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Small nuclear power plants are a promising direction of research for the development of carbon-free energy in isolated power systems and in remote regions with undeveloped infrastructure. Improving the efficiency of power units integrated with small modular reactors will improve the prospects for the commercialization of such projects. Power cycles based on supercritical carbon dioxide are an effective solution for nuclear power plants that use reactor facilities with an initial coolant temperature above 550 °C. However, the presence of low temperature rejected heat sources in closed Bryton cycles indicates a potential for energy saving. This paper presents a comprehensive thermodynamic analysis of the integration of an additional low-temperature organic Rankine cycle for heat recovery to supercritical carbon dioxide cycles. A scheme for sequential heat recovery from several sources in S-CO2 cycles is proposed. It was found that the use of R134a improved the power of the low-temperature circuit. It was revealed that in the S-CO2 Brayton cycle with a recuperator, the ORC add-on increased the net efficiency by an average of 2.98%, and in the recompression cycle by 1.7–2.2%. With sequential heat recovery in the recuperative cycle from the intercooling of the compressor and the main cooler, the increase in efficiency from the ORC superstructure will be 1.8%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small nuclear power plants can provide a stable, carbon-free energy supply to civil infrastructure and industrial enterprises in remote regions isolated from unified energy systems. More than 70 projects of small modular reactors are currently being developed by IAEA member countries; several low-power power units are already supplying thermal and electrical energy to consumers. One of the main limitations standing in the way of widespread dissemination of this technology is the high specific capital cost of a low-power nuclear power plant; therefore, new scientific and technical solutions are needed in this industry. Increasing the thermodynamic efficiency of power cycles of small modular reactors can become a driver for reducing the cost of supplied electrical energy. This paper presents the results of a comprehensive thermodynamic analysis of existing and promising power cycles for small modular reactors. In addition to traditional steam power cycles, cycles using non-traditional working fluids, including carbon dioxide, freons, and helium cycles, are considered. Optimal sets of thermodynamic parameters were determined to ensure maximum net efficiency of electricity production. For water-cooled reactor plants, a maximum efficiency of 33.5% at an initial temperature of 300 °C could be achieved using a steam turbine cycle. It was revealed that for reactor plants with liquid metal and liquid salt coolant in the range of initial temperatures above 550–700 °C, the maximum thermal efficiency was provided by the Brayton recompression cycle with a carbon dioxide coolant: the net electrical efficiency exceeded the level of steam turbine plants, with intermediate superheating of the steam, and could reach a value of 49.4% at 600 °C. This makes the use of these cycles promising for low-power nuclear power plants with a high initial temperature. In small gas-cooled reactor plants with a helium coolant, the use of a binary cycle consisting of a helium Brayton cycle and a steam-powered Rankine cycle provided an efficiency of 44.3% at an initial helium temperature of 700 °C and 52.9% at 1000 °C. This was higher than in the Brayton cycle with a recuperator, with a minimum temperature difference in the heat exchanger of 20 °C: the efficiency was 40.2% and 52%, respectively. Also, the transition to power cycles with non-traditional working fluids will lead to a change in the operating conditions of turbomachines and heat exchangers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a steady trend in the world to increase the share of distributed generation. The volume of self-generated energy commissioning is constantly growing, with projected increases in growth rates in the future. At the same time, demands for efficiency and environmental safety in new power plants are constantly increasing. In this regard, one of the promising areas for the development of distributed energy is the transition to small nuclear power plants (SNPPs). As in the case of wind and solar power plants, SNPP operations are not accompanied by emissions of toxic substances or greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. In addition, SNPPs consume a much smaller volume and mass of fuel compared to conventional small-capacity fossil fuel power plants. This paper describes the characteristics of the main types of distributed generation. The key technical and economic characteristics of existing and prospective small-capacity nuclear fuel facilities are systematized. The results of a comparative analysis of the cost of electricity produced by SNPPs and competing power plants are also presented. In addition, a number of promising regions of the Russian Federation for the introduction of SNPPS have been identified, and a review