Refueling Liquid-Salt-Cooled Very High-Temperature Reactors

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles W. Forsberg ◽  
Per F. Peterson ◽  
James E. Cahalan ◽  
Jeffrey A. Enneking ◽  
Phil MacDonald
Keyword(s):  
High Temperature ◽  
Fuel Element ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Plant Design ◽  
Fast Reactors ◽  
Liquid Salt ◽  
Study Results ◽  
High Temperature Reactor ◽  
High Temperature Reactors ◽  
Very High

The liquid-salt-cooled very high-temperature reactor (LS-VHTR), also called the Advanced High-Temperature Reactor (AHTR), is a new reactor concept that combines in a novel way four established technologies: (1) coated-particle graphite-matrix nuclear fuels, (2) Brayton power cycles, (3) passive safety systems and plant designs previously developed for liquid-metal-cooled fast reactors, and (4) low-pressure liquid-salt coolants. Depending upon goals, the peak coolant operating temperatures are between 700 and 1000°C, with reactor outputs between 2400 and 4000 MW(t). Several fluoride salt coolants that are being evaluated have melting points between 350 and 500°C, values that imply minimum refueling temperatures between 400 and 550°C. At operating conditions, the liquid salts are transparent and have physical properties similar to those of water. A series of refueling studies have been initiated to (1) confirm the viability of refueling, (2) define methods for safe rapid refueling, and (3) aid the selection of the preferred AHTR design. Three reactor cores with different fuel element designs (prismatic, pebble bed, and pin-type fuel assembly) are being evaluated. Each is a liquid-salt-cooled variant of a graphite-moderated high-temperature reactor. The refueling studies examined applicable refueling experience from high-temperature reactors (similar fuel element designs) and sodium-cooled fast reactors (similar plant design with liquid coolant, high temperatures, and low pressures). The findings indicate that refueling is viable, and several approaches have been identified. The study results are described in this paper.

Chromium Activity Measurements in Nickel Based Alloys for Very High Temperature Reactors: Inconel 617, Haynes 230, and Model Alloys

2009 ◽  
Vol 131 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stéphane Gossé ◽  
Thierry Alpettaz ◽  
Sylvie Chatain ◽  
Christine Guéneau
Keyword(s):  
High Temperature ◽  
Heat Exchangers ◽  
Mass Spectrometric ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Pure Substance ◽  
Haynes 230 ◽  
Inconel 617 ◽  
High Temperature Reactor ◽  
High Temperature Reactors ◽  
Very High

The alloys Haynes 230 and Inconel 617 are potential candidates for the intermediate heat exchangers (IHXs) of (very) high temperature reactors ((V)-HTRs). The behavior under corrosion of these alloys by the (V)-HTR coolant (impure helium) is an important selection criterion because it defines the service life of these components. At high temperature, the Haynes 230 is likely to develop a chromium oxide on the surface. This layer protects from the exchanges with the surrounding medium and thus confers certain passivity on metal. At very high temperature, the initial microstructure made up of austenitic grains and coarse intra- and intergranular M6C carbide grains rich in W will evolve. The M6C carbides remain and some M23C6 richer in Cr appear. Then, carbon can reduce the protective oxide layer. The alloy loses its protective coating and can corrode quickly. Experimental investigations were performed on these nickel based alloys under an impure helium flow (Rouillard, F., 2007, “Mécanismes de formation et de destruction de la couche d’oxyde sur un alliage chrominoformeur en milieu HTR,” Ph.D. thesis, Ecole des Mines de Saint-Etienne, France). To predict the surface reactivity of chromium under impure helium, it is necessary to determine its chemical activity in a temperature range close to the operating conditions of the heat exchangers (T≈1273 K). For that, high temperature mass spectrometry measurements coupled to multiple effusion Knudsen cells are carried out on several samples: Haynes 230, Inconel 617, and model alloys 1178, 1181, and 1201. This coupling makes it possible for the thermodynamic equilibrium to be obtained between the vapor phase and the condensed phase of the sample. The measurement of the chromium ionic intensity (I) of the molecular beam resulting from a cell containing an alloy provides the values of partial pressure according to the temperature. This value is compared with that of the pure substance (Cr) at the same temperature. These calculations provide thermodynamic data characteristic of the chromium behavior in these alloys. These activity results call into question those previously measured by Hilpert and Ali-Khan (1978, “Mass Spectrometric Studies of Alloys Proposed for High-Temperature Reactor Systems: I. Alloy IN-643,” J. Nucl. Mater., 78, pp. 265–271; 1979, “Mass Spectrometric Studies of Alloys Proposed for High-Temperature Reactor Systems: II. Inconel Alloy 617 and Nimomic Alloy PE 13,” J. Nucl. Mater., 80, pp. 126–131), largely used in the literature.

