 201 and an inlet and outlet channel 203 communicating with the heating chamber 201. Figure 3 In some embodiments, the measurement system 100 may further include a container lifting device and a gas injection lifting device 60. The container lifting device is used to drive the alkali metal container 10 through the inlet and outlet channel 203 to enter the heating chamber 201 or leave the heating chamber 201. The gas injection lifting device 60 is used to drive the gas injection component 30 through the inlet and outlet channel 203 to enter the heating chamber 201 to enter the alkali metal container 10 or leave the heating chamber 201.

[0047] In such an embodiment, the alkali metal container 10 is driven into or out of the heating chamber 201 by the container lifting device, and the alkali metal container 10 can be heated by the heating device 20, while facilitating the cleaning of the alkali metal container 10; the gas injection lifting device 60 is used to drive the gas injection component 30 into or out of the heating chamber 201, so that the lower port of the gas injection component 30 can enter below the liquid surface of the liquid alkali metal, thereby realizing the measurement of the surface tension of the liquid alkali metal.

[0048] See also Figure 1 In some embodiments, the container lifting device and the gas injection lifting device 60 can be disposed within the glove box 90. The heating chamber 201 can be disposed below the bottom wall 91 of the glove box 90. The bottom wall 91 of the glove box 90 forms an opening 92; the access passage 203 communicates with the glove box 90 through the opening 92.

[0049] In some embodiments, the glove box 90 can be used to provide an inert gas environment for measuring the surface tension of liquid alkali metals. Since liquid alkali metals such as liquid sodium, liquid potassium, etc. can react with water, oxygen, carbon dioxide, etc. to generate substances such as oxides and carbonates, these substances will form a layered structure on the surface of the liquid alkali metal in the form of an amorphous multiphase solid, affecting the accuracy of the measurement results of the surface tension of the liquid alkali metal. In an embodiment of the present application, an inert gas environment is provided for measuring the surface tension of the liquid alkali metal by the glove box 90, which can avoid the reaction of the liquid alkali metal with water, oxygen, carbon dioxide, etc., and is conducive to improving the accuracy of the measurement results of the surface tension of the liquid alkali metal. In some embodiments, the glove box 90 can use an inert gas as a protective gas, such as argon.

[0050] See also Figure 3 In some embodiments, the gas injection lifting device 60 may include a support plate 63, a moving member 64, a moving matching member 65, and a driving member 66. The support plate 63 is configured to be connected to the gas injection member 30 and the moving member 64; the driving member 66 is configured to drive the moving member 64 to move vertically relative to the moving matching member 65, thereby driving the gas injection member 30 to enter or exit the heating chamber 201.

[0051] In some embodiments, the support plate 63 is formed with a through hole for the gas injection member 30 to pass through.

[0052] See also Figure 3 In some embodiments, the gas injection lifting device 60 may further include a vibration damping member 67 connected to the support plate 63, which is used to reduce the vibration amplitude of the gas injection member 30 caused by the gas injection lifting device 60 driving the gas injection member 30 to rise and fall, so as to ensure the accuracy of the measurement of the surface tension of the liquid alkali metal.

[0053] In some embodiments, the vibration damper 67 may include a plurality of steel plates stacked vertically. In such an embodiment, the plurality of steel plates serve as a counterweight, so that the vibration damper 67 can reduce the vibration amplitude of the gas injection member 30 during lifting.

[0054] In some embodiments, the center of gravity of the support plate 63 and the gas injection component 30 is located on multiple steel plates, that is, the vertical line of the center of gravity of the support plate 63 and the gas injection component 30 passes through multiple steel plates, which is beneficial to reduce the vibration amplitude of the gas injection component 30 when lifting.

[0055] See also Figure 3 In some embodiments, the gas injection lifting device 60 may further include a reinforcement member 62 for reinforcing the multiple steel plates. In such an embodiment, since the multiple steel plates are relatively heavy, reinforcing them with the reinforcement member 62 helps improve the stability of the multiple steel plates. In some embodiments, the reinforcement member 62 is, for example, a triangular steel plate, with two right-angled sides of the triangular steel plate respectively connected to the multiple steel plates and the movable member 64 to reinforce the multiple steel plates.

[0056] In some embodiments, the container lifting device may include a moving member, a moving mating member, and a driving member. The moving member is connected to the alkali metal container 10, and the driving member drives the moving member to move vertically relative to the moving mating member to move the alkali metal container 10 up and down. In some embodiments, the gas injection lifting device 60 may be disposed on the moving member of the container lifting device.

