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Modeling of Combined Lead Fast Reactor and Concentrating Solar Power Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Cycles to Demonstrate Feasibility, Efficiency Gains, and Cost Reductions

Journal Article · · Sustainability (Basel)
DOI:https://doi.org/10.3390/su132212428· OSTI ID:1829676
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [2]
  1. Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States); University of Wisconsin-Madison Department of Engineering Physics
  2. Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States)
  3. National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
  4. Westinghouse Electric Company, Cranberry Township, PA (United States)
+ Show Author Affiliations
Solar power has innate issues with weather, grid demand and time of day, which can be mitigated through use of thermal energy storage for concentrating solar power (CSP). Nuclear reactors, including lead-cooled fast reactors (LFRs), can adjust power output according to demand; but with high fixed costs and low operating costs, there may not be sufficient economic incentive to make this worthwhile. We investigate potential synergies through coupling CSP and LFR together in a single supercritical CO2 Brayton cycle and/or using the same thermal energy storage. Combining these cycles allows for the LFR to thermally charge the salt storage in the CSP cycle during low-demand periods to be dispatched when grid demand increases. The LFR/CSP coupling into one cycle is modeled to find the preferred location of the LFR heat exchanger, CSP heat exchanger, sCO2-to-salt heat exchanger (C2S), turbines, and recuperators within the supercritical CO2 Brayton cycle. Three cycle configurations have been studied: two-cycle configuration, which uses CSP and LFR heat for dedicated turbocompressors, has the highest efficiencies but with less component synergies; a combined cycle with CSP and LFR heat sources in parallel is the simplest with the lowest efficiencies; and a combined cycle with separate high-temperature recuperators for both the CSP and LFR is a compromise between efficiency and component synergies. Additionally, four thermal energy storage charging techniques are studied: the turbine positioned before C2S, requiring a high LFR outlet temperature for viability; the turbine after the C2S, reducing turbine inlet temperature and therefore power; the turbine parallel to the C2S producing moderate efficiency; and a dedicated circulator loop. While all configurations have pros and cons, use of a single cycle offers component synergies with limited efficiency penalty. Using a turbine in parallel with the C2S heat exchanger is feasible but results in a low charging efficiency, while a dedicated circulator loop offers flexibility and near-perfect heat storage efficiency but increasing cost with additional cycle components.
Research Organization:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE), Nuclear Energy University Program (NEUP)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC36-08GO28308; NE0008988
OSTI ID:
1829676
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1835545
Report Number(s):
NREL/JA--5700-81655
Journal Information:
Sustainability (Basel), Journal Name: Sustainability (Basel) Journal Issue: 22 Vol. 13; ISSN 2071-1050
Publisher:
MDPICopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
Supercritical carbon dioxide Brayton cycle
cogeneration
complimentary cycle
concentrating solar power (CSP)
lead fast reactor (LFR)
thermal energy storage (TES)