of the methods of energy storage for SNPPS, which are necessary when working in an isolated power system, has been carried out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study is aimed at revealing the specific features of the burning of hydrogen with oxygen in a water-vapor atmosphere. The purpose of the study is to define the optimal values for diluting the burning mixture with water vapor in the active burnout zone, providing the minimal values of incomplete combustion. Modeling of burning processes was carried out with the use of kinetic mechanisms in the Ansys Chemkin-Pro software. The result of the study was the definition of critical water vapor content in a burning mixture as 60% fraction of total mass with, obtaining dependencies of key parameters of the burning process within a wide range. The mechanism of chemical kinetics was selected for further modeling in a three-dimensional setting, and tasks for the formulation of requirements and methods for the design of efficient hydrogen combustion chambers were set up for 500 MW gas turbine plants at a supercritical pressure of 20 MPa or higher. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, software products for numerical simulation of fluid dynamics problems (ANSYS Fluent, Ansys CFX, Star CCM, Comsol, etc.) problems are widely used. These software products are mainly based on the numerical solution of the Navier–Stokes equations, the most common and computationally easy method of solving, which is Reynolds averaging (RANS), and further closing the system using semi-empirical turbulence models. Currently, there are many modeling methods and turbulence models; however, there are no generalized recommendations for setting up grid models for modeling flows, while for practical use both the correct mathematical models and the setting of the computational grid are important. In particular, there are no generalized recommendations on the choice of scale of global elements of grid models for typical single channels. This work is devoted to the development and study of relations for a priori estimation of the parameters of a grid model in relation to solving hydrodynamic problems with fluid flow in channels. The paper proposes the introduction of a generalized grid convergence criterion for single channels at high Reynolds numbers. As single channels, a channel with a sudden expansion, a channel with a sudden contraction, and diffuser channels with different opening angles are considered. Based on the results of variant calculations of typical single channels at various Reynolds numbers and various geometric parameters, generalized criterion correlations were obtained to find dimensionless linear scales of grid elements relative to the hydrodynamic characteristics of the flow in the channel. Variant calculations of the compound channel were investigated, which showed the adequacy of correlations proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The daily non-uniform power demand is a serious problem in power industry. In addition, recent decades show a trend for the transition to renewable power sources, but their power output depends upon weather and daily conditions. These factors determine the urgency of energy accumulation technology research and development. The presence of a wide variety of energy storage mechanisms leads to the need for their classification and comparison as well as a consideration of possible options for their application in modern power units. This paper presents a comparative analysis of energy storage methods for energy systems and complexes. Recommendations are made on the choice of storage technologies for the modern energy industry. The change in the cost of supplied energy at power plants by integrating various energy storage systems is estimated and the technologies for their implementation are considered. It is revealed that in the large-scale power production industry, the most productive accumulation methods for energy systems and complexes are the following: pumped hydroelectric energy storage systems, thermal and thermochemical accumulations, and hydrogen systems. These methods have the best technical and economic characteristics. The resulting recommendations allow for the assessment of the economic and energy effect achieved by integration of storage systems at the stage of designing new power units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, with the increases in organic fuel prices and growing legislative restrictions aimed at increasing environmental safety and reducing our carbon footprint, the task of increasing thermal power plant efficiency is becoming more and more topical. Transforming combusting fuel thermal energy into electric power more efficiently will allow the reduction of the fuel cost fraction in the cost structure and decrease harmful emissions, especially greenhouse gases, as less fuel will be consumed. There are traditional ways of improving thermal power plant energy efficiency: increasing turbine inlet temperature and utilizing exhaust heat. An alternative way to improve energy efficiency is the use of supercritical CO2 power cycles, which have a number of advantages over traditional ones due to carbon