Liquid alloy synthesis apparatus and method
The apparatus addresses the issue of non-uniformity in conventional liquid alloy synthesis by employing a paddle with vertical and lateral flow mechanisms, enhancing the uniformity and reducing contamination in the synthesis of liquid alloys.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- WO · WO
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE TOKYO
- Filing Date
- 2025-12-12
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-25
AI Technical Summary
Conventional liquid alloy synthesis apparatuses face issues with insufficient uniformity of the resulting liquid alloy due to low stirring efficiency in radial and circumferential directions, primarily using vertical stirring, which leads to separation of lighter and heavier metal components.
A liquid alloy synthesis apparatus and method that incorporates a stirring paddle with vertical and lateral flow capabilities, utilizing a flat plate-shaped member with inclined wings and multiple openings to enhance stirring efficiency, ensuring uniform mixing of metal particles before and during melting.
The apparatus achieves a more uniform liquid alloy by simultaneously stirring in both vertical and horizontal directions, improving the homogeneity and reducing contamination risks during the synthesis process.
Smart Images
Figure JP2025043436_25062026_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
Liquid Alloy Synthesis Apparatus and Method
[0001] The present invention relates to a liquid alloy synthesis apparatus and method for synthesizing a liquid alloy composed of two or more metals used, for example, as a refrigerant.
[0002] In a next-generation energy plant, for example, in a fusion reactor by the reaction of deuterium and tritium, a refrigerant pipe is provided between a blanket provided in a partition wall of a plasma confinement reactor vessel and a turbine or the like, and heat exchange is performed by the refrigerant in the refrigerant pipe. As the refrigerant, a liquid single substance Li that absorbs neutrons to generate helium and tritium is used. However, the liquid single substance Li has a low melting point, high chemical reactivity with water and air, high chemical affinity with tritium, making recovery difficult, and its neutron multiplication performance is limited. Therefore, a liquid alloy composed of two metals is used. For example, a liquid alloy LiPb with a low melting point composed of a combination of a liquid Li for tritium generation, which is an alkali metal with a relatively low melting point, and a liquid heavy metal such as liquid Pb that exhibits a strong neutron multiplication reaction with high-energy neutrons generated in the fusion reaction and has weak chemical reactivity with water and air is used. That is, a liquid alloy composed of two metals is used.
[0003] A conventional liquid alloy synthesis apparatus for melting two types of metal particles, for example, raw material Li particles and raw material Pb particles, to synthesize a liquid alloy LiPb includes a heating reaction vessel, a raw material metal particle supply tank provided on the heating reaction vessel for supplying the raw material Li particles and raw material Pb particles, and a stirring paddle movable in the vertical direction within the heating reaction vessel. The stirring paddle has a large opening for allowing the raw material metal particles from the raw material metal particle supply tank to pass through, and a plurality of relatively small middle openings for allowing the molten liquid metal / liquid alloy of the metal particles to pass through (see Non-Patent Document 1).
[0004] In the conventional liquid alloy synthesis apparatus described above, in the dehydration and degassing processes preceding the thermal melting process, moisture and non-metallic impurity gases such as carbon dioxide and hydrogen are removed from the raw material metal particles, such as raw material Li particles and raw material Pb particles, at low temperatures under a reduced pressure atmosphere. Then, in the thermal melting / vertical stirring process, the raw material Li particles and raw material Pb particles are mixed while melting by stirring the stirring paddle in an up-and-down direction at a temperature higher than the melting point of the liquid alloy LiPb, thereby synthesizing a high-purity, homogeneous liquid alloy LiPb. In other words, even if the lighter liquid Li and heavier liquid Pb are separated vertically due to their weight difference, the lighter liquid Li and heavier liquid Pb are mixed in an up-and-down (vertical) flow through the central opening of the stirring paddle, resulting in the synthesis of a homogeneous liquid alloy LiPb.
[0005] M. Kondo, S. Hatakeyama, N. Oono, T. Nozawa, “Corrosion-resistant materials for liquid LiPb fusion blanket in elevated temperature operation”, Corrosion Science 197 (2022) 110070
[0006] However, in the conventional liquid alloy synthesis apparatus described above, in the thermal melting / vertical stirring process, the molten liquid metal / liquid alloy is stirred mainly in a vertical flow by the stirring paddle, but the stirring efficiency in the radial and circumferential directions of the stirring vessel is low, resulting in the problem of insufficient uniformity of the resulting liquid alloy.
