High Efficiency Nuclear Power Plants Using Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactor Technology

Juhasz, Albert J.; Rarick, Richard A.; Rangarajan, Rajmohan

doi:10.2514/6.2009-4565

Cited by 10 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…3 Figure 1 shows that station thermodynamic states of such a helium gas turbine converter are well within the range demonstrated by the SSME except for the heater and first stage turbine inlet. The heater is conceptualized as being built of Hafnium Carbide tubes, heated uniformly by intense sunlight.…”

Section: Intense Efficient Conversion Architecture (Inca)mentioning

confidence: 87%

“…Helium Brayton cycles are already used in the nuclear power industry, 2 with the intercooled helium Brayton cycle of the DOE (ORNL) liquid fluoride nuclear power plant cycle. 3 Here we adapt such cycles with the heat coming from solar radiation. Initial cycle analyses show that station thermodynamic states of such a helium gas turbine converter, are well within the range demonstrated by the Space Shuttle Main Engine.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Brayton Cycle Conversion for Space Solar Power

Komerath¹,

Dessanti²

2012

48th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference &Amp;amp; Exhibit

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To make Space Solar Power economically viable, the specific power, defined as the electric power generated in space per unit mass placed in orbit, has to reach on the order of 1 kWe/kg. Architectures using photovoltaic conversion are not able to project more than 0.2 kWe/kg, and this value does not rise appreciably with the size of the power plant unlike the case with jet engines. The conceptual design for a converter satellite using an intensified conversion architecture based on a closed Brayton cycle has been shown to surpass 1.6 kWe/kg with conservative technology assumptions. In this paper, we extend the discussion on such satellites, and attempt to reduce the uncertainties in technology projection towards making SSP viable. A primary heater using Hafnium Carbide tubes is proposed, to exceed the target of 3500K. A radiator based on graphene sheets is proposed to exceed the requirements for heat radiated per unit mass. The optimal temperature for the radiator is investigated. Considerations for the design of the high pressure turbine and the electric generators are discussed. Remaining technology needs are listed.

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Section: Intense Efficient Conversion Architecture (Inca)mentioning

confidence: 87%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Brayton Cycle Conversion for Space Solar Power

Komerath¹,

Dessanti²

2012

48th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference &Amp;amp; Exhibit

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“…The large change in the reactivity is caused by the higher burnup rate of Downloaded by [University of Regina] at 14:53 18 November 2014 Figure 15. The thermal efficiency of a gas turbine direct Brayton cycle in GT-MHR as a function of turbine inlet temperature [13]. 113 Cd, which results in the complete depletion of 113 Cd before the reactor reaches the target burnup.…”

Section: Loading Of Bp Particlesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Figure 15 shows the change of plant efficiency as a function of the turbine inlet temperature [13]. So far, regarding the effect of the turbine inlet temperature on the thermal efficiency of the GT-MHR, it has been reported that the increase or decrease of the outlet coolant temperature every 50 K, without changing the other parameters, resulted in the change of thermal cycle efficiency by approximately 1.75% [14].…”

Section: Estimation Of the Change In Thermal Efficiencymentioning

confidence: 99%

Small, long-life high temperature gas-cooled reactor free from prompt supercritical accidents by particle-type burnable poisons

Trinuruk

Obara

2013

Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology

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A design concept for a high temperature gas-cooled reactor without the possibility of a prompt supercritical accident has been proposed by coupling the use of particle-type burnable poison (BP) and criticality control by the core temperature. The combinations of two different BPs, B 4 C and Gd 2 O 3 particles and B 4 C and CdO particles, with the proper particle sizes and the appropriate volume ratio, showed excellent performance in controlling excess reactivity and flattening the reactivity swing. To maintain reactivity at a lower level than the prompt critical state, the reactor was designed to operate in a subcritical mode for a burnup period or for the whole operation cycle. Under subcritical operation during the partial burnup period, the core temperature had to be lowered by at least 164 K for the loading of B 4 C + Gd 2 O 3 particles and by at least 178 K for the B 4 C + CdO particles, which in turn dropped the thermal efficiency from 48% to 42.26% and 41.77%, respectively. On the other hand, under full subcritical operation, a greater decrease of core temperature was required. Remarkable decreases in the core temperatures, approximately 347 K for the B 4 C + Gd 2 O 3 case and approximately 280 K for the B 4 C + CdO case, resulted in the drop of thermal efficiency to only 35.9% and 38.2%, respectively. Therefore, the relative importance of the increase in passive safety and the decrease in thermal efficiency must be considered with regard to their importance in nuclear reactor design.

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“…Heat exchangers are essential components in space heating, refrigeration, air conditioning, and chemical and petrochemical plants and refineries. They also have a major role in the implementation of various thermodynamic cycles in large electrical power plants and heat engines, including Closed Cycle Gas Turbines (CCGT) for stationary conventional fueled or nuclear power plants [1][2][3] or propulsion systems 4 where efficient conversion of thermal-to-electrical energy or rotary shaft work energy is a principal objective. For the variety of heat exchanger design configurations for each particular application, which may range from shell-tube to plate-fin designs in parallel flow, counterflow, or crossflow configurations, refer to the many texts in this field.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Mass Computation Model for Light Weight Brayton Cycle Regenerator Heat Exchangers

Juhasz

2010

8th Annual International Energy Conversion Engineering Conference

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Based on a theoretical analysis of convective heat transfer across large internal surface areas, this paper discusses the design implications for generating lightweight gas-gas heat exchanger designs by packaging such areas into compact three-dimensional shapes. Allowances are made for hot and cold inlet and outlet headers for assembly of completed regenerator (or recuperator) heat exchanger units into closed cycle gas turbine flow ducting.Surface area and resulting volume and mass requirements are computed for a range of heat exchanger effectiveness values and internal heat transfer coefficients. Benefit cost curves show the effect of increasing heat exchanger effectiveness on Brayton cycle thermodynamic efficiency on the plus side, while also illustrating the cost in heat exchanger required surface area, volume, and mass requirements as effectiveness is increased. The equations derived for counterflow and crossflow configurations show that as effectiveness values approach unity, or 100 percent, the required surface area, and hence heat exchanger volume and mass tend toward infinity, since the implication is that heat is transferred at a zero temperature difference. To verify the dimensional accuracy of the regenerator mass computational procedure, calculation of a regenerator specific mass, that is, heat exchanger weight per unit working fluid mass flow, is performed in both English and SI units.

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High Efficiency Nuclear Power Plants Using Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactor Technology

Cited by 10 publications

References 10 publications

Brayton Cycle Conversion for Space Solar Power

Brayton Cycle Conversion for Space Solar Power

Small, long-life high temperature gas-cooled reactor free from prompt supercritical accidents by particle-type burnable poisons

A Mass Computation Model for Light Weight Brayton Cycle Regenerator Heat Exchangers

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