Comparative study of energy performance and water savings between hygroscopic and rankine cycle in a nuclear power plant. Case study of the HTR-10 reactor
The use of nuclear energy can contribute to achieving positive socio-economic and environmental benefits, but nuclear power plants are one of the most water-intensive industries in the world. The use of Small Modular Reactor (SMR) technologies is increasing due to their interesting advantages such a...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Results in Engineering |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590123023007272 |
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| author | Roberto Martínez-Pérez Juan Carlos Ríos-Fernández Guillermo Laine Cuervo Fernando Soto Pérez Francisco J. Rubio-Serrano Antonio J. Gutiérrez-Trashorras |
| author_facet | Roberto Martínez-Pérez Juan Carlos Ríos-Fernández Guillermo Laine Cuervo Fernando Soto Pérez Francisco J. Rubio-Serrano Antonio J. Gutiérrez-Trashorras |
| author_sort | Roberto Martínez-Pérez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The use of nuclear energy can contribute to achieving positive socio-economic and environmental benefits, but nuclear power plants are one of the most water-intensive industries in the world. The use of Small Modular Reactor (SMR) technologies is increasing due to their interesting advantages such as reduction of construction costs and use in remote areas, which favors distributed generation. Hygroscopic Cycle Technology (HCT) can be of great interest for power generation in nuclear power plants, due to the potential improvement in terms of energy efficiency and water savings. This study presents the benefits of implementing HCT in an existing SMR, the HTR-10, based on the classical Regenerative Rankine Cycle (RRC). The HTR-10 is used to produce electricity and thermal energy for District Heating (DH). Analytical models of both cycles have been developed to compare them in terms of energy production and water consumption. Sensitivity analyses of the influence of the main variables have been performed. The results show that by varying the condensing pressures, the thermal power for DH and the net mechanical power production of the HCT increase up to 2.5 % and 1 %, respectively, with respect to the RRC. The maximum tolerable ambient temperature for the plant with the HCT is 43.12 °C, increasing the availability of the plant and avoiding water consumption between 70000 and 88000 m3/year, depending on the operating conditions. Extrapolation of the results suggests that HCT can improve the energy production of nuclear power plants in a more sustainable way, contributing significantly to the energy transition. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T21:50:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a08be168bc9749d2b9a8280a5b93932b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2590-1230 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T21:50:12Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Results in Engineering |
| spelling | doaj.art-a08be168bc9749d2b9a8280a5b93932b2023-12-20T07:36:21ZengElsevierResults in Engineering2590-12302023-12-0120101600Comparative study of energy performance and water savings between hygroscopic and rankine cycle in a nuclear power plant. Case study of the HTR-10 reactorRoberto Martínez-Pérez0Juan Carlos Ríos-Fernández1Guillermo Laine Cuervo2Fernando Soto Pérez3Francisco J. Rubio-Serrano4Antonio J. Gutiérrez-Trashorras5Energy Department, Polytechnic School of Engineering, University of Oviedo, Energy Building, Campus of Viesques, 33203, Gijón, Asturias, SpainEnergy Department, Polytechnic School of Engineering, University of Oviedo, Energy Building, Campus of Viesques, 33203, Gijón, Asturias, SpainEnergy Department, Polytechnic School of Engineering, University of Oviedo, Energy Building, Campus of Viesques, 33203, Gijón, Asturias, SpainEnergy Department, Polytechnic School of Engineering, University of Oviedo, Energy Building, Campus of Viesques, 33203, Gijón, Asturias, SpainIMATECH, IMASA Technologies, S.L.U. St. Carpinteros 12, 28670, Villaviciosa de Odón, Madrid, SpainEnergy Department, Polytechnic School of Engineering, University of Oviedo, Energy Building, Campus of Viesques, 33203, Gijón, Asturias, Spain; Corresponding author.The use of nuclear energy can contribute to achieving positive socio-economic and environmental benefits, but nuclear power plants are one of the most water-intensive industries in the world. The use of Small Modular Reactor (SMR) technologies is increasing due to their interesting advantages such as reduction of construction costs and use in remote areas, which favors distributed generation. Hygroscopic Cycle Technology (HCT) can be of great interest for power generation in nuclear power plants, due to the potential improvement in terms of energy efficiency and water savings. This study presents the benefits of implementing HCT in an existing SMR, the HTR-10, based on the classical Regenerative Rankine Cycle (RRC). The HTR-10 is used to produce electricity and thermal energy for District Heating (DH). Analytical models of both cycles have been developed to compare them in terms of energy production and water consumption. Sensitivity analyses of the influence of the main variables have been performed. The results show that by varying the condensing pressures, the thermal power for DH and the net mechanical power production of the HCT increase up to 2.5 % and 1 %, respectively, with respect to the RRC. The maximum tolerable ambient temperature for the plant with the HCT is 43.12 °C, increasing the availability of the plant and avoiding water consumption between 70000 and 88000 m3/year, depending on the operating conditions. Extrapolation of the results suggests that HCT can improve the energy production of nuclear power plants in a more sustainable way, contributing significantly to the energy transition.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590123023007272Hygroscopic cycle technologyRegenerative rankine cycleCooling water savingsSmall modular reactorNuclear energyEnergy generation |
| spellingShingle | Roberto Martínez-Pérez Juan Carlos Ríos-Fernández Guillermo Laine Cuervo Fernando Soto Pérez Francisco J. Rubio-Serrano Antonio J. Gutiérrez-Trashorras Comparative study of energy performance and water savings between hygroscopic and rankine cycle in a nuclear power plant. Case study of the HTR-10 reactor Results in Engineering Hygroscopic cycle technology Regenerative rankine cycle Cooling water savings Small modular reactor Nuclear energy Energy generation |
| title | Comparative study of energy performance and water savings between hygroscopic and rankine cycle in a nuclear power plant. Case study of the HTR-10 reactor |
| title_full | Comparative study of energy performance and water savings between hygroscopic and rankine cycle in a nuclear power plant. Case study of the HTR-10 reactor |
| title_fullStr | Comparative study of energy performance and water savings between hygroscopic and rankine cycle in a nuclear power plant. Case study of the HTR-10 reactor |
| title_full_unstemmed | Comparative study of energy performance and water savings between hygroscopic and rankine cycle in a nuclear power plant. Case study of the HTR-10 reactor |
| title_short | Comparative study of energy performance and water savings between hygroscopic and rankine cycle in a nuclear power plant. Case study of the HTR-10 reactor |
| title_sort | comparative study of energy performance and water savings between hygroscopic and rankine cycle in a nuclear power plant case study of the htr 10 reactor |
| topic | Hygroscopic cycle technology Regenerative rankine cycle Cooling water savings Small modular reactor Nuclear energy Energy generation |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590123023007272 |
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