[0007] To solve the above-mentioned problems, the liquid alloy synthesis apparatus according to the present invention is a liquid alloy synthesis apparatus for synthesizing a liquid alloy from multiple types of raw material metal particles, comprising a heating reaction vessel, a raw material metal particle supply tank for supplying multiple types of raw material metal particles to the upper part of the heating reaction vessel, and a stirring paddle that can move vertically within the heating reaction vessel, wherein the stirring paddle comprises a flat plate-shaped member and at least one wing provided at an inclination to at least one first opening of the flat plate-shaped member, and the flat plate-shaped member is provided with a second opening for allowing raw material metal particles to pass through, and a plurality of third openings smaller than the second opening for allowing the liquid metal in which the raw material metal particles have molten and the liquid alloy made of the liquid metal to pass through.
[0008] Furthermore, the liquid alloy synthesis method according to the present invention is a liquid alloy synthesis method using the liquid alloy synthesis apparatus described above, comprising: a raw material metal particle mixing step of mixing multiple types of raw material metal particles and transferring them to a raw material metal supply tank; a raw material metal particle input step of, after the raw material metal particle mixing step, putting the heating reaction vessel into an inert gas atmosphere and introducing the mixed raw material metal particles from the raw material metal supply tank into the heating reaction vessel through a second opening of a stirring paddle; and after the raw material metal particle input step, reducing the pressure of the heating reaction vessel and setting it to a first temperature state lower than the melting point of the raw material metal particles to remove moisture from the raw material metal particles. The process comprises a removal step, an impurity gas removal step in which, after the moisture removal step, the heating reaction vessel is reduced in pressure and the raw material metal particles are removed from the raw material metal particles by setting them to a second temperature state that is lower than the melting point of the raw material metal particles but higher than the first temperature state, and a thermal melting / vertical stirring / lateral stirring step in which, after the impurity gas removal step, the heating reaction vessel is reduced in pressure and the raw material metal particles are melted and transformed into liquid metal and liquid alloy by setting them to a third temperature state that is higher than the melting point of the raw material metal particles, while simultaneously moving a stirring paddle vertically to stir the liquid metal and liquid alloy in both vertical and horizontal directions.
[0009] According to the present invention, in the thermal melting / vertical stirring / lateral stirring process, the molten liquid metal and liquid alloy can be stirred by adding the vertical (upper direction) flow from the stirring paddle itself, and by creating a lateral (horizontal, radial, and angular) flow from at least one wing provided on the stirring paddle. This increases the stirring efficiency and makes the liquid alloy even more uniform.
[0010] This is a cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of the liquid alloy synthesis apparatus according to the present invention. This is a perspective view of the stirring paddle in Figure 1. This shows the details of the stirring paddle in Figure 2, where (A) is a top view, (B) is a B-B view of (A) (part 1), and (C) is a B-B view of (A) (part 2). This is a diagram showing an example of the wing modification in (C) of Figure 3. This is a diagram for explaining the vertical and horizontal flow operation of the stirring paddle of the liquid alloy synthesis apparatus in Figure 1. This is a diagram for further explaining the operation in Figure 5, where (A) shows the case when the stirring paddle is lowered and (B) shows the case when the stirring paddle is raised. This is a flowchart for explaining the liquid alloy synthesis method using the liquid alloy synthesis apparatus in Figure 1. This is a graph for explaining the eutectic point of metallic LiPb in the thermal melting / vertical stirring / horizontal stirring process in Figure 7. This is a diagram explaining the stirring effect of a conventional wingless stirring paddle. This is a diagram explaining the stirring effect of the winged stirring paddle of the present invention.
[0011] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a liquid alloy synthesis apparatus according to the present invention.
