of The potential for high Turbine Entry Temperatures (TET) turbines for Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) require improved materials and sophisticated cooling. Cooling is critical to maintaining mechanical integrity of the turbine for temperatures >1000°C. Increasing TET is one of the solutions for improving efficiency after cycle optimum pressure ratios have been achieved but cooling as a percentage of mass flow will have to increase, resulting in cycle efficiency penalties. To limit this effect, it is necessary to know the maximum allowable blade metal temperature to ensure the minimum cooling fraction is used.
An important requirement for Generation IV Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) design is the control system, which enables part power operability. The choices of control system methods must ensure variation of load without severe drawbacks on cycle performance. The objective of this study is to assess the control of the NPP under part power operations. The cycles of interest are the simple cycle recuperated (SCR) and the intercooled cycle recuperated (ICR). Control strategies are proposed for NPPs but the focus is on the strategies that result in part power operation using the inventory control method. First, results explaining the performance and load limiting factors of the inventory control method are documented; subsequently, the transient part power performances are also documented. The load versus efficiency curves were also derived from varying the load to understand the efficiency penalties. This is carried out using a modeling and performance simulation tool designed for this study. Results show that the ICR takes ∼102% longer than the SCR to reduce the load to 50% in design point (DP) performance conditions for similar valve flows, which correlates with the volumetric increase for the ICR inventory tank. The efficiency penalties are comparable for both cycles at 50% part power, whereby a 22% drop in cycle efficiency was observed and indicates limiting time at very low part power. The analyses intend to aid the development of cycles for Generation IV NPPs specifically gas cooled fast reactors (GFRs) and very high-temperature reactors (VHTRs), where helium is the coolant.
The Intercooled Cycle (IC) is considered as a viable alternative to the Simple Cycle Recuperated (SCR) and the Intercooled Cycle Recuperated (ICR), based on recent studies in a Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) configuration, which showed plant efficiencies of above 45%. The main difference in configuration is it does not utilise a recuperator. For part load performance, it is expected that the components of the IC will not operate at optimum conditions as the characteristics change. Thus the ability to demonstrate viable part load performance becomes an important requirement for the IC. The main objective of this study is to derive Off-Design Points (ODPs) from a known Design Point (DP) for a temperature range of −35 to 50°C and COTs between 750 to 1000°C. The ODPs have been calculated using a modelling & performance simulation tool designed specifically for this study and aim to provide a set of points that give operational equilibrium, which is critical to the economics of the plant. Results show that the intercooler alters the actual mass flow rate and compressor pressure ratio but the delta across an analysed range of 1 to 5% pressure loss shows a change of ∼9% in plant cycle efficiency, in comparison to the ICR (6%). Furthermore, the reactor pressure losses for IC has the lowest effect on plant cycle efficiency in comparison to the SCR and ICR. Characteristic trend maps have also been produced for the intercooler operation and the reactor and are applicable for NPP first order calculations. To that effect, it is also proposed to consider the intercooler pressure loss as a handle for ODP performance calculations. The analyses intend to bring further attention to the IC an alternative to current cycle configurations and to aid the development of cycles for Generation IV Nuclear Power Plants specifically Gas Cooled Fast Reactors (GFRs) and Very High Temperature Reactors (VHTRs), where helium is the coolant.
As a nongreenhouse gas-emitting source, the benefits of nuclear as a main power-generation alternative are yet to be fully explored; part of the reason is due to the significant implementation costs. However, with cycle efficiencies of 45–50% in current studies, it can be argued that the long-term benefits outweigh the initial costs, if developed under the Generation-IV (Gen-IV) framework. The main objective of this study is to analyze the effects of pressure and temperature ratios (TRs) including sensitivity analyses of component efficiencies, ambient temperature, component losses and pressure losses on cycle efficiency and specific work. The results obtained indicate that pressure losses and recuperator effectiveness have the greatest impact on cycle efficiency and specific work. The analyses intend to aid development of the simple cycle recuperated (SCR) and intercooled cycle recuperated (ICR) cycles, applicable to gas-cooled fast reactors (GFRs) and very-high-temperature reactors (VHTRs), in which helium is the coolant.
The Design Point (DP) performance of a Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) is fairly straightforward to establish for a given mass flow rate, turbomachinery compressor Pressure Ratio (PR) and reactor Core Outlet Temperature (COT). The plant components are optimum for that point but this is no longer the case if the plant’s operating conditions are changed for part-load performance. Data from tests or previous operating experiences are useful in determining typical part load performance of components based on characteristic maps. However, when individual components are linked in a plant, the range of operating points for part load performances are severely reduced. The main objective of this study is to derive Off-Design Points (ODPs) for the Simple Cycle Recuperated (SCR) and Intercooled Cycle Recuperated (ICR) when considering a temperature range of −35 to 50°C and COTs between 750 to 1000°C, using a modelling & performance simulation tool designed specifically for this study, which calculates the best operational equilibrium ODPs that are critical to the economics of the NPP. Results show that the recuperator High-Pressure (HP) side and reactor pressure losses alter the actual operating parameters (mass flow rate and compressor PR). The SCR yielded a drop in plant cycle efficiency of 1% for a 4% pressure loss in comparison to the ICR (5%) for the same amount of recuperator HP losses. Other parameters such as the precooler and recuperator Low-Pressure (LP) losses still retain the same operating inlet PRs and mass flow rates regardless of the magnitude of the losses. In the absence of characteristic maps in the public domain, the ODPs have been used to produce characteristic trend maps for first order ODP calculations. The analyses intend to aid the development of cycles for Generation IV NPPs specifically Gas Cooled Fast Reactors (GFRs) and Very High Temperature Reactors (VHTRs), where helium is the coolant.
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