Supercritical carbon dioxide cycles are a promising power conversion option for future nuclear reactors operating with a reactor outlet temperature in the range of 550 to 650°C. The recompression c...

High-Performance Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Cycle for Next-Generation Nuclear Reactors

Analysis of a carbon dioxide transcritical power cycle using a low temperature source

The development technology and applications of supercritical CO2 power cycle in nuclear energy, solar energy and other energy industries

Numerical investigation on thermal–hydraulic performance of new printed circuit heat exchanger model ☆

Generation IV nuclear reactors: current status and future prospects

Medium temperature carbon dioxide gas turbine reactor

Study of steam, helium and supercritical CO2 turbine power generations in prototype fusion power reactor

A supercritical CO2 turbine cycle can achieve a considerably high cycle thermal efficiency at medium turbine inlet temperatures of 500–650°C at high pressure such as 20 MPa, which is too high to produce a reactor pressure vessel within the existing fabrication limits. To solve this problem, a dual expansion turbine cycle is effective; its application was examined for both the fast reactor (FR) of 527°C and 12.5 MPa and a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) of 650°C and 8 MPa. Results showed that, in the case of FR, the cycle thermal efficiency became 42.6%, 44.0%, and 45.1%, respectively, for the 12.5 MPa cycle, the dual expansion cycle, and the 20 MPa cycle. Therefore, the dual expansion cycle is effective. On the other hand, for HTGR, the cycle thermal efficiency became 47.5%, 48.5%, and 50.3%, respectively, for the 8 MPa cycle, the dual expansion cycle, and 20 MPa cycle. In this case, the cycle efficiency advantage becomes smaller than that for the FR, but a 1.0% advantage is obtainable.

Optimal Cycle Scheme of Direct Cycle Supercritical CO2 Gas Turbine for Nuclear Power Generation Systems

A burnable poison (BP) loading principle has been proposed for once-through-then-out refueling of a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) core with pebble fuel. The principle holds that an axi...

Optimization of Burnable Poison Loading for HTGR Cores with OTTO Refueling

Supercritical carbon dioxide (S-CO2 ) gas turbines can generate power at high cycle thermal efficiency, even at modest temperatures of 500–550°C, because of their markedly reduced compressor work near the critical point. Furthermore, the reaction between Na and CO2 is milder than that between H2 O and Na. A more reliable and economically advantageous power generation system could be achieved by coupling with a sodium-cooled fast reactor. At Tokyo Institute of Technology, numerous development projects have been conducted for development of this system in cooperation with JAEA. Supercritical CO2 compressor performance test results are given as described herein. A centrifugal compressor is chosen for the performance test. Main compressor parts are stored in a pressure vessel. Maximum design conditions of the supercritical CO2 test apparatus are pressure of 11 MPa, temperature of 150°C, the flow rate of 6 kg/s and rotational speed of 24,000 rpm. The centrifugal compressor has an electric motor with permanent magnets on the rotor surface, with speed control by an inverter up to 24,000 rpm, a rotor shaft for the impeller, and a motor supported by gas bearings. Different compressor design points are examined using impellers of three kinds; test data are obtained using those impellers under steady state conditions with changing pressure, temperature, flow rate, and compressor rotor speed. The pressure ratio (compressor outlet pressure/inlet pressure) is obtained with the function of compressor rotational speed and the fluid flow rate. The data cover a broad region from sub-critical to supercritical pressure. Such data were obtained for the first time. No unstable phenomenon was observed in the area where the CO2 properties change sharply. Data of the pressure ratio vs. flow rate were coincident with the fundamental compressor theory.Copyright © 2010 by ASME

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Yasushi Muto

Papers

Medium temperature carbon dioxide gas turbine reactor

Study of steam, helium and supercritical CO2 turbine power generations in prototype fusion power reactor

Optimal Cycle Scheme of Direct Cycle Supercritical CO2 Gas Turbine for Nuclear Power Generation Systems

Optimization of Burnable Poison Loading for HTGR Cores with OTTO Refueling

Performance Test Results of the Supercritical CO2 Compressor for a New Gas Turbine Generating System