dioxide's thermophysical properties. In particular, the use of carbon dioxide allows increasing efficiency by reducing compression and friction losses in the wheel spaces of the turbines; in addition, it is known that CO2 turbomachinery has smaller dimensions compared to traditional steam and gas turbines of similar capacity. Furthermore, semi-closed oxy–fuel combustion power cycles can reduce greenhouse gases emissions by many times; at the same time, they have characteristics of efficiency and specific capital costs comparable with traditional cycles. Given the high volatility of fuel prices, as well as the rising prices of carbon dioxide emission allowances, changes in efficiency, capital costs and specific greenhouse gas emissions can lead to a change in the cost of electricity generation. In this paper, key closed and semi-closed supercritical CO2 combustion power cycles and their promising modifications are considered from the point of view of energy, economic and environmental efficiency; the cycles that are optimal in terms of technical and economic characteristics are identified among those considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The annual increase in demand for electrical power is accompanied by a significant combustion of hydrocarbon fuels and, accordingly, significant CO2 emissions into the atmosphere, which, in turn, result in increasing the surface temperature of our planet. In addition, hydrocarbon fuel reserves are also depleted every year, which raises the question of the efficient use of fossil fuels. One of the promising solutions to this problem is introducing a technology that allows using the excess gas pressure at gas distribution points in order to generate additional electrical energy. As a rule, a radial turboexpander is used to convert the kinetic energy of natural gas at low power. In this paper, we study a method to reduce losses in a volute inlet of a radial expander. Based on our research, we could find that the use of two symmetrical fins in the volute inlet pipe makes it possible to decrease the turbulent kinetic energy by 1.29% and to reduce the energy losses in the inlet pipe by 2.18%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Loop and semi-loop cooling schemes are widely used for the high-temperature gas turbine blades. In such schemes, the mid-chord airfoil parts are traditionally cooled by radial channels with ribbed walls. The blades with a small specific span, or "short" blades, have different heat flux amounts on pressure and suction sides, which results in a temperature difference in these sides of 100–150 °K. This difference causes thermal stresses and reduces the long-term strength margins. This paper presents a new method of heat transfer intensification in the ribbed radial cooling channels. The method is based on air streams' injection through holes in the ribs that split channels. The streams are directed along the walls into the stagnation zones behind the ribs. The results of a 3D coolant flow simulation with ANSYS CFX code show the influence of the geometry parameters upon the channel heat transfer asymmetry. In the Reynolds number within a range of 6000–20,000, the method provides the heat transfer augmentation difference by up to 40% on the opposite channel walls. Test results presented in the criteria relations form allow for the calculation of mean the heat transfer coefficient along the channel length. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, the use of combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) plants allows the most efficient conversion of the chemical heat of fossil fuels for generating electric power. In turn, the combined cycle efficiency is largely dependent on the working flow temperature upstream of a gas turbine. Thus, the net electric efficiency of advanced foreign-made CCGT plants can exceed 63%, whereas the net efficiency of domestic combined-cycle power plants is still relatively low. A promising method to increase the heat performance of CCGT plants may be their conversion from a steam heat carrier to a carbon dioxide one. In this paper, we have presented the results of thermodynamic research of a promising combined plant with two carbon dioxide heat recovery circuits based on the GTE-160 gas turbine plant (GTP). We have determined the pressure values that are optimal in terms of the net efficiency upstream and downstream of Brayton cycle turbines using supercritical carbon dioxide with recompression (30 and 8.5 MPa) and base version (38 and 8.0 MPa). The percentage of recompression was 32%. Based on the results of mathematical simulation of heat circuits, we have found out that the use of the solutions suggested allows the increase of the power plant's net efficiency by 2.4% (up to 51.6%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of hydrogen energetics is a possible way to reduce emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere in the production of electricity. Its implementation requires the introduction of energy facilities capable of operating on environmentally safe fuel. At the same time, from a technological point of view, it is easier to implement a gradual shift to the use of hydrogen in