Apparatus for pumping liquid metals

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR PUMPING ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE FLUID COMPRISING: AN ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE, ARCUATE, TUBULAR CONDUIT FOR CONDUCTING THE ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE FLUID FROM AN ENTRANCE POSITION TO AN EXIT POSITION; MAGNET POLE MEANS INCLUDING AN EVEN NUMBER OF SPACED MAGNET POLE PAIRS PLACED SUCH THAT THE ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE, ARCUATE, TUBULAR CONDUIT IS BETWEEN THE MAGNET POLE PAIRS AND THE MAGNETIC FLUX FIELDS ARE DIRECTED THERETHROUGH; THE DIRECTIONS OF THE FIELDS PRODUCED BY ADJACENT MAGNET POLE PAIRS BEING OPPOSITE IN DIRECTION; THE MAGNET POLE PAIRS BEING SPACED AND SHAPED SO THAT THE EDGE OF ONE MAGNET POLE IS SEPARATED FROM THE EDGE OF THE NEXT ADJACENT MAGNET POLE BY A DISTANCE NOT LESS THAN THE WIDTH OF THE FINAL AIR GAP IN EACH MAGNET POLE PAIR AND NOT MORE THAN FOUR TIMES THIS WIDTH AND SUCH TAHT THERE IS A RAPID CHANGE OF DIRECTION OF THE MAGNETIC FLUX FIELD IN THE ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE, ARCUATE, TUBULAR CONDUIT BETWEEN ADJACENT MAGNET POLE PAIRS AND THERE IS SUBSTANTIALLY NO FIELD-FREE REGION TRAVERSED BY THE ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE FLUID; MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO THE MAGNET POLE MEANS FOR MECHANICALLY MOVING THE MAGNET POLE MEANS LENGTHWISE ALONG THE ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE, ARCUATE, TUBULAR CONDUIT THEREBY CREATING ELECTRICAL EDDY CURRENTS IN THE ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE FLUID WHICH INTERACT WITH THE MAGNETIC FLUX FIELDS SO AS TO PRODUCE ADDITIVE PROPULSIVE FORCES ON THE ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE FLUID FROM THE ENTRANCE POSITION TO THE POSITION.