[0012] In Figure 1, the liquid alloy synthesis apparatus consists of a heating reaction vessel 1, for example, a cylindrical stainless steel vessel having a heater 1a covered with heat insulating material; a raw material metal particle supply tank 2, located above the heating reaction vessel 1 and having a pipe 2b regulated by a valve 2a; a pipe 3, also located above the heating reaction vessel 1 and connected to a vacuum pump VP and an inert (Ar) gas source GS by a valve 3a; a stirring paddle 4, for example, made of a circular flat plate member, located inside the heating reaction vessel 1 and having a vertical moving shaft 4b driven vertically X4 within a predetermined range inside the heating reaction vessel 1 by a drive motor 4a; and a glove box (liquid alloy containment unit) 5 connected to the heating reaction vessel 1 via an insulated transfer pipe 5b equipped with a manual valve 5a. The inlet diameter D1 for the liquid alloy on the heating reaction vessel 1 side of the insulated transfer pipe 5b is small to prevent raw material metal particles from accidentally entering. For example, the inlet diameter D1 is, for example, 2 mm or less, and the diameters D2 other than the inlet diameter D1 are, for example, about 13 mm. Furthermore, 61 is a frame supporting the heating reaction vessel 1, 62 is a frame supporting the glove box 5, and 63 is a support plate supporting the raw material metal particle supply tank 2, pipe 3, and vertical movement shaft 4b. In this case, the vertical movement shaft 4b is slidably supported by the support plate 63. The control circuit 7 is composed of a computer and controls the heater 1a, valve 2a, valve 3a, and drive motor 4a by control signals C1, C2, C3, and C4, and also provides feedback control to the heater 1a so that the thermocouple temperature T of the heater 1a in the heating reaction vessel 1 reaches the target temperature. Note that the thermocouple temperature T of the heater 1a is the temperature of the thermocouple inside the heater 1a, but it may also be the temperature of the thermocouple inserted into the liquid metal / liquid alloy inside the heating reaction vessel 1 via the support plate 63.
[0013] In Figure 1, the heating reaction vessel 1 is a cylinder with a diameter of approximately 160 mm and a height of approximately 280 mm, the pipe 2b of the raw material metal particle supply tank 2 is a cylinder with a diameter of approximately 60 mm, and the stirring paddle 4 is a disc with a thickness of approximately 2 mm and a diameter of approximately 130 mm. However, these are not limited to cylinders (discs).
[0014] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the stirring paddle 4 in Figure 1, and Figure 3 shows details of the stirring paddle 4 in Figure 2, where (A) is a top view, (B) is a B-B view of (A) (part 1), and (C) is a B-B view of (A) (part 2).
[0015] As shown in Figures 2 and 3 (A), (B), and (C), the stirring paddle 4, which is about 2 mm thick, is provided with a circular central opening 4c, for example, with a diameter of about 9 mm, for fixing the vertical moving shaft 4b, and a large circular opening (second opening) 4d, for example, with a diameter of about 55 mm, facing the raw material metal particle supply tank 2. In addition, multiple circular central openings (third openings) 4e, for example, with a diameter of about 5 mm, are provided at intervals of about 8 mm to allow the liquid metal / liquid alloy to pass through.
[0016] A wing 4g is provided in the fan-shaped rectangular opening (first opening) 4f of the stirring paddle 4, with a wing 4g of the same size as the rectangular opening 4f and a thickness of approximately 2 mm, to generate a lateral (horizontal) flow H. The wing 4g consists of a flat plate-like member that is inclined upward at an inclination angle of 5° to 20°, for example, 13°, when viewed from the side. If the inclination angle is too small or too large, the lateral flow described later will be small. Although the wing 4g is inclined upward, it may also be inclined downward, as shown in Figure 4(A). Furthermore, the wing 4g is not a flat plate-like member, but may be convex on the lower and upper sides when viewed from the side, as shown in Figures 4(B) and (C). Also, as shown in Figure 4(D), two wings 4g made of flat plate-like members may be provided, or as shown in Figure 4(E), two wings 4g made of convex members may be provided. Furthermore, if the stirring paddle 4 is circular, the opening direction for sending out the lateral (horizontal) flow H from the wing 4g may be in the radial direction, the angular direction (circumferential direction) of the stirring paddle 4, or it may be in an intermediate direction between the radial direction and the angular direction (circumferential direction). Furthermore, the wing 4g may be an integral structure with the stirring paddle 4. That is, the stirring paddle 4 may be partially cut and bent. Moreover, by providing multiple rectangular openings 4f on the stirring paddle 4, multiple wings 4g may be provided on the stirring paddle 4. This promotes the stirring effect. In addition, multiple small circular openings (fourth openings) 4h with a diameter of approximately 3 mm may be provided on the wing 4g at intervals of approximately 5 mm. The small openings 4h perform the same function as the medium openings 4e, but are smaller than the medium openings 4e in order to promote the lateral flow H. Note that the small openings 4h may be omitted.