power plants by burning methane–hydrogen blends. This paper presents the results of thermodynamic studies of the influence of the chemical composition of the methane–hydrogen blend on the performance of binary and trinary power units. It is shown that an increase in the hydrogen volume fraction in the fuel blend from 0 to 80% leads to a decrease in the Wobbe index by 16% and an increase in the power plant auxiliaries by almost 3.5 times. The use of a trinary CCGT unit with a single-circuit WHB and working fluid water condensation makes it possible to increase the net efficiency by 0.74% compared to a binary CCGT with a double-circuit WHB and a condensate gas heater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the framework of this study, a brief review of the gasification technology was carried out, the best types of blowing agents and gasification methods used in terms of efficiency and environmental safety were identified, and a mathematical model of a steam–oxygen gasifier was developed in the MS Excel software package. The authors paid special attention to the consideration of the effect of changing the input parameters of the syngas, such as the temperature and relative mass flow rate of steam and oxygen, on the heat of the combustion of the produced syngas. As a result of the research, methods for increasing the heat of the combustion of the syngas and the conditions for using the described methods were formulated. The work also revealed the optimal ratios of the blowing agents and solid fuel supplied for gasification and presented the output parameters of the produced generator gas, including the heat of combustion of the gas, the gas temperature, and the gasification efficiency. Computer simulation models of the gasifier and gasification process were the basis for the analysis of a combined cycle (CC) facility with an integrated solid fuel gasifier. The heat flow thermodynamic analysis shows that the gasification steam bleeding from the turbine is the best solution for the improvement of cycle efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper discusses technological solutions in the field of production and use of hydrogen fuel, the combustion of which, in a steam-oxygen environment, can significantly increase the initial parameters of the steam turbine cycle and, thus, increase the thermal efficiency of traditional steam turbine thermal power plants. A study of technologies for the industrial production of hydrogen has been carried out. An analysis of the technical and economic features of hydrogen production technologies for use in the electric power industry showed that the most promising method is electrolysis, which makes it possible to obtain inexpensive hydrogen during hours of low demand for electricity or cogeneration of heat and electricity when electricity is a by-product. It is shown that in order to increase the power and efficiency of steam turbine TPPs, it is important to use external steam superheating from an external source of thermal energy, thus providing intermediate overheating of the working fluid by connecting an additional cycle with a higher equivalent initial temperature to the main steam turbine cycle. We have established that if we use hydrogen as a thermal energy source, the absolute efficiency of the steam turbine cycle can be increased up to 54%, taking into account the regenerative heating of feed water. In this case, at an overheating temperature equal to tnn = 760 °C, the absolute efficiency of the cycle is virtually equal to that of a CCGT unit operating at the initial gas temperature t0 = 1350 °C. At the same time, while maintaining the boiler performance, the rated capacity of the steam turbine power unit is increased by 12%. In addition, the study pays attention to the problem of increasing the power consumption of TPPs for the auxiliaries, as required to compress hydrogen and oxygen up to a pressure higher than that in the steam pipeline where the combustion chamber is installed. Our calculations have allowed us to conclude that, for the case of installing the combustion chamber in live steam, the share of additional power spent for auxiliaries should be 7%, whereas the main share of power is consumed for compressing hydrogen—94%. Despite the identified shortcomings, an economic analysis of the process of hydrogen production at TPP by electrolysis and its further use for intermediate overheating in steam turbines in order to increase their efficiency showed the effectiveness of this solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fossil fuel thermal power plants account for almost 60% of Russian electricity and heat. Steam turbine units make almost 80% of this amount. The main method for steam turbine unit efficiency improvement is the increase in the initial steam parameters' temperature and pressure. This reduces fossil fuel consumption and harmful emissions but requires the application of heat-resistant steel. The improvement in steel's heat resistance leads to a non-linear price increase, and the larger the temperature increase, the more the steel costs. One of the methods of improving efficiency without a significant increase in the capital cost of equipment is an external