Development of a Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Brayton Cycle: Improving VHTR Efficiency and Testing Material Compatibility - Final Report

Technical Report · Thu Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 2006

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/911276· OSTI ID:911276

Oh, Chang H

Generation IV reactors will need to be intrinsically safe, having a proliferation-resistant fuel cycle and several advantages relative to existing light water reactor (LWR). They, however, must still overcome certain technical issues and the cost barrier before it can be built in the U.S. The establishment of a nuclear power cost goal of 3.3 cents/kWh is desirable in order to compete with fossil combined-cycle, gas turbine power generation. This goal requires approximately a 30 percent reduction in power cost for stateof-the-art nuclear plants. It has been demonstrated that this large cost differential can be overcome only by technology improvements that lead to a combination of better efficiency and more compatible reactor materials. The objectives of this research are (1) to develop a supercritical carbon dioxide Brayton cycle in the secondary power conversion side that can be applied to the Very-High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (VHTR), (2) to improve the plant net efficiency by using the carbon dioxide Brayton cycle, and (3) to test material compatibility at high temperatures and pressures. The reduced volumetric flow rate of carbon dioxide due to higher density compared to helium will reduce compression work, which eventually increase plant net efficiency.

• Research Organization: Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE - NE
• DOE Contract Number: DE-AC07-99ID-13727
• OSTI ID: 911276
• Report Number(s): INL/EXT-06-01271; TRN: US0704506
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

21 - SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
BRAYTON CYCLE
CARBON DIOXIDE
COMPATIBILITY
COMPRESSION
EFFICIENCY
FLOW RATE
FUEL CYCLE
GAS COOLED REACTORS
GAS TURBINES
HELIUM
NUCLEAR POWER
POWER GENERATION
REACTOR MATERIALS
TESTING
WATER
compatibility
dioxide brayton cycle
Generation IV Reactors
material
testing