Study of an incrementally loaded multistage flash desalination system for optimum use of sensible waste heat from nuclear power plant

Abstract

SUMMARYExisting practice of nuclear desalination cogeneration incurs loss of nuclear plant power generation because it competes for live steam with nuclear plant steam turbine. Such loss is completely avoided with the nuclear desalination plant design proposed in the present study. The plant called GTHTR300 is based on a high-temperature gas reactor rated at 600 MWt. Gas turbine is used to replace steam turbine as power generator. The gas turbine converts about a half of the reactor's thermal power to electricity while rejecting the balance as sensible waste heat to be utilized in a multistage flash (MSF) plant for seawater desalination. A new MSF process scheme is proposed and optimized to efficiently match the sensible waste heat source. The new scheme increments the thermal load of the multistage heat recovery section in a number of steps as opposed to keeping it constant in the traditional MSF process. As the number of steps increases, more waste heat is utilized, and top brine temperature for peak water production is increased. Both tend to increase water yield. Operating with a similar number of stages, the new process is shown to produce 45% more water than the traditional process operating over the same temperature range. As a result, the GTHTR300 yields 56,000 m 3 /d water and generates 280 MWe power at constant efficiency with and without water cogeneration.

Theoretical calculation simulation studies of ABV nuclear reactor coupled with desalination system

“…For the evaluation of nuclear desalination system, IAEA has developed a nuclear desalination system program named as deep .…”

“…The production of potable water from seawater by utilizing energy from nuclear reactor is known as nuclear desalination . There is no special choice of nuclear reactors for desalination technology, and any reactor can be coupled with desalination system .…”

Multi-physics steady-state analysis of OECD/NEA modular high temperature gas-cooled reactor MHTGR-350

“…The Generation IV International Forum (GIF) is an international endeavor regrouping 13 countries and aimed at developing a next generation of more competitive and more reliable nuclear reactors while satisfactorily addressing concerns linked to nuclear safety, waste, proliferation, and public perception [1,2]. In 2002, the GIF formulated a roadmap which identified, as one of six advanced nuclear technologies, the very high-temperature reactor (VHTR) as a technology with potential for near-term economic development, compatible with electricity production, hydrogen production [3,4], and high-temperature process-heat applications [5]. One of the first VHTR reference reactor concepts suggested at that time was the gas turbine-modular helium reactor with a thermal power of 600 MW and a coolant outlet temperature above 1000°C [6].…”

“…Step 1) Run one Monte Carlo cycle with N neutron histories, tally the neutron flux and the power density in the fuel blocks(2) Step 2) Compute the new 135 Xe number density distribution using the neutron flux from step 1 and the inline equilibrium xenon (IEX) formula described in Section 4.2(3)Step 3) Send to INTCA the power density distribution from Step 4) Receive from INTCA new fuel/graphite/ moderator temperature distributions(5) Step 5) Update the cross-sections using the 135 Xe number density distribution from step 2 and fuel/graphite/moderator temperature distributions from step 4(6) Step 6) If the cycle is an inactive cycle, reset the neutron flux and power density tallies From GAMMA+ point of view, a coupled cycle unfolds as follows:(1)Step 1) Run a null-transient simulation for T seconds (in problem time)(2)Step 2) Send to INTCA the fuel, graphite, and moderator temperature distributions calculated at the end of step 1 (3)Step 3) Receive from INTCA a new power density distribution and use it as problem input…”

A Small-Sized HTGR System Design for Multiple Heat Applications for Developing Countries

“…It can operate at reactor outlet temperature of about 1,000 ∘ C, much higher than conventional light water reactor (LWR). Accordingly, HTGR can be applied to many kinds of heat applications such as hydrogen production, electricity generation by gas turbine and steam turbine, process heat supply, district heating, and sea water desalination [3][4][5][6]. HTGR has a superior safety potential as the residual heat of the core can be removed without any active devices or power supplies (i.e., station blackout) [7,8].…”