combustion chamber. These allow an increase in the steam temperature outside the boiler without the need to use heat-resistant alloys for boiler superheaters and steam pipelines between the boiler and the steam turbine. The most promising is hydrogen–oxygen combustion chambers, which produce steam with high purity and parameters. To reduce the cost of high-temperature steam turbines, it is possible to use a cooling system with the supply of a steam coolant to the most thermally stressed elements. According to the calculations, the efficiency reduction of a power unit due to the turbine cooling is 0.6–1.27%. The steam superheating up to 720 °C in external combustion chambers instead of a boiler unit improves the unit efficiency by 0.27%. At the initial steam temperatures of 800 °C, 850 °C, and 900 °C, the unit efficiency reduction caused by cooling is 4.09–5.68%, 7.47–9.73%, and 8.28–10.04%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The most effective and environmentally safe fossil fuel power production facilities are the combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) ones. Electric efficiency of advanced facilities is up to 58% in Russia and up to 64% abroad. The further improvement of thermal efficiency by increase of the gas turbine inlet temperature (TIT) is limited by performance of heat resistance alloys that are used for the hot gas path components and the cooling system efficiency. An alternative method for the CCGT efficiency improvement is utilization of low potential heat of the heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) exhaust gas in an additional cycle operating on a low-boiling heat carrier. This paper describes a thermodynamic analysis of the transition from binary cycles to trinary ones by integration of the organic Rankine cycle (ORC). A mathematical model of a cooled gas turbine plant (GT) has been developed to carry out calculations of high-temperature energy complexes. Based on the results of mathematical modeling, recommendations were made for the choice of the structure and parameters of the steam turbine cycle, as well as the ORC, to ensure the achievement of the maximum thermal efficiency of trinary plants. It is shown that the transition from a single pressure CCGT to a trinary plant allows the electric power increase from 213.4 MW to 222.7 MW and the net efficiency increase of 2.14%. The trinary power facility has 0.45% higher efficiency than the dual pressure CCGT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper is concerned with the problem of the development of high-temperature steam turbine power plants with ultra-supercritical (USC) initial parameters. One of the main disadvantages of the USC power unit's creation is high price due to the application of expensive heat-resistant materials for boiler, live and reheat steam pipelines in turbines. To solve this problem, the following technical improvements to reduce the application of the heat-resistant materials and equipment metal consumption are proposed: horizontal boiler layout, high temperature steam turbine with a cooling system, oxy-hydrogen combustion chambers, and two-tier low-pressure turbine. The influence of the above-mentioned solutions on the high-temperature steam turbine power plant efficiency was estimated using thermodynamic analysis. The promising equipment design was developed based on the results of numerical and experimental research. The analysis of the proposed solutions' influence upon the economic parameters of a high-temperature power facility was investigated based on the developed cost analysis model, which included the equipment metal and manufacturing expenses. The introduction of all the mentioned cost reduction methods led to a decrease in the facility's price by RUB 10.5 billion or 15%. The discounted payback period was reduced from 27.5 to 10 years and the net present value increased by RUB 9.6 billion or 16 times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fuel price increase and severe environmental regulations determine energy-saving importance. Useful utilization of low-potential heat sources with 300–400 °С temperature becomes topical. The application of low-temperature power production facilities operating low-boiling heat carriers could be a solution to this problem. A comparative parametric study of a number of heat carriers resulted in a choice of the most promising fluids that are not expensive, have low toxicity and flammability, low ozone depletion and low global warming potential. These heat carriers are considered for application in simple power production cycles with and without regeneration. The main parameters were optimized at the initial temperatures of 323.15–623.15 K. The cycle without regeneration has a maximal net efficiency of 29.34% using the water at an initial temperature of 623.15 K. The regenerative cycle at a temperature below 490 K has its maximal efficiency using a water heat carrier, and at a higher temperature above 490 K with R236ea. The cycle with R236ea at 623.15 K has an electrical net efficiency of 33.30%. Using a water heat carrier, the maximal efficiency can be reached at pressures below 5 MPa for both cycles. Among the organic heat carriers, the