[0057] In some embodiments, the measurement system 100 may further include a holding box 106 disposed at the bottom of the glove box 90 . The heating device 20 may be disposed in the holding box 106 .

[0058] See also Figure 2 In some embodiments, the measurement system 100 may further include a connecting pipe 70, through which the alkali metal container 10 is connected to the container lifting device. The connecting pipe 70 enters or exits the heating chamber 201 through the inlet and outlet passages 203. In some embodiments, the gas injection member 30 may be located radially inward of the connecting pipe 70. In such an embodiment, the connection between the alkali metal container 10 and the container lifting device via the connecting pipe 70 facilitates improving the stability of the alkali metal container 10 while being moved by the container lifting device.

[0059] In some embodiments, the measurement system 100 may further include a container connector, on which the alkali metal container 10 is disposed, and the container connector is connected to the connecting pipe 70. The container lifting device can drive the connecting pipe 70 to move, thereby driving the container connector and the alkali metal container 10 to move, so that the alkali metal container 10 can enter or exit the heating chamber 201 through the access passage 203. In some embodiments, the container connector can be a frame structure capable of accommodating a cup-shaped container, such as a basket.

[0060] See also Figure 2 In some embodiments, the measurement system 100 may further include a plurality of baffles 80 disposed on the connecting pipe 70 at intervals along the extending direction of the connecting pipe 70 to reduce the diffusion of alkali metal vapor. In such an embodiment, by providing the plurality of baffles 80 to reduce the diffusion of alkali metal vapor, leakage of alkali metal vapor can be prevented. In some embodiments, the number of layers of the plurality of baffles 80 may be 4 to 6, for example, 4.

[0061] See also Figure 2 In some embodiments, the baffle 80 may include a main body 81 located radially inwardly, with the main body 81 extending radially outwardly and downwardly from the connecting pipe 70. The main body 81 extending radially outwardly and downwardly from the connecting pipe 70 facilitates both the entry of steam into the connecting pipe 70 and the downward dripping of condensed alkali metal vapor.

[0062] In some embodiments, the baffle 80 may further include an edge portion 82 extending vertically downward from the radially outer end of the main body 81. In such an embodiment, the edge portion 82 extending vertically downward from the radially outer end of the main body 81 helps prevent the alkali metal vapor entering the baffle 80 from flowing upward along the gap outside the baffle 80, thereby helping to reduce the vapor pressure in the heating chamber 201 and thereby reducing the vaporization of the alkali metal during the measurement process.

[0063] See also Figure 2 In some embodiments, the heating device 20 may include an outer shell 24, an inner shell 21, an insulation layer 26, a heating element, a cooling assembly 25, and a shell connector 22. The inner shell 21 is disposed within the outer shell 24, forming a heating chamber 201; the insulation layer 26 is disposed between the inner shell 21 and the outer shell 24 to insulate the inner shell 21; and the heating element is disposed within the insulation layer 26 to heat the inner shell 21. The shell connector 22 is disposed outside the outer shell 24 and is connected to the inner shell 21. The shell connector 22 forms an inlet and outlet passage 203 and is also sealed to the periphery of the opening 92 of the glove box 90. The provision of the shell connector 22, connecting the inner shell 21 and the glove box 90, facilitates improving the sealing of the heating chamber 201.

[0064] The inventors of the present application have discovered that the high temperature of the connection between the housing connector 22 and the inner shell 21 can increase the temperature of the bottom wall 91 of the glove box 90 connected to the housing connector 22, thereby adversely affecting the sealing of the glove box 90. Therefore, in some embodiments, the measurement system 100 also includes a cooling assembly 25 for cooling the housing connector 22. In the embodiments of the present application, by providing the cooling assembly 25 to cool the housing connector 22, the bottom wall 91 of the glove box 90 is prevented from overheating and adversely affecting the sealing of the glove box 90.

[0065] See also Figure 2 In some embodiments, the shell connector 22 may include a connecting cylinder 221 and a connecting flange 222. The connecting flange 222 is arranged at the end of the connecting cylinder 221 away from the heating chamber 201. The connecting cylinder 221 is connected to the inner shell 21, and the connecting flange 222 is sealed to the periphery of the opening 92 of the glove box 90.

