Very High Efficiency Small Nuclear Gas Turbine Power Plant Concept (HTGR-GT/BC) for Special Applications

Author(s):  
C. F. McDonald ◽  
L. Cavallaro ◽  
D. Kapich ◽  
W. A. Medwid

To meet the energy needs of special terrestrial defense installations, where a premium is placed on high plant efficiency, conceptual studies have been performed on an advanced closed-cycle gas turbine system with a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) as the heat source. Emphasis has been placed on system compactness and plant simplicity. A goal of plant operation for extended periods with no environmental contact had a strong influence on the design features. To realize a high plant efficiency (over 50%) for this mode of operation, a combined cycle was investigated. A primary helium Brayton power conversion system coupled with a Freon bottoming cycle was selected. The selection of a gas turbine power conversion system is very much related to applications where high efficiency is paramount and this can be realized with the utilization of a cold heat sink. Details are presented of the reactor arrangement, power conversion system, major components, installation, and performance for a compact nuclear power plant currently in a very early stage of concept definition.

2011 ◽  
Vol 133 (05) ◽  
pp. 30-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lee S. Langston

This article explores the increasing use of natural gas in different turbine industries and in turn creating an efficient electrical system. All indications are that the aviation market will be good for gas turbine production as airlines and the military replace old equipment and expanding economies such as China and India increase their air travel. Gas turbines now account for some 22% of the electricity produced in the United States and 46% of the electricity generated in the United Kingdom. In spite of this market share, electrical power gas turbines have kept a much lower profile than competing technologies, such as coal-fired thermal plants and nuclear power. Gas turbines are also the primary device behind the modern combined power plant, about the most fuel-efficient technology we have. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is developing a new J series gas turbine for the combined cycle power plant market that could achieve thermal efficiencies of 61%. The researchers believe that if wind turbines and gas turbines team up, they can create a cleaner, more efficient electrical power system.


2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (Suppl. 4) ◽  
pp. 1187-1197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marek Jaszczur ◽  
Michal Dudek ◽  
Zygmunt Kolenda

One of the most advanced and most effective technology for electricity generation nowadays based on a gas turbine combined cycle. This technology uses natural gas, synthesis gas from the coal gasification or crude oil processing products as the energy carriers but at the same time, gas turbine combined cycle emits SO2, NOx, and CO2 to the environment. In this paper, a thermodynamic analysis of environmentally friendly, high temperature gas nuclear reactor system coupled with gas turbine combined cycle technology has been investigated. The analysed system is one of the most advanced concepts and allows us to produce electricity with the higher thermal efficiency than could be offered by any currently existing nuclear power plant technology. The results show that it is possible to achieve thermal efficiency higher than 50% what is not only more than could be produced by any modern nuclear plant but it is also more than could be offered by traditional (coal or lignite) power plant.


Author(s):  
R. Chacartegui ◽  
D. Sa´nchez ◽  
F. Jime´nez-Espadafor ◽  
A. Mun˜oz ◽  
T. Sa´nchez

The development of high efficiency solar power plants based on gas turbine technology presents two problems, both of them directly associated with the solar power plant receiver design and the power plant size: lower turbine intake temperature and higher pressure drops in heat exchangers than in a conventional gas turbine. To partially solve these problems, different configurations of combined cycles composed of a closed cycle carbon dioxide gas turbine as topping cycle have been analyzed. The main advantage of the Brayton carbon dioxide cycle is its high net shaft work to expansion work ratio, in the range of 0.7–0.85 at supercritical compressor intake pressures, which is very close to that of the Rankine cycle. This feature will reduce the negative effects of pressure drops and will be also very interesting for cycles with moderate turbine inlet temperature (800–1000 K). Intercooling and reheat options are also considered. Furthermore, different working fluids have been analyzed for the bottoming cycle, seeking the best performance of the combined cycle in the ranges of temperatures considered.


