Design and Performance Evaluation of Multi-Generation System based on Transcritical CO2 Rankine Cycle and Helium Gas Turbine with Hydrogen Production

Abstract

The advancement in nuclear energy embodied by the gas-cooled modular reactor (GCMR), incorporating the transcritical CO2 Rankine cycle (tRC) and a helium turbine (He tur.) for hydrogen (H2) production, signifies a substantial leap forward in this domain. This research endeavor aimed to amalgamate various technologies to enhance energy conversion efficiency and generate clean hydrogen, a versatile energy carrier. Helium, selected as the GCMR coolant, boasts advantageous properties such as superior heat transfer capabilities, chemical inertness, and the capacity to operate at elevated temperatures. These attributes facilitate effective heat extraction from the reactor core, mitigating corrosion risks while boosting both power output and energy efficiency. A pivotal aspect of this design lies in integrating the tRC with the helium turbine, maximizing energy conversion efficiency and resource utilization by harnessing waste heat from the He turbine to generate additional power through the CO2 Rankine cycle. Furthermore, the system incorporates a hydrogen production module, enabling the clean generation of hydrogen as a byproduct of the nuclear power generation process. According to analysis results, the net power obtained from the Helium turbine was calculated as 241679 kW, and the net power produced from the tRC was calculated as 9902 kW. Additionally, with this developed system, 23.11 kg/h H2 and 183.4 kg/h O2 can be produced. The energetic and exergetic performance of the overall system is computed as 41.8% and 54.28%, while the total amount of exergy destruction is determined as 212199 kW. Moreover, analytical findings reveal that the reactor core exhibits the highest exergy destruction among system components at 91282 kW, whereas the heat exchanger (HEx) registers the lowest exergy destruction at 3.56 kW. In addition, in this study, parametric analyses are also performed to determine the effect of helium outlet temperature analysis and pressure ratio on system performance.

Keywords

• Gas-Cooled Modular Reactor
• Helium Gas Turbine
• transcritical CO2 Rankine Cycle
• Hydrogen Production
• Energy
• Exergy

Hidrojen Üretimli Transkritik CO2 Rankine Çevrimi ve Helyum Gaz Türbini Tabanlı Çok Üretimli Sistemin Tasarımı ve Performans Değerlendirmesi

Abstract

Transkritik CO2 Rankine çevrimini (tRC) ve hidrojen (H2) üretimi için bir helyum türbinini (He tur.) birleştiren gaz soğutmalı modüler reaktör (GCMR) ile ilgili nükleer enerjideki çalışmalar, bu alanda önemli bir ilerleme anlamına gelmektedir. Bu araştırma çabası, enerji dönüşüm verimliliğini artırmak ve çok yönlü bir enerji taşıyıcısı olan temiz hidrojen üretmek için çeşitli teknolojileri birleştirmeyi amaçladı. GCMR soğutucusu olarak seçilen helyum, üstün ısı transfer kapasitesi, kimyasal eylemsizlik ve yüksek sıcaklıklarda çalışabilme kapasitesi gibi avantajlı özelliklere sahiptir. Bu özellikler, reaktör çekirdeğinden etkili ısı tahliyesini kolaylaştırır ve hem güç çıkışını hem de enerji verimliliğini artırırken korozyon risklerini azaltır. Bu tasarımın önemli yönü, tRC'nin helyum türbiniyle entegre edilmesi, CO2 Rankine döngüsü yoluyla ek güç üretmek için He türbininden gelen atık ısıdan yararlanılarak enerji dönüşüm verimliliğinin ve kaynak kullanımının maksimuma çıkarılmasında yatmaktadır. Analiz sonuçlarına göre Helyum türbininden elde edilen net güç 241679 kW, tRC’den üretilen net güç ise 9902 kW olarak hesaplanmıştır. Ayrıca geliştirilen bu sistem ile 23.11 kg/h H2 ve 183.4 kg/h O2 üretilebilmektedir. Sistemin genel enerjetik ve ekserjetik performansı sırasıyla %41.8 ve %54.28 olarak hesaplanırken, toplam ekserji yıkım miktarı 212199 kW olarak belirlenmiştir. Ayrıca analitik bulgular, sistem bileşenleri arasında reaktör çekirdeğinin 91282 kW ile en yüksek ekserji yıkımını, ısı değiştiricinin (HEx) ise 3.56 kW ile en düşük ekserji yıkımını kaydettiğini ortaya koymaktadır. Ayrıca bu çalışmada, helyum çıkış sıcaklık analizi ve basınç oranının sistem performansına etkisini belirlemek amacıyla parametrik analizler de yapılmıştır.

Keywords

• Gaz Soğutmalı Modüler Reaktör
• Helyum Gazı Türbini
• Transkritik CO2 Rankine Çevrimi
• Hidrojen Üretimi
• Enerji
• Ekserji

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