[0066] In some embodiments, the cooling assembly 25 may include a first cooling member 251 sleeved on the connecting cylinder 221 for cooling the connecting cylinder 221. The first cooling member 251 forms a first cooling cavity 2511, which is connected to an external cooling water system. The connecting cylinder 221 is cooled by circulating cooling water from the cooling water system through the first cooling cavity 2511.

[0067] The inventors of the present application discovered that, because the inner shell 21 is connected to the top cover 241 of the outer shell 24, the heat of the inner shell 21 is transferred to the top cover 241, and thereby transferred to the bottom wall 91 of the glove box 90 in the form of heat radiation. To address this issue, in some embodiments, the cooling assembly 25 may further include a second cooling member 252, which is located below the first cooling member 251 and is sleeved on the connecting cylinder 221, and is used to cool the connecting cylinder 221 and the top cover 241 of the outer shell 24. The second cooling member 252 forms a second cooling chamber 2521, which is also connected to an external cooling water system. The cooling water of the cooling water system is circulated through the second cooling chamber 2521 to cool the top cover 241 of the outer shell 24 and the connecting cylinder 221.

[0068] In some embodiments, the second cooling chamber 2521 substantially covers the top cover 241 of the outer shell 24 to minimize heat transfer from the heating chamber 201 to the bottom wall 91 of the glove box 90 via thermal radiation. In the embodiments of the present application, the provision of the first cooling element 251 and the second cooling element 252 significantly reduces heat transfer from the inner shell 21 to the bottom wall 91 of the glove box 90.

[0069] In some embodiments, the lowest baffle 80 among the plurality of baffles 80 is lower than the top cover 241, while at least one of the plurality of baffles 80 may be higher than the top cover 241, thereby being located radially inward of the cooling assembly 25. In such an embodiment, the lower baffle 80 facilitates heat preservation of the heating chamber 201, while the upper baffle 80 facilitates liquefying the alkali metal vapor using the cooling energy provided by the cooling assembly 25. The main body 81 extending radially outward and downward from the connecting pipe 70 facilitates guiding vapor into the connecting pipe 70, maintaining the temperature within the connecting pipe 70, and preventing condensation of alkali metal vapor on the surface of the gas injection component 30 due to the lower temperature near the surface of the gas injection component 30. This, in turn, reduces alkali metal residue on the surface of the gas injection component 30, thereby preventing an impact on the accuracy of the surface tension measurement results of the liquid alkali metal.

[0070] See also Figure 2 In some embodiments, the thermal insulation layer 26 may include a top thermal insulation layer 261, a bottom thermal insulation layer 262, a side thermal insulation layer 263, and an outer thermal insulation layer 264. The top thermal insulation layer 261 and the side thermal insulation layer 263 are disposed radially outward of the inner shell 21, and the side thermal insulation layer 263 may connect the top thermal insulation layer 261 and the bottom thermal insulation layer 262; the outer thermal insulation layer 264 is disposed radially outward of the top thermal insulation layer 261, the bottom thermal insulation layer 262, and the side thermal insulation layer 263, and is used to connect the top thermal insulation layer 261, the bottom thermal insulation layer 262, and the side thermal insulation layer 263.

[0071] In some embodiments, the heating device 20 may further include a radial cooling member 23 disposed radially outward from the insulation layer 26 to uniformize the temperature of the heating chamber 201. In such an embodiment, uniformizing the temperature of the heating chamber 201 can prevent condensation of alkali metal vapor on the surface of the gas injection member 30 due to the lower temperature near the surface of the gas injection member 30. This can further reduce alkali metal residue on the surface of the gas injection member 30 and prevent an impact on the accuracy of the surface tension measurement results of the liquid alkali metal.

[0072] The heating element is, for example, an electric heating element.

[0073] In some embodiments, the radial cooling member 23 can be used to minimize the temperature difference within the heating chamber 201 by less than 1°C. In some embodiments, the radial cooling member 23 is formed into an annular cooling chamber 231. A spirally extending coil is disposed within the cooling chamber 231 for cooling water to flow through. The cooling water exchanges heat with the heating chamber 201 to maintain a uniform temperature within the heating chamber 201.

[0074] See also Figure 2In some embodiments, the measurement system 100 may further include a seal 11 and a seal fitting 12. The seal 11 is connected to the container lifting device, and the alkali metal container 10 is connected to the seal 11. The seal fitting 12 is disposed within the glove box 90. When the container lifting device drives the alkali metal container 10 downward into the heating chamber 201, the seal 11 can sealably engage with the seal fitting 12 to seal the heating chamber 201 and reduce the diffusion of alkali metal vapor into the glove box.

