Thermo‑economic analysis of a pressurized‑water‑reactor cogeneration plant for electricity and water production
Abstract
The high demand for stable electricity and freshwater has increased interest in nuclear cogeneration systems that can provide multiple outputs with high efficiency and minimal environmental impact. This study examines a cogeneration system utilizing a pressurized-water reactor (PWR) that concurrently produces electricity and freshwater through multi-effect distillation (MED). Electricity is produced by a regenerative Rankine cycle utilizing high-, intermediate-, and low-pressure turbines, and the MED unit is powered by low-pressure extraction steam. A detailed thermodynamic model, created in Engineering Equation Solver (EES), assesses mass, energy, and exergy balances across the integrated system, encompassing feedwater heating, moisture-separator-reheater, and MED coupling. The basic configuration produces a net electrical output of 1188 MWₑ and generates freshwater at a rate of 200 kg·s⁻¹ (about 6.3 million m³ annually), with a thermal efficiency of 34.7% and a net levelized cost of electricity (LCOEₙₑₜ) of 29.1 USD·MWh⁻¹. Parametric optimization of isentropic and pump efficiencies, feedwater heater terminal temperature differential, MED gain output ratio, and cooling water temperature rise showed an ideal design that reduces LCOEₙₑₜ to 28.7 USD·MWh⁻¹ while boosting net power to 1245 MWₑ. The findings indicate that low-grade thermal energy can be utilized for desalination with no impact on electrical output, hence enhancing the plant's total energy efficiency. The proposed PWR-MED cogeneration system offers a technically feasible, economically viable, and thermodynamically consistent approach for tackling the energy-water nexus in water-scarce areas with existing or projected nuclear infrastructure.
Keywords
References
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Details
Primary Language
English
Subjects
Energy Systems Engineering (Other)
Journal Section
Research Article
Authors
Publication Date
June 23, 2026
Submission Date
January 24, 2026
Acceptance Date
June 5, 2026
Published in Issue
Year 2026 Volume: 2 Number: 1