Alternate circulator design concept No. 1 for a 300 MW(e) GCFR demonstration plant: two state axial flow helium circulator and two stage steam turbine drive

Technical Report · Thu Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1977

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/5154135· OSTI ID:5154135

Mouritzen, G.

The report describes the preliminary design of a main helium circulator for the 300 MW(e) GCFR demonstration plant. Three main circulators and three auxiliary circulators are to be used in the demonstration plant. The main circulator consists of an axial flow, two-stage helium circulator (compressor) driven by an axial flow, and a two-stage turbine which employs superheated steam in series with the main power plant turbo generators. One concept is similar to the HTGR circulator in which the circulator and turbine are on a common shaft in an integral unit which contains a water-lubricated bearing system that is isolated from the main helium circuit by an auxiliary flow of purified buffer helium through a labyrinth seal at the compressor end of the shaft. A buffer water system at the turbine end of the shaft prevents high pressure steam from entering the bearing water system. A second concept consists of a circulator unit similar to the integral unit but with the turbine removed. The turbine drive is in a separate external drive unit utilizing a conventional oil lubricated bearing system. This concept was developed to simplify circulator test facility and reactor hot flow tests so that the circulator can be driven by an electric motor drive for these tests without the need for large auxiliary boilers and condensers or a steam compressor system. Both of the concepts are applicable to both vertical and horizontal installations in the PCRV.

• Research Organization: General Atomics, San Diego, CA (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: EY-76-C-03-0167-023
• OSTI ID: 5154135
• Report Number(s): GA-A-14530; TRN: 78-008377
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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