Control system options and strategies for supercritical CO2 cycles.
The Supercritical Carbon Dioxide (S-CO{sub 2}) Brayton Cycle is a promising alternative to Rankine steam cycle and recuperated gas Brayton cycle energy converters for use with Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactors (SFRs), Lead-Cooled Fast Reactors (LFRs), as well as other advanced reactor concepts. The S-CO{sub 2} Brayton Cycle offers higher plant efficiencies than Rankine or recuperated gas Brayton cycles operating at the same liquid metal reactor core outlet temperatures as well as reduced costs or size of key components especially the turbomachinery. A new Plant Dynamics Computer Code has been developed at Argonne National Laboratory for simulation of a S-CO{sub 2} Brayton Cycle energy converter coupled to an autonomous load following liquid metal-cooled fast reactor. The Plant Dynamics code has been applied to investigate the effectiveness of a control strategy for the S-CO{sub 2} Brayton Cycle for the STAR-LM 181 MWe (400 MWt) Lead-Cooled Fast Reactor. The strategy, which involves a combination of control mechanisms, is found to be effective for controlling the S-CO{sub 2} Brayton Cycle over the complete operating range from 0 to 100 % load for a representative set of transient load changes. While the system dynamic analysis of control strategy performance for STARLM is carried out for a S-CO{sub 2} Brayton Cycle energy converter incorporating an axial flow turbine and compressors, investigations of the S-CO{sub 2} Brayton Cycle have identified benefits from the use of centrifugal compressors which offer a wider operating range, greater stability near the critical point, and potentially further cost reductions due to fewer stages than axial flow compressors. Models have been developed at Argonne for the conceptual design and performance analysis of centrifugal compressors for use in the SCO{sub 2} Brayton Cycle. Steady state calculations demonstrate the wider operating range of centrifugal compressors versus axial compressors installed in a S-CO{sub 2} Brayton Cycle as well as the benefits in expanding the range over which individual control mechanisms are effective for cycle control. However, a combination of mechanisms is still required for control of the S-CO{sub 2} Brayton Cycle between 0 and 100 % load. An effort is underway to partially validate the Argonne models and codes by means of comparison with data from tests carried out using the small-scale Sandia Brayton Loop (SBL) recuperated gas closed Brayton cycle facility. The centrifugal compressor model has been compared with data from the SBL operating with nitrogen gas and good agreement is obtained between calculations and the measured data for the compressor outlet pressure versus flow rate, although it is necessary to assume values for certain model parameters which require information about the configuration or dimensions of the compressor components that is unavailable. Unfortunately, the compressor efficiency cannot be compared with experiment data due to the lack of outlet temperature data. A radial inflow turbine model has been developed to enable further comparison of calculations with data from the SBL which incorporates both a radial inflow turbine as well as a radial compressor. Preliminary calculations of pressure ratio and efficiency versus flow rate have been carried out using the radial inflow turbine model.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- NE
- DOE Contract Number:
- DE-AC02-06CH11357
- OSTI ID:
- 958037
- Report Number(s):
- ANL-GENIV-081; TRN: US1000457
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- ENGLISH
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