[0017] Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating the vertical and horizontal flow movements of the stirring paddle 4 of the liquid alloy synthesis apparatus shown in Figure 1. It shows the case where water 502 and black liquid 503 are placed in the flask 501, and the stirring paddle 4 having the wing 4g shown in Figure 3 is moved downward. In Figure 5, (A)-1, (B)-1, (C)-1, and (D)-1 are views from above, and (A)-2, (B)-2, (C)-2, and (D)-2 are views from the side.
[0018] First, referring to Figures 5(A)-1 and (A)-2, the stirring paddle 4 is placed above the water 502.
[0019] Next, in Figures 5(B)-1 and (B)-2, when the stirring paddle 4 is lowered into the water 502, the black liquid 503 moves upward through the central opening 4e of the stirring paddle 4, resulting in an upward flow U1 (vertical flow).
[0020] Next, in Figures 5(C)-1 and (C)-2, when the stirring paddle 4 is lowered further into the water 502, the black liquid 503 is moved to the left by the wing 4g, resulting in a leftward flow L (horizontal flow). As a result, the upward flow U1 and the leftward flow L of the black liquid 503 are mixed and stirred. In reality, the upward flow U1 and the leftward flow L occur simultaneously.
[0021] Finally, in Figures 5(D)-1 and (D)-2, when the stirring paddle 4 is lowered further into the water 502, the black liquid 503 is greatly stirred by the development of a large upward flow U1 from the central opening 4e of the stirring paddle 4 and a large leftward flow L from the wing 4g.
[0022] As shown in Figure 6(A), when the stirring paddle 4 is lowered, the large upward flow U1 and the large leftward flow L from the central opening 4e are mixed and stirred. At this time, the small upward flow U2 from the small opening 4h of the wing 4g is also added to the stirring. On the other hand, when the stirring paddle 4 is raised, the large downward flow D1 and the large rightward flow R are mixed and stirred, as shown in Figure 6(B). At this time, the small downward flow D2 from the small opening 4h of the wing 4g is also added to the stirring. In other words, the vertical flows U1, U2; D1, D2 and the horizontal flows R, L are mixed and stirred. Furthermore, if the wing 4g shown in Figure 4(B) is adopted, the small opening 4h of the wing 4g is smaller than the medium opening 4e of the stirring paddle 4. Therefore, in Figure 6(A), the upward flow U2 is small and the leftward flow L is large, while in Figure 6(B), the downward flow D2 is small and the rightward flow R is large.
[0023] Next, the liquid alloy synthesis method using the liquid alloy synthesis apparatus shown in Figure 1 will be explained with reference to the flowchart in Figure 7. Note that the flowchart in Figure 7 is for the synthesis of the liquid alloy LiPb from raw material Li particles and raw material Pb particles.
[0024] First, in the raw material Li particle / raw material Pb particle mixing step 701, a raw material mixing glove box (not shown) is prepared under an inert (Ar gas) atmosphere, and raw material Li particles with a purity of approximately 99.99% and a diameter of approximately 2 mm and raw material Pb particles with a purity of approximately 99.99% and a diameter of approximately 2.5 mm are mixed. Next, the raw material metal supply tank 2, which has been previously removed from the liquid alloy synthesis apparatus, is placed inside the raw material mixing glove box, the mixed raw material Li particles and raw material Pb particles are transferred to the raw material metal supply tank 2, and the raw material metal supply tank 2 is reinstalled in the liquid alloy synthesis apparatus and connected to the heating reaction vessel 1.
[0025] Next, in the raw material Li particles / raw material Pb particle input step 702, the control circuit 7 controls valve 3a by control signal C1 and connects Ar gas source GS to heating reaction vessel 1 to create an inert (Ar gas) atmosphere inside heating reaction vessel 1. As shown by arrow X2 in Figure 1, raw material Li particles / raw material Pb particles are introduced into heating reaction vessel 1 from raw material metal supply tank 2 through the large opening 4d of stirring paddle 4. Note that the melting point of alloy Li / Pb is lowest at the eutectic point Te, as shown in Figure 8. The thermal melting described later is started at a thermocouple temperature T higher than the melting point of Pb, and then, after the appearance of liquid alloy LiPb, it is carried out at a thermocouple temperature T that is a predetermined value, for example, 50°C higher than the eutectic point Te temperature of 235°C, thereby preventing contamination of the liquid alloy LiPb by the high heat of the heating reaction vessel 1.