[0075] In some embodiments, the sealing member 11 includes a cover 111 and a connector 112 disposed around the periphery of the cover 111. The sealing member 12 includes a bellows 121, a connector 122, and a sealing ring 124. The bellows 121 is disposed within the glove box 90 and is sealed to the periphery of the opening 92. The sealing ring 124 is disposed on the connector 122. The connector 122 is disposed at the top of the bellows 121. When the container lifting device moves the alkali metal container 10 downward into the heating chamber 201, the connector 112 can compress the bellows 121 to form a sealed connection with the connector 122. In such an embodiment, when the container lifting device moves the alkali metal container 10 downward into the heating chamber 201, the connector 112 can first contact the connector 122 and compress the bellows 121 until the alkali metal container 10 descends to the measurement position. The connector 112 and the mating connector 122 are subject to both the forces of the bellows 121 and the container lifting device, further enhancing the seal between them. Furthermore, since there is a certain distance between the connector 112 and the mating connector 122 and the bottom wall 91 of the glove box 90 (at least a distance greater than the compressed length of the bellows 121), it is easier to clamp the connector 112 and the mating connector 122 using a clamping device such as a clamp, further strengthening the seal between them and further reducing the leakage of alkali metals.

[0076] The connector 112 and the connector fitting 122 can be quick-release flanges, such as KF flanges. During operation, the cover 111 and the bellows 121 can be separated by simply touching the KF flange connection between the connector 112 and the connector fitting 122, which is easy to operate.

[0077] See also Figure 2 In some embodiments, a bottom wall connector 123 is formed at one end of the bellows 121 facing the bottom wall 91 of the glove box 90, and the bellows 121 is connected to the bottom wall 91 via the bottom wall connector 123. In some embodiments, the bellows 121 is also sealed to the periphery of the opening 92 of the glove box 90 via the bottom wall connector 123. The bottom wall connector 123 may be, for example, a flange.

[0078] In some embodiments, the measurement system 100 may further include a temperature measuring element 105 disposed on the cover 111 for measuring the temperature of the liquid alkali metal in the alkali metal container 10. The heating device 20 may adjust the heating power based on the temperature measured by the temperature measuring element 105 to ensure that the liquid alkali metal in the alkali metal container 10 is at the measurement temperature.

[0079] The temperature measuring element 105 may be, for example, a thermocouple. In some embodiments, the temperature measuring element 105 may extend from the cover 111 to near the liquid surface of the liquid alkali metal to measure the temperature of the liquid alkali metal.

[0080] In some embodiments, through-holes 83 are formed at corresponding positions of the multi-layer baffles 80 to allow the temperature measuring element 105 to pass through. When the temperature measuring element 105 passes through the through-holes 83, it does not contact the baffles 80, thereby preventing the baffles 80 from affecting the measurement results of the temperature measuring element 105 and ensuring the temperature measurement accuracy of the temperature measuring element 105.

[0081] In some embodiments, the temperature measuring component 105 is set on the cover 111 through the fastener 107. When the container lifting device drives the connecting pipe 70 to move, the cover 111 moves with the connecting pipe 70, and the temperature measuring component 105 can move with the cover 111 through the fastener 107.

[0082] In some embodiments, the measurement system 100 may further include an electrical measurement system 100 for automated control and recording of surface tension measurements. In some embodiments, the electrical measurement system 100 may include a computer capable of controlling the container lifting device and the gas injection lifting device 60 to achieve automatic lifting and lowering of both. The computer may also control the heating element to achieve controllable temperature increase and constant temperature heating of the heating element. The computer may also record the temperature of the heating element and the pressure differential measured by the pressure differential measurement device 40 to calculate the surface tension of the alkali metal.

[0083] See also Figure 1 The following describes a process of measuring the surface tension of liquid sodium using the measurement system 100 provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0084] First, the mode of the glove box 90 is set to the circulation purification mode. When the water and oxygen contents in the glove box 90 are less than or equal to 1 μL / L, the surface tension of the liquid sodium is measured.

[0085] Afterwards, the computer controls the container lifting device to move the alkali metal container 10 away from the heating chamber 201 through the inlet and outlet channel 203, and the solid metallic sodium sample is placed in the alkali metal container 10, ensuring that the liquid sodium formed after the added solid metallic sodium melts can immerse the lower end of the capillary 30; the alkali metal container 10 containing the solid metallic sodium sample is placed on the container connector.

