ABSORPTION CHILLER AND STRATIFIED CHILLED-WATER STORAGE TANK CONFIGURATIONS FOR COUPLING TO A SMALL MODULAR REACTOR
Power maneuvers stemming from time-varying loads imposed on nuclear reactors from diurnal changes in demand and renewable intermittency can be detrimental to the life of the reactor. Temperature swings during power maneuvers result in thermal and mechanical stresses in fuel elements and other reactor components. Thermal Energy Storage (TES) reservoirs can be coupled to reactors to absorb these grid instabilities. Previous work has shown chilled-water storage can help shift cooling loads that contribute to the daily peak electric demand from on-peak to off-peak hours. The objective of this work is to evaluate a stratified chilled-water storage tank as a potential TES reservoir for a Small Modular Reactor (SMR) using absorption chillers for chilled-water production. Simulation results reveal absorption chiller performance is hindered when receiving steam from a tap on the low-pressure turbine. A better configuration involves integrating the absorption chillers into a flash vessel system that is thermally coupled to a sensible heat storage system. The sensible heat storage system maintains reactor thermal output at 100% and matches turbine output with demand while producing enough steam to power four large absorption chillers to charge a stratified chilled-water storage tank, which is used to offset cooling loads in an adjacent facility.
- Research Organization:
- Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC07-05ID14517
- OSTI ID:
- 1478381
- Report Number(s):
- INL/CON-18-44302-Rev000
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 2018 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants (ICAPP 18), Charlotte, NC, 04/08/2018 - 04/11/2018
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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