[0026] Next, in the dehydration step 703, the control circuit 7 uses the control signal C3 to control the valve 3a and connect the vacuum pump VP to the heating reaction vessel 1, thereby reducing the pressure (vacuum) of the heating reaction vessel 1. At the same time, the control signal C1 is used to feedback control the heater 1a to set the thermocouple temperature T to 373K, which is sufficiently lower than the melting points of Li and Pb. As a result, H on the PbO of the raw material Pb particles ２ The dehydration treatment of O is carried out for 2 hours. Also, H on the Li particles ２ O is also removed at a temperature of 423 K, which is slightly lower than the melting point of Li particles, 453.7 K.
[0027] Next, in the degassing process 704, the control circuit 7 continues to reduce the pressure (vacuum) inside the heating reaction vessel 1, and uses the control signal C1 to feedback control the heater 1a to set the thermocouple temperature T to 588K, which is slightly lower than the melting point of Pb. As a result, the Pb particles become PbCO ３ If it includes PbCO ３ →PbO+CO ２ By decomposing it in this way, carbon dioxide is removed. Furthermore, hydrogen gas contained in Li and Pb is also removed. In other words, impurity gases are removed.
[0028] Next, in the thermal melting / vertical stirring / lateral stirring step 705, the control circuit 7 continues to reduce the pressure (vacuum) inside the heating reaction vessel 1 and uses the control signal C1 to feedback control the heater 1a to set the thermocouple temperature T to 623K, slightly higher than the melting point of Pb, 600.7K. As a result, the raw material Pb particles melt. Also, at this time, since 623K is higher than the melting point of Li, 453.7K, the raw material Li particles also melt. At the same time, the control circuit 7 drives the drive motor 4a with the control signal C4 to move the stirring paddle 4 vertically within a predetermined range, crushing and mixing the raw material Li particles and raw material Pb particles. At this time, the molten liquid Li and liquid Pb are stirred vertically through the central opening 4e of the stirring paddle 4, and also horizontally (radial direction, rotational angle direction) by the opening direction of the wings 4g of the stirring paddle 4. As a result, the uniformity of the resulting liquid alloy LiPb is increased. At this time, the liquid alloy LiPb, which is a eutectic gold, has a eutectic point (Li １５．７ Pb ８４．３ As the temperature approaches Te, the melting point decreases. Therefore, by lowering the thermocouple temperature T to be close to the melting point of the eutectic point Te, contamination of the liquid alloy LiPb from the stainless steel in the heating reaction vessel 1 can be suppressed. The thermal melting / vertical stirring / lateral stirring process takes approximately one hour.
[0029] Finally, in the liquid alloy LiPb extraction step 706, the control circuit 7 controls valve 3a by control signal C3 to connect the Ar gas source GS to the heating reaction vessel 1, thereby creating an inert (Ar gas) atmosphere inside the heating reaction vessel 1. The glove box (liquid alloy containment unit) 5 is also prepared in an inert (Ar gas) atmosphere beforehand. Next, the manual valve 5a is opened, and the liquid alloy LiPb is extracted from the heating reaction vessel 1 into the glove box 5, completing the synthesis of the liquid alloy LiPb.
[0030] As described above, since the glove box 5 is connected to the heating reaction vessel 1, the liquid alloy LiPb can be removed in liquid form, and this liquid alloy LiPb can be supplied to the refrigerant pipe by connecting the glove box 5 to a refrigerant pipe (not shown).