[0086] Afterwards, the computer controls the container lifting device to move the alkali metal container 10 into the heating chamber 201 , which is then sealed with the sealing member 11 ; external cooling water is allowed to enter the cooling members to cool the heating chamber 201 and the shell connector 22 .

[0087] Afterwards, the heating element is controlled by a computer, and the heating rate of the heating chamber 201 is set to 2-5°C / min, and the constant temperature heating time is set to 120 minutes. After the constant temperature heating is completed, the gas injection lifting device 60 is used to drive the capillary 30 downward and gradually immersed in the liquid sodium. Argon gas at a certain flow rate is quantitatively introduced into the capillary 30, thereby generating bubbles at the bottom end of the capillary 30. The pressure difference before and after the bubble burst is measured by the micro differential pressure meter 40 and recorded by the computer.

[0088] Finally, the surface tension of the liquid sodium is determined using a computer based on the pressure difference before and after the bubble burst measured by the micro differential pressure meter 40, the inner diameter of the capillary 30, and the distance between the lower end of the capillary 30 and the liquid surface of the liquid sodium.

[0089] Regarding the embodiments of the present application, it should also be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the embodiments of the present application and the features therein can be combined with each other to obtain new embodiments.

[0090] The above are only specific implementation methods of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. The protection scope of the present application shall be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A system for measuring the surface tension of liquid alkali metals, characterized in that: include: an alkali metal container for containing liquid alkali metal; a heating device for providing heat to the alkali metal container so that the liquid alkali metal in the alkali metal container is at a preset temperature; a gas injection member, used for injecting gas into the liquid alkali metal to form bubbles in the liquid alkali metal and enable the bubbles to burst; a pressure differential measuring member, for measuring the pressure differential before and after the bubble bursts, thereby determining the surface tension of the liquid alkali metal based on the pressure differential before and after the bubble bursts; The heating device forms a heating chamber and an inlet and outlet passage communicating with the heating chamber; The system further comprises: a container lifting device, used for driving the alkali metal container into or out of the heating chamber through the entry and exit passage; a connecting pipe, the alkali metal container is connected to the container lifting device through the connecting pipe, and the connecting pipe enters or leaves the heating chamber through the inlet and outlet passage; The gas injection component is located radially inward of the connecting pipe component; The system further comprises: Multi-layer baffles are provided on the connecting pipe at intervals along the extension direction of the connecting pipe, and are used to reduce the diffusion of alkali metal vapor to the outside; Wherein, the blocking piece includes: a main body portion located radially inward, the main body portion extending obliquely downward from the connecting pipe toward the radially outward; The edge portion extends vertically downward from the radially outer end portion of the main body portion.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The gas injection part is a capillary tube with an inner diameter less than or equal to 1 mm.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein: Also includes: A gas providing component is used to provide a gas source to the gas injection component.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein: The system further comprises: The gas injection lifting device is used to drive the gas injection component to enter the heating chamber through the inlet and outlet channel and thus enter the alkali metal container or leave the heating chamber.

5. The system according to claim 4, characterized in that The container lifting device and the gas injection lifting device are arranged in the glove box; the bottom wall of the glove box is formed with an opening; The heating chamber is arranged below the glove box, and the inlet and outlet passage is communicated with the glove box through the opening.

6. The system according to claim 5, characterized in that The heating device comprises: shell; an inner shell, disposed in the outer shell, the inner shell forming the heating chamber; a heat-insulating layer, disposed between the inner shell and the outer shell, for heat-insulating the inner shell; a heating element, disposed in the thermal insulation layer, for heating the inner shell; a housing connector, disposed outside the outer shell, connected to the inner shell, forming the inlet and outlet passage, and further sealingly connected to the periphery of the opening of the glove box; A cooling component is arranged outside the shell and is used to cool the shell connector.

7. The system according to claim 6, characterized in that The housing connector includes a connecting cylinder and a connecting flange; the cooling assembly includes: a first cooling member, sleeved on the connecting cylinder member, for cooling the connecting cylinder member; The second cooling member is sleeved on the connecting cylinder member below the first cooling member and is used to cool the connecting cylinder member and the top cover of the housing.

8. The system according to claim 5, wherein: Also includes: a sealing member connected to the container lifting device, and the alkali metal container is connected to the sealing member; A sealing fitting is provided in the glove box. When the container lifting device drives the alkali metal container to move downward into the heating chamber, the sealing fitting can be sealed with the sealing fitting to seal the heating chamber.

Images