Investigation of High-Temperature Printed Circuit Heat Exchangers for Very High Temperature Reactors

2009 ◽  
Vol 131 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sai Mylavarapu ◽  
Xiaodong Sun ◽  
Justin Figley ◽  
Noah Needler ◽  
Richard Christensen
Keyword(s):  
High Temperature ◽  
Heat Exchangers ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Test Facility ◽  
State University ◽  
Printed Circuit ◽  
High Temperature Materials ◽  
System Pressure ◽  
High Temperature Reactors ◽  
Very High

Very high-temperature reactors require high-temperature (900–950°C) and high-integrity heat exchangers with high effectiveness during normal and off-normal conditions. A class of compact heat exchangers, namely, the printed circuit heat exchangers (PCHEs), made of high-temperature materials and found to have these above characteristics, are being increasingly pursued for heavy duty applications. A high-temperature helium test facility, primarily aimed at investigating the heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics of the PCHEs, was designed and is being built at Ohio State University. The test facility was designed to facilitate operation at temperatures and pressures up to 900°C and 3 MPa, respectively. Owing to the high operating conditions, a detailed investigation on various high-temperature materials was carried out to aid in the design of the test facility and the heat exchangers. The study showed that alloys 617 and 230 are the leading candidate materials for high-temperature heat exchangers. Two PCHEs, each having 10 hot plates and 10 cold plates, with 12 channels in each plate, were fabricated from alloy 617 plates and will be tested once the test facility is constructed. Simultaneously, computational fluid dynamics calculations have been performed on a simplified PCHE model, and the results for three flow rate cases of 15, 40, and 80 kg/h at a system pressure of 3 MPa are discussed. In summary, this paper focuses on the study of the high-temperature materials, the design of the helium test facility, the design and fabrication of the PCHEs, and the computational modeling of a simplified PCHE model.

Industrial Closed-Cycle Gas Turbines for Conventional and Nuclear Fuel

1967 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Keller ◽  
D. Schmidt
Keyword(s):  
High Temperature ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Fossil Fuel ◽  
Operating Experience ◽  
Plant Design ◽  
Closed Cycle ◽  
Capital Costs ◽  
Nuclear Plants ◽  
Study Results ◽  
High Temperature Reactor

Development reports on closed-cycle gas turbines (CCGT) as proposed by Ackeret and Keller (AK system) and promoted mainly by Escher Wyss Ltd., Zurich, Switzerland, and Gutenhoffnungshütte (GHH), Germany, have been presented since 1945 at ASME meetings about every five years (1). This, the sixth paper, reports on the operating experience with some newer fossil-fuel fired plants made by different manufacturers and gives the study results of European designers for nuclear gas turbines which can be built already with today’s technology for the 600 to 1000-Mw range. The special physical properties of air and helium and their influence on plant design are discussed. The combination of a CCGT and a high-temperature reactor offers many possibilities for simplifications of nuclear plants and lowering capital costs.

scholarly journals Characterization of 2D-C/C Composite for Application of Very High Temperature Reactor(M & M 2009 Conference)

2010 ◽  
Vol 76 (764) ◽  
pp. 383-385 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taiju SHIBATA ◽  
Junya SUMITA ◽  
Taiyo MAKITA ◽  
Takashi TAKAGI ◽  
Eiji KUNIMOTO ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Temperature ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Very High Temperature Reactor ◽  
High Temperature Reactor ◽  
Very High

An Air-Brayton Nuclear-Hydrogen Combined-Cycle Peak- and Base-Load Electric Plant

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Forsberg
Keyword(s):  
High Temperature ◽  
Power Output ◽  
Nuclear Reactor ◽  
Peak Load ◽  
Combined Cycle ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Electricity Production ◽  
Spinning Reserve ◽  
High Temperature Reactor ◽  
Base Load

A combined-cycle power plant is proposed that uses heat from a high-temperature nuclear reactor and hydrogen produced by the high-temperature reactor to meet base-load and peak-load electrical demands. For base-load electricity production, air is compressed; flows through a heat exchanger, where it is heated to between 700 and 900°C; and exits through a high-temperature gas turbine to produce electricity. The heat, via an intermediate heat-transport loop, is provided by a high-temperature reactor. The hot exhaust from the Brayton-cycle turbine is then fed to a heat recovery steam generator that provides steam to a steam turbine for added electrical power production. To meet peak electricity demand, after nuclear heating of the compressed air, hydrogen is injected into the combustion chamber, combusts, and heats the air to 1300°C—the operating conditions for a standard natural-gas-fired combined-cycle plant. This process increases the plant efficiency and power output. Hydrogen is produced at night by electrolysis or other methods using energy from the nuclear reactor and is stored until needed. Therefore, the electricity output to the electric grid can vary from zero (i.e., when hydrogen is being produced) to the maximum peak power while the nuclear reactor operates at constant load. Because nuclear heat raises air temperatures above the auto-ignition temperatures of the hydrogen and powers the air compressor, the power output can be varied rapidly (compared with the capabilities of fossil-fired turbines) to meet spinning reserve requirements and stabilize the grid.

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