[0031] If the glove box 5 cannot be connected to the heating reaction vessel 1 as in the conventional method, it is necessary to provide a separate container (crucible) inside the heating reaction vessel 1. When removing the liquid alloy LiPb from the container (crucible), the liquid alloy LiPb inside the container (crucible) is first solidified, the container (crucible) is removed in an inert (Ar gas) atmosphere, and then the solidified solid alloy LiPb is removed from the container (crucible) and supplied to the refrigerant pipe, at which point the solid alloy LiPb is heated and melted to liquefy it again. Due to this complex procedure, the liquid alloy LiPb becomes contaminated by the atmosphere. Thus, the conventional liquid alloy synthesis apparatus described above has another problem. This problem is solved by a liquid alloy synthesis apparatus that includes a glove box 5 (liquid alloy containment unit) (see: claims 16-20). In this case, the wing 4g is unnecessary.
[0032] Figure 9 illustrates the stirring effect of a conventional wingless stirring paddle, where (A) shows the state of the stirring container C before stirring, and (B) shows the state of the stirring container C after stirring.
[0033] As shown in Figure 9(A), liquids A and B, which are liquid Li of approximately the same density but different concentrations, are placed in a stirring container C, and a wingless stirring paddle 4' is inserted beforehand. In this case, liquid A is positioned above and liquid B is positioned below, and they are separated. Note that RA represents the proportion of liquid A, and RB represents the proportion of liquid B.
[0034] Next, when the stirring container C is stirred with the wingless stirring paddle 4', liquids A and B are stirred by the vertical flow through the central opening of the stirring paddle 4', as shown in Figure 9(B). However, even after a stirring time t of 5 seconds, liquid B remains at the end of the stirring container C, indicating that stirring by the vertical flow of the stirring paddle 4' alone is insufficient.
[0035] Figure 10 is a diagram illustrating the stirring effect of the winged stirring paddle of the present invention, where (A) shows the state of the stirring container before stirring, and (B) shows the state of the stirring container after stirring. In this case as well, RA represents the proportion of liquid A, and RB represents the proportion of liquid B.
[0036] As shown in Figure 10(A), liquids A and B, which are liquid Li of approximately the same density but different concentrations, are placed in a stirring container C, and a winged stirring paddle 4 is inserted beforehand. In this case as well, liquid A is positioned above and liquid B is positioned below, and they are separated. The only difference from the state in Figure 9(A) is that the stirring paddle 4 has wings.
[0037] Next, when the stirring container C is stirred with the winged stirring paddle, as shown in Figure 10(B), liquids A and B are stirred by the vertical flow through the central opening of the stirring paddle, as well as by the lateral (horizontal) flow of the wings. As a result, after a stirring time t of 2 seconds, no liquid B remains at the end of the stirring container, indicating that the vertical flow and lateral (horizontal) stirring by the winged stirring paddle are sufficient. This effect is clearly due to the fact that the stirring paddle 4 has wings.
[0038] In addition, although a liquid alloy LiPb was used as the refrigerant for the fusion reactor in the above-described embodiment, it is also possible to synthesize a liquid alloy LiSn, for example, using tin (Sn), which has similar properties and weight to Pb, instead of Pb.
[0039] Furthermore, although the liquid alloy in the above-described embodiment is applied to a refrigerant for a nuclear fusion reactor, the present invention can also be applied to liquid alloys made of two or more metals for other applications.
[0040] Furthermore, the present invention can be applied to any obvious modifications of the embodiments described above.
[0041] 1: Heating reaction vessel 1a: Heater 2: Raw material metal supply tank 2a: Valve 2b: Pipe 3: Pipe 3a: Valve 4: Agitation paddle 4': Agitation paddle without wings 4a: Drive motor 4b: Up / down shaft 4c: Medium opening 4d: Large opening (second opening) 4e: Medium opening (third opening) 4f: Rectangular opening (first opening) 4g: Wing 4h: Small opening (fourth opening) 5: Glove box (liquid alloy containment unit) 5a: Manual valve 5b: Insulated transfer pipe 61, 62: Stand 63: Support plate 7: Control circuit VP: Vacuum pump GS: Ar gas source T: Thermocouple temperature H: Lateral (horizontal) flow V: Up / down (vertical) flow U1, U2: Upward flow D1, D2: Downward flow L: Leftward flow
Claims
1. A liquid alloy synthesis apparatus for synthesizing a liquid alloy from multiple types of raw material metal particles, comprising: a heating reaction vessel (1); a raw material metal particle supply tank (2) for supplying the multiple types of raw material metal particles to the upper part of the heating reaction vessel (1); and a stirring paddle (4) that can move vertically within the heating reaction vessel (1), wherein the stirring paddle (4) comprises a flat plate-shaped member and at least one wing (4g) provided at an angle to at least one first opening (4f) of the flat plate-shaped member, and the flat plate-shaped member is provided with a second opening (4d) for allowing the raw material metal particles to pass through, and a plurality of third openings (4e) smaller than the second opening (4d) for allowing the liquid metal in which the raw material metal particles have molten and a liquid alloy consisting of the liquid metal to pass through.