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):  
Mihir Acharya ◽  
Lalatendu Pattanayak ◽  
Hemant Gajjar ◽  
Frank Elbracht ◽  
Sandeep Asthana

With gas becoming a fuel of choice for clean energy, Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) is being transported and re-gasification terminals are being set up at several locations. Re-gasification of LNG leads to availability of considerable cold-energy which can be utilized to gain power and efficiency in a Gas Turbine (GT) based Power Plant. With a number of LNG Re-gasification Terminals coming up in India & around the globe, setting up of a high efficiency CCPP adjacent to the terminal considering utilization of the cold energy to augment its performance, and also save energy towards re-gasification of LNG, provides a feasible business opportunity. Thermodynamic analysis and major applications of the LNG re-gasification cold energy in Gas Turbine based power generation cycle, are discussed in this paper. The feasibility of cooling GT inlet air by virtue of the cold energy of Liquefied LNG to increase power output of a Combined Cycle Power Plant (CCPP) for different ambient conditions is analyzed and also the effect on efficiency is discussed. The use of cold energy in condenser cooling water circulating system to improve efficiency of the CCPP is also analyzed. Air cooling capacity and power augmentation for a combined cycle power plant based on the advanced class industrial heavy duty gas turbine are demonstrated as a function of the ambient temperature and humidity. The economic feasibility of utilizing the cold energy is also deliberated.


Author(s):  
Stéphanie Hoffmann ◽  
Michael Bartlett ◽  
Matthias Finkenrath ◽  
Andrei Evulet ◽  
Tord Peter Ursin

This paper presents the results of an evaluation of advanced combined cycle gas turbine plants with precombustion capture of CO2 from natural gas. In particular, the designs are carried out with the objectives of high efficiency, low capital cost, and low emissions of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. The novel cycles introduced in this paper are comprised of a high-pressure syngas generation island, in which an air-blown partial oxidation reformer is used to generate syngas from natural gas, and a power island, in which a CO2-lean syngas is burnt in a large frame machine. In order to reduce the efficiency penalty of natural gas reforming, a significant effort is spent evaluating and optimizing alternatives to recover the heat released during the process. CO2 is removed from the shifted syngas using either CO2 absorbing solvents or a CO2 membrane. CO2 separation membranes, in particular, have the potential for considerable cost or energy savings compared with conventional solvent-based separation and benefit from the high-pressure level of the syngas generation island. A feasibility analysis and a cycle performance evaluation are carried out for large frame gas turbines such as the 9FB. Both short-term and long-term solutions have been investigated. An analysis of the cost of CO2 avoided is presented, including an evaluation of the cost of modifying the combined cycle due to CO2 separation. The paper describes a power plant reaching the performance targets of 50% net cycle efficiency and 80% CO2 capture, as well as the cost target of 30$ per ton of CO2 avoided (2006 Q1 basis). This paper indicates a development path to this power plant that minimizes technical risks by incremental implementation of new technology.


Author(s):  
B. Becker ◽  
H. H. Finckh ◽  
R. Meyer-Pittroff

In gas-cooled solar power plants the radiant energy of the sun is transferred to the cycle fluid in a cavity type solar receiver and converted into electric energy by means of a combined gas and steam turbine cycle incorporating a waste heat steam generator. The design and optimization of the energy conversion system in accordance with solar-specific considerations are described with particular regard to the gas turbine. In designing the energy conversion system several variants on the combined cycle with waste heat steam generator are investigated and special measures for the improvement of the cycle efficiency, such as the refinement of the steam process through the addition of pressure stages are introduced. It is demonstrated that the solar power plant meets the requirements both for straight solar and constant load operation with fossil fuel substitution. In order to establish the possibilities of attaining high part-load efficiencies in straight solar operation, two modes, variable and constant speed of the gas turbine, are compared with one another.


Author(s):  
Erwin Zauner ◽  
Yau-Pin Chyou ◽  
Frederic Walraven ◽  
Rolf Althaus

Power generation in gas turbines is facing three main challenges today: • Low pollution prescribed by legal requirements. • High efficiency to obtain low operating cost and low CO2 emissions. • High specific power output to obtain low product and installation cost. Unfortunately, some of these requirements are contradictory: high efficiency and specific power force the development towards higher temperatures and pressures which increase NOx emissions and intensify the cooling and material strength problems. A breakthrough can be achieved by applying an energy exchanger as a topping stage. Inherent advantages are the self-cooled cell-rotor which can be exposed to much higher gas temperature than a steady-flow turbine and a very short residence time at peak temperature which keeps NOx emissions under control. The basic idea has been proposed long time ago. Fundamental research has now led to a new energy exchanger concept. Key issues include symmetric pressure-wave processes, partial suppression of flow separation and fluid mixing, as well as quick afterburning in premixed mode. The concept has been proven in a laboratory-scale engine with very promising results. The application of an energy exchanger as a topping stage onto existing gas turbines would increase the efficiency by 17% (relative) and the power by 25%. Since the temperature level in the turbine remains unchanged, the performance improvement can also be fully utilized in combined cycle applications. This process indicates great potentials for developing advanced gas turbine systems as well as for retrofitting existing ones.


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