scholarly journals The Design of Turbomachinery for the Gas Turbine (Direct Cycle) High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor Power Plant

Author(s):  
R. G. Adams ◽  
F. H. Boenig

The Gas Turbine HTGR, or “Direct Cycle” High-Temperature Gas-Cooled, Reactor power plant, uses a closed-cycle gas turbine directly in the primary coolant circuit of a helium-cooled high-temperature nuclear reactor. Previous papers have described configuration studies leading to the selection of reactor and power conversion loop layout, and the considerations affecting the design of the components of the power conversion loop. This paper discusses briefly the effects of the helium working fluid and the reactor cooling loop environment on the design requirements of the direct-cycle turbomachinery and describes the mechanical arrangement of a typical turbomachine for this application. The aerodynamic design is outlined, and the mechanical design is described in some detail, with particular emphasis on the bearings and seals for the turbomachine.

Author(s):  
Ali Afrazeh ◽  
Hiwa Khaledi ◽  
Mohammad Bagher Ghofrani

A gas turbine in combination with a nuclear heat source has been subject of study for some years. This paper describes the advantages of a gas turbine combined with an inherently safe and well-proven nuclear heat source. The design of the power conversion system is based on a regenerative, non-intercooled, closed, direct Brayton cycle with high temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR), as heat source and helium gas as the working fluid. The plant produces electricity and hot water for district heating (DH). Variation of specific heat, enthalpy and entropy of working fluid with pressure and temperature are included in this model. Advanced blade cooling technology is used in order to allow for a high turbine inlet temperature. The paper starts with an overview of the main characteristics of the nuclear heat source, Then presents a study to determine the specifications of a closed-cycle gas turbine for the HTGR installation. Attention is given to the way such a closed-cycle gas turbine can be modeled. Subsequently the sensitivity of the efficiency to several design choices is investigated. This model is developed in Fortran.


Author(s):  
C. F. McDonald ◽  
R. G. Adams ◽  
F. R. Bell ◽  
P. Fortescue

The gas turbine high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) power plant combines the existing design HTGR core with a closed-cycle helium gas turbine power conversion system directly in the reactor primary circuit. The high density helium working fluid results in a very compact power conversion system. While the geometries of the helium turbomachinery, heat exchangers, and internal gas flow paths differ from air breathing gas turbines because of the nature of the working fluid and the high degree of pressurization, many of the aerodynamic, heat transfer and dynamic analytical procedures used in the design are identical to conventional open-cycle industrial gas turbine practice. This paper outlines some of the preliminary design considerations for the rotating machinery, heat exchangers, and other major primary system components for an integrated type of plant embodying multiple gas turbine loops. The high potential for further improvement in plant efficiency and capacity, for both advanced dry-cooled and waste heat power cycle versions of the direct-cycle nuclear gas turbine, is also discussed.


Author(s):  
Yaping Li ◽  
Guangdong Song

The main characteristics of the sodium pipe system in Demonstration Fast Reactor Power Plant (DFRPP) are high-temperature, thin-wall and big-caliber, which is different from high-pressure and thick-wall of the pressurized water reactor system, and the system is long-term operate in the environment of liquid metal sodium. How to guarantee the reliability of materials in high temperature are most important in material option. Engineering design depend on the criterion. Material standards are different in different countries, and corresponding construction codes are different too. Comparing the stainless steel pipe material standers at home and abroad and analyzing the material standards’ difference according to different construction codes, a stainless steel pipe material criterion system is put forward in this paper which is applicable for the DFRPP.


Author(s):  
Eisaku Ito ◽  
Ikuo Okada ◽  
Keizo Tsukagoshi ◽  
Junichiro Masada

Global warming is being “prevented” by reducing power plant CO2 emissions. We are contributing to the overall solution by improving the gas turbine thermal efficiency for gas turbine combined cycle (GTCC). Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) is a participant in a national project aimed at developing 1700°C gas turbine technology. As part of this national project, selected component technologies are investigated in detail. Some technologies which have been verified through component tests have been applied to the design of the newly developed 1600°C J-type gas turbine.


Author(s):  
Colin F. McDonald

With the capability of burning a variety of fossil fuels, giving high thermal efficiency, and operating with low emissions, the gas turbine is becoming a major prime-mover for a wide spectrum of applications. Almost three decades ago two experimental projects were undertaken in which gas turbines were actually operated with heat from nuclear reactors. In retrospect, these systems were ahead of their time in terms of technology readiness, and prospects of the practical coupling of a gas turbine with a nuclear heat source towards the realization of a high efficiency, pollutant free, dry-cooled power plant has remained a long-term goal, which has been periodically studied in the last twenty years. Technology advancements in both high temperature gas-cooled reactors, and gas turbines now make the concept of a nuclear gas turbine plant realizable. Two possible plant concepts are highlighted in this paper, (1) a direct cycle system involving the integration of a closed-cycle helium gas turbine with a modular high temperature gas cooled reactor (MHTGR), and (2) the utilization of a conventional and proven combined cycle gas turbine, again with the MHTGR, but now involving the use of secondary (helium) and tertiary (air) loops. The open cycle system is more equipment intensive and places demanding requirements on the very high temperature heat exchangers, but has the merit of being able to utilize a conventional combined cycle turbo-generator set. In this paper both power plant concepts are put into perspective in terms of categorizing the most suitable applications, highlighting their major features and characteristics, and identifying the technology requirements. The author would like to dedicate this paper to the late Professor Karl Bammert who actively supported deployment of the closed-cycle gas turbine for several decades with a variety of heat sources including fossil, solar, and nuclear systems.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emmanuel O. Osigwe ◽  
Arnold Gad-Briggs ◽  
Theoklis Nikolaidis ◽  
Pericles Pilidis ◽  
Suresh Sampath

Abstract As demands for clean and sustainable energy renew interests in nuclear power to meet future energy demands, generation IV nuclear reactors are seen as having the potential to provide the improvements required for nuclear power generation. However, for their benefits to be fully realized, it is important to explore the performance of the reactors when coupled to different configurations of closed-cycle gas turbine power conversion systems. The configurations provide variation in performance due to different working fluids over a range of operating pressures and temperatures. The objective of this paper is to undertake analyses at the design and off-design conditions in combination with a recuperated closed-cycle gas turbine and comparing the influence of carbon dioxide and nitrogen as the working fluid in the cycle. The analysis is demonstrated using an in-house tool, which was developed by the authors. The results show that the choice of working fluid controls the range of cycle operating pressures, temperatures, and overall performance of the power plant due to the thermodynamic and heat properties of the fluids. The performance results favored the nitrogen working fluid over CO2 due to the behavior CO2 below its critical conditions. The analyses intend to aid the development of cycles for generation IV nuclear power plants (NPPs) specifically gas-cooled fast reactors (GFRs) and very high-temperature reactors (VHTRs).


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