2. The liquid alloy synthesis apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of fourth openings (4h) smaller than the third opening (4e) for passing the liquid metal and the liquid alloy through each wing (4g).
3. The liquid alloy synthesis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each wing (4g) is one or two flat plate members with an inclination angle of 5° to 20° relative to the flat plate member when viewed from the side.
4. The liquid alloy synthesis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each wing (4g) is provided at an angle to the upper surface of the flat plate-shaped member and is a convex member that is convex upward and downward when viewed from the side.
5. The liquid alloy synthesis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each wing (4g) is provided at an angle to the lower surface of the flat plate-shaped member and is a convex member that is convex upward and downward when viewed from the side.
6. The liquid alloy synthesis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the opening direction of each wing (4g) is the radial direction of the flat plate-shaped member when the flat plate-shaped member is circular.
7. The liquid alloy synthesis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the opening direction of each wing (4g) is the angular direction of the flat plate-shaped member when the flat plate-shaped member is circular.
8. The liquid alloy synthesis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the opening direction of each wing (4g) is an intermediate direction between the radial direction and the angular direction of the flat plate member when the flat plate member is circular.
9. The liquid alloy synthesis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the liquid alloy is a refrigerant for a nuclear fusion reactor.
10. The liquid alloy synthesis apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the raw material metal particles are Li particles and Pb particles or Sn particles.
11. The liquid alloy synthesis apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a liquid alloy storage unit (5) connected to the heating reaction vessel (1) via an on / off valve (5a) for storing the liquid alloy in the heating reaction vessel (1).
12. A liquid alloy synthesis method using the liquid alloy synthesis apparatus described in claim 1, comprising: a raw material metal particle mixing step of mixing the plurality of raw material metal particles and transferring them to the raw material metal supply tank (2); a raw material metal particle input step of, after the raw material metal particle mixing step, making the heating reaction vessel (1) an inert gas atmosphere and introducing the mixed raw material metal particles from the raw material metal supply tank (2) into the heating reaction vessel (1) through the second opening (4d) of the stirring paddle (4); a moisture removal step of, after the raw material metal particle input step, making the heating reaction vessel (1) a reduced-pressure state and removing moisture from the raw material metal particles by setting it to a first temperature state lower than the melting point of the raw material metal particles; and an impurity gas removal step of, after the moisture removal step, making the heating reaction vessel (1) a reduced-pressure state and removing impurity gas from the raw material metal particles by setting it to a second temperature state lower than the melting point of the raw material metal particles and higher than the first temperature state. A liquid alloy mixing method comprising a thermal melting / vertical stirring / lateral stirring step, in which, after the impurity gas removal step, the heating reaction vessel (1) is reduced in pressure and the raw material metal particles are melted to a third temperature state higher than the melting point of the raw material metal particles, thereby transforming them into the liquid metal and the liquid alloy, while the stirring paddle (4) is moved vertically to stir the liquid metal and the liquid alloy in both vertical and horizontal directions.
13. The liquid alloy mixing method according to claim 12, wherein, in the case where the liquid alloy is a eutectic gold, the thermal melting / up-down stirring / lateral stirring step is performed to set the third temperature state to a temperature state that is a predetermined value higher than the melting point (Te) of the liquid alloy.