minimal optimal initial pressure of a simple cycle is reached with the R236ea heat carrier below 45 MPa without regeneration and below 15 MPa with regeneration. Therefore when utilizing the latent heat with temperatures above 500 K R134a, R236ea and R124 are the most promising organic fluids. Such conditions could be obtained using different industrial sources with water condensation at elevated pressures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal power plants (TPPs) with back-pressure steam turbines (BPSTs) were widely used for electricity and steam production in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) due to their high efficiency. The collapse of the USSR in 1991 led to a decrease in industrial production, as a result of which, steam production in Russia was reduced and BPSTs were left without load. To resume the operation of TPPs with BPSTs, it is necessary to modernize the existing power units. This paper presents the results of the thermodynamic analysis of different methods of modernization of TPPs with BPSTs: the superstructure of the steam low-pressure turbine (LPT) and the superstructure of the power unit operating on low-boiling-point fluid. The influence of ambient temperature on the developed cycles' efficiency was evaluated. It was found that the usage of low-boiling-point fluid is thermodynamically efficient for an ambient temperature lower than 7 °C. Moreover, recommendations for the choice of reconstruction method were formulated based on technical assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition to the use of supercritical carbon dioxide as a working fluid for power generation units will significantly reduce the equipment′s overall dimensions while increasing fuel efficiency and environmental safety. Structural and parametric optimization of S–CO2 nuclear power plants was carried out to ensure the maximum efficiency of electricity production. Based on the results of mathematical modeling, it was found that the transition to a carbon dioxide working fluid for the nuclear power plant with the BREST–OD–300 reactor leads to an increase of efficiency from 39.8 to 43.1%. Nuclear power plant transition from the Rankine water cycle to the carbon dioxide Brayton cycle with recompression is reasonable at a working fluid temperature above 455 °C due to the carbon dioxide cycle′s more effective regeneration system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The world community is worried about the effects of global warming. A few agreements on the reduction of CO2 emissions have been signed recently. A large part of these emissions is produced by the power production industry. Soon, the requirements for thermal power plant ecology and efficiency performance may become significantly higher. Thus, the contemporary problem is the development of highly efficient power production facilities with low toxic and greenhouse gas emission. An efficient way to reduce CO2 emissions into the atmosphere, which implies maintaining economic growth, is the creation of closed thermodynamic cycles with oxy-fuel combustion. The Allam cycle is one of the most promising among oxy-fuel power plants. A 50 MW pilot Allam cycle plant was built in Texas. The design for a commercial system with an electrical output of 300 MW is under development. This work is devoted to the improvement of the efficiency and environmental safety of oxy-fuel combustion power cycles via the utilization of compressed working fluid heat. The results of computer simulation obtained using AspenONE software demonstrated that an additional circuit in the multi-flow regenerator might increase net efficiency by 3.5%. Besides this, the incorporation of a supercritical carbon dioxide (S–CO2) Brayton cycle with recompression increased the efficiency by 0.2%. Therefore, the maximum net efficiency of the prospective power unit was 51.4%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition to oxy-fuel combustion power cycles is a prospective way to decrease carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere from the energy sector. To identify which technology has the highest efficiency and the lowest emission level, a thermodynamic analysis of the semiclosed oxy-fuel combustion combined cycle (SCOC-CC), the E-MATIANT cycle, and the Allam cycle was carried out. The modeling methodology has been described in detail, including the approaches to defining the working fluid properties, the mathematical models of the air separation unit, and the cooled gas turbine cycles' calculation algorithms. The gas turbine inlet parameters were optimized using the developed modeling methodology for the three oxy-fuel combustion power cycles with CO2 recirculation in the inlet temperature at a range of 1000 to 1700 °C. The effect of the coolant flow precooling was evaluated. It was found that a decrease in the coolant temperature could lead to an increase of the net efficiency up to 3.2% for the SCOC-CC cycle and up to 0.8% for the E-MATIANT cycle. The final comparison showed that the Allam cycle's net efficiency is 5.6% higher compared to the SCOC-CC cycle, and 11.5% higher compared with the E-MATIANT cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]