scholarly journals PBMR-A Future Failsafe Gas Turbine Nuclear Power Plant?

2011 ◽  
Vol 133 (08) ◽  
pp. 54-59
Author(s):  
Lee S. Langston
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power Plant ◽  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Pyrolytic Carbon ◽  
Rankine Cycle ◽  
Reactor Vessel ◽  
Tennis Ball ◽  
Loss Of Coolant Accident ◽  
Thin Carbon

This article presents an overview of a pebble bed modular reactor (PBMR) power plant. A PBMR power plant is a gas turbine nuclear power plant that completely eliminates the possibility of a devastating loss-of-coolant accident. In a PBMR power plant, uranium dioxide nuclear fuel, coated with mass diffusion and radioactive fission product containment layers of pyrolytic carbon and silicon carbide, is formed into nuclear poppy seed-sized fuel particles. Some 15,000 of these are embedded in a tennis ball-sized graphite sphere, which is encased in a thin carbon shell, sintered, annealed and machined to a uniformed diameter of 6 cm. The PBMR reactor vessel, 90 ft high and 20 ft wide, is packed with about 450,000 heat-producing nuclear pebbles. Helium gas coolant then flows around and between the pebbles stacked in the reactor vessel, emerging at about 900°F. The Chinese are currently building two pebble reactors that will be used to generate steam for a conventional Rankine cycle.

Substantiation of the parameters and layout solutions for an energy conversion unit with a gas-turbine cycle in a nuclear power plant with HTGR

Atomic Energy ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 98 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. V. Vasyaev ◽  
V. F. Golovko ◽  
I. V. Dmitrieva ◽  
N. G. Kodochigov ◽  
N. G. Kuzavkov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power Plant ◽  
Energy Conversion ◽  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Conversion Unit ◽  
Gas Turbine Cycle

Multi-Fluid Gas Turbine Components Scaling for a Generation IV Nuclear Power Plant Performance Simulation

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emmanuel O. Osigwe ◽  
Arnold Gad-Briggs ◽  
Theoklis Nikolaidis ◽  
Pericles Pilidis ◽  
Suresh Sampath
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power Plant ◽  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Working Fluid ◽  
Simulation Tool ◽  
Closed Cycle ◽  
Performance Simulation ◽  
Working Fluids ◽  
Component Map

One major challenge to the accurate development of performance simulation tool for component-based nuclear power plant engine models is the difficulty in accessing component performance maps; hence, researchers or engineers often rely on estimation approach using various scaling techniques. This paper describes a multi-fluid scaling approach used to determine the component characteristics of a closed-cycle gas turbine plant from an existing component map with their design data, which can be applied for different working fluids as may be required in closed-cycle gas turbine operations to adapt data from one component map into a new component map. Each component operation is defined by an appropriate change of state equations which describes its thermodynamic behavior, thus, a consideration of the working fluid properties is of high relevance to the scaling approach. The multi-fluid scaling technique described in this paper was used to develop a computer simulation tool called GT-ACYSS, which can be valuable for analyzing the performance of closed-cycle gas turbine operations with different working fluids. This approach makes it easy to theoretically scale existing map using similar or different working fluids without carrying out a full experimental test or repeating the whole design and development process. The results of selected case studies show a reasonable agreement with available data.

A Simulation of Small Break Loss of Coolant Accident (SB-LOCA) in AP1000 Nuclear Power Plant Using RELAP5-MV

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eltayeb Yousif ◽  
Zhang Zhijian ◽  
Tian Zhao-fei ◽  
A. M. Mustafa
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power Plant ◽  
Power Systems ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Computational Simulation ◽  
Primary System ◽  
Transient Time ◽  
Loss Of Coolant Accident ◽  
Loss Of Coolant

To ensure effective operation of nuclear power plants, it is very important to evaluate different accident scenarios in actual plant conditions with different codes. In the field of nuclear safety, Loss of Coolant Accident (LOCA) is one of the main accidents. RELAP-MV Visualized Modularization software technology is recognized as one of the best estimated transient simulation programs of light water reactors, and also has the options for improved modeling methods, advanced programming, computational simulation techniques and integrated graphics displays. In this study, transient analysis of the primary system variation of thermo-hydraulics parameters in primary loop under SB-LOCA accident in AP1000 nuclear power plant (NPP) is carried out by Relap5-MV thermo-hydraulics code. While focusing on LOCA analysis in this study, effort was also made to test the effectiveness of the RELAP5-MV software already developed. The accuracy and reliability of RELAP5-MV have been successfully confirmed by simulating LOCA. The calculation was performed up to a transient time of 4,500.0s. RELAP5-MV is able to simulate a nuclear power system accurately and reliably using this modular modeling method. The results obtained from RELAP5 and RELAP5-MV are in agreement as they are based on the same models though in comparison with RELAP5, RELAP5-MV makes simulation of nuclear power systems easier and convenient for users most especially for the beginners.

On the Feasibility of Nuclear Versus Combustion Gas Turbine Propulsion for High-Speed Cargo Ships

2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Boonstra ◽  
A. C. Groot ◽  
C. A. Prins
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power Plant ◽  
Gas Turbine ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Parametric Design ◽  
Pebble Bed ◽  
Pressurized Water ◽  
Combustion Gas ◽  
The Impact

This paper presents the outcome of a study on the feasibility of a nuclear powered High-Speed Pentamaran, initiated by Nigel Gee and Associates and the Delft University of Technology. It explores the competitiveness of a nuclear power plant for the critical characteristics of a marine propulsion plant. Three nuclear reactor types are selected: the Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR), the Pebble-bed and Prismatic-block HTGR. Their characteristics are estimated for a power range from 100 MWth to 1000 MWth in a parametric design, providing a level base for comparison with conventional gas turbine technology. The reactor scaling is based on reference reactors with an emphasis on marine application. This implies that preference is given to passive safety and simplicity, as they are key-factors for a marine power plant. A case study for a 60-knot Pentamaran shows the impact of a nuclear power plant on a ship designed with combustion gas turbine propulsion. The Prismatic-block HTGR is chosen as most suitable because of its low weight compared to the PWR, in spite of the proven technology of a PWR. The Pebble-bed HTGR is considered too voluminous for High-Speed craft. Conservative data and priority to simple systems and high safety leads to an unfavorable high weight of the nuclear plant in competition with the original gas turbine driven Pentamaran. The nuclear powered ship has some clear advantages at high sailing ranges.

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