14. A liquid alloy synthesis method using the liquid alloy synthesis apparatus described in claim 11, comprising: a raw material metal particle mixing step of mixing the plurality of raw material metal particles and transferring them to the raw material metal supply tank (2); a raw material metal particle input step of, after the raw material metal particle step, putting the heating reaction vessel (1) into an inert gas atmosphere and introducing the mixed raw material metal particles from the raw material metal supply tank (2) into the heating reaction vessel (1) through the second opening (4d) of the stirring paddle (4); a moisture removal step of, after the raw material metal particle input step, reducing the pressure of the heating reaction vessel (1) and setting it to a first temperature state lower than the melting point of the raw material metal particles to remove moisture from the raw material metal particles; and, after the moisture removal step, reducing the pressure of the heating reaction vessel (1) and setting it to a second temperature state lower than the melting point of the raw material metal particles and higher than the first temperature state to remove impurity gas from the raw material metal particles. A liquid alloy mixing method comprising: a thermal melting / vertical stirring / lateral stirring step in which, after the impurity gas removal step, the heating reaction vessel is reduced to a reduced pressure state and the raw material metal particles are melted to a third temperature state higher than the melting point of the raw material metal particles to change them into the liquid metal and the liquid alloy, while at the same time, the stirring paddle (4) is moved vertically to stir the liquid metal and the liquid alloy in the vertical and horizontal directions; and a liquid alloy storage step in which, after the thermal melting / vertical stirring / lateral stirring step, the liquid alloy storage unit (5) is made into an inert gas state and the on / off valve (5a) is opened to store the liquid alloy in the heating reaction vessel (1) into the liquid alloy storage unit (5).
15. The liquid alloy mixing method according to claim 14, wherein, in the case where the liquid alloy is a co-melting gold, the thermal melting / vertical stirring / lateral stirring step is performed to set the third temperature state to a temperature state that is a predetermined value greater than the melting point of the co-melting point of the liquid alloy.
16. A liquid alloy synthesis apparatus for synthesizing a liquid alloy from multiple types of raw material metal particles, comprising: a heating reaction vessel (1); a raw material metal particle supply tank (2) for supplying the multiple types of raw material metal particles to the upper part of the heating reaction vessel (1); a stirring paddle (4) that can move vertically within the heating reaction vessel (1); and a liquid alloy containment unit (5) connected to the heating reaction vessel (1) via an on / off valve (5a) for containing the liquid alloy within the heating reaction vessel (1), wherein the stirring paddle (4) comprises a flat plate-shaped member, and the flat plate-shaped member is provided with a second opening (4d) for allowing the raw material metal particles to pass through, and a plurality of third openings (4e) smaller than the second opening (4d) for allowing the liquid metal in which the raw material metal particles have molten and the liquid alloy consisting of the liquid metal to pass through.
17. The liquid alloy synthesis apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the liquid alloy is a refrigerant for a nuclear fusion reactor.
18. The liquid alloy synthesis apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the raw material metal particles are Li particles and Pb particles or Bi particles.
19. A liquid alloy synthesis method using the liquid alloy synthesis apparatus described in claim 16, comprising: a raw material metal particle mixing step of mixing the plurality of raw material metal particles and transferring them to the raw material metal supply tank (2); a raw material metal particle input step of creating an inert gas atmosphere in the heating reaction vessel (1) and introducing the mixed raw material metal particles from the raw material metal supply tank (2) into the heating reaction vessel (1) through the second opening (4d) of the stirring paddle (4); a moisture removal step of reducing the pressure in the heating reaction vessel (1) after the raw material metal particle input step and removing moisture from the raw material metal particles by setting the temperature to a first temperature state lower than the melting point of the raw material metal particles; and an impurity gas removal step of reducing the pressure in the heating reaction vessel (1) after the moisture removal step and removing impurity gas from the raw material metal particles by setting the temperature to a second temperature state lower than the melting point of the raw material metal particles and higher than the first temperature state. A liquid alloy mixing method comprising: a thermal melting / vertical stirring step in which, after the impurity gas removal step, the heating reaction vessel (1) is reduced to a reduced pressure state and the raw material metal particles are melted to a third temperature state higher than the melting point of the raw material metal particles to change them into the liquid metal and the liquid alloy, while the stirring paddle (4) is moved vertically to stir the liquid metal and the liquid alloy vertically; and a liquid alloy storage step in which, after the thermal melting / vertical stirring step, the liquid alloy storage unit (5) is made into an inert gas state and the on / off valve (5a) is opened to store the liquid alloy in the heating reaction vessel (1) into the liquid alloy storage unit (5).
20. In the case where the liquid alloy is a eutectic gold, the method for mixing liquid alloys according to claim 19, wherein the thermal melting / up-and-down stirring step is performed to set the third temperature state to a temperature state that is a predetermined value higher than the melting point (Te) of the liquid alloy.