The Synergetic Effects of Nuclear-Assisted Gas Turbine Power Cycles

2007 ◽  
Vol 160 (2) ◽  
pp. 233-243
Author(s):  
Yong Hoon Jeong ◽  
Mujid S. Kazimi
Author(s):  
Mohamed Gadalla ◽  
Nabil Al Aid

The purpose of this paper is to conduct a complete comparative, energy and 2nd low analyses between different types of fuel cells integrated with a gas turbine power plant. Different levels of modeling for the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC), the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) and the integrated systems are to be presented. The overall system performance is analyzed by employing individual models and further applying energy and exergetic analyses for different configurations of gas turbine power cycles. The study includes applying different proposed methods and techniques to enhance the overall efficiency of the integrated cycle. After performing the complete technical management of the complete system, a comparative study between conventional and PEMFC and SOFC cycles is investigated to highlight the corresponding advantages and disadvantages of each system. The following systems are tested and evaluated: (a) Conventional Gas Turbine System with a combustion Chamber (b) Integrated SOFC Stack into a Gas Turbine System (c) The Proposed Integrated System with both SOFC and PEMFC.


Author(s):  
W. H. Lee

The re-evaporation of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) is capable of acting as a low temperature heat sink for power cycles, thereby enhancing the thermal efficiency of the cycle. Leaving aside the detail of the appropriate heat exchanger technology, the comparative performance of improved high and low temperature closed cycle gas turbines is investigated using non-dimensionalized performance analysis. It was shown that the effect of lowering the minimum cycle temperature on the efficiency is equivalent to raising the maximum cycle temperature by a multiple amount. The specific output, however, decreases to a fraction of that achieved by the cycle with the original minimum cycle temperature. Implications are drawn for the application of the closed cycle gas turbine utilizing cryogenic cold.


Author(s):  
Ronan M. Kavanagh ◽  
Geoffrey T. Parks

The STIG, HAT and TOPHAT cycles lie at the centre of the debate on which humid power cycle will deliver optimal performance when applied to an aero-derivative gas turbine and, indeed, when such cycles will be implemented. Of these humid cycles, it has been claimed that the TOPHAT cycle has the highest efficiency and specific work, followed closely by the HAT (Humid Air Turbine) and then the STIG (STeam Injected Gas turbine) cycle. In this study, the systems have been simulated using consistent thermodynamic and economic models for the components and working fluid properties, allowing a consistent and non-biased appraisal of these systems. Part 1 of these two papers focussed on the thermodynamic performance and the impact of the system parameters on the performance, part 2 studies the economic performance of these cycles. The three humid power systems and up to ten system parameters are optimised using a multi-objective Tabu Search algorithm, developed in the Cambridge Engineering Design Centre.


Author(s):  
Daniele Fiaschi ◽  
Lidia Lombardi ◽  
Libero Tapinassi

The relatively innovative gas turbine based power cycles R-ATR and R-REF (Recuperative – Auto Thermal Reforming GT cycle and Recuperative – Reforming GT cycle) here proposed, are mainly aimed to allow the upstream CO2 removal by the natural gas fuel reforming. The 2nd part of the paper is dedicated to the R-REF cycle: the power unit is a Gas Turbine (GT), fuelled with reformed and CO2 cleaned gas, obtained by the addition of several sections to the simple GT cycle, mainly: • Reformer section (REF), where the reforming reactions of methane fuel with steam are accomplished: the necessary heat is supplied partially by the exhausts cooling and, partially, with a post–combustion. • Water Gas Shift Reactor (WGSR), where the reformed fuel is, shifted into CO2 and H2 with the addition of water. • CO2 removal unit for the CO2 capture from the reformed and shifted fuel. No water condensing section is adopted for the R-REF configuration. Between the main components, several heat recovery units are applied, together with GT Cycle recuperator, compressor intercooler and steam injection into the combustion chamber. The CO2 removal potential is close to 90% with chemical absorption by an accurate choice of amine solution blend: the heat demand for amine regeneration is completely self-sustained by the power cycle. The possibility of applying steam blade cooling (the steam is externally added) has been investigated: in these conditions, the RREF has shown efficiency levels close to 43–44%. High values of specific work have been observed as well (around 450–500 kJ/kg). The efficiency is slightly lower than that found for the R–ATR solution, and 2–3% lower than CRGTs with CO2 removal and steam bottoming cycle, not internally recuperated. If compared with these, the R-REF offers higher simplicity due to absence of the steam cycle, and can be regarded as an improvement to the simple GT. In this way, at least 5–6 points efficiency can be gained, together with high levels of CO2 removal. The effects of the reformed fuel gas composition, temperature and pressure on the amine absorption system for the CO2 removal have been investigated, showing the beneficial effects of increasing pressure (i.e. pressure ratio) on the specific heat demand.


Author(s):  
Igor Pioro ◽  
Mohammed Mahdi ◽  
Roman Popov

SuperCritical Fluids (SCFs) have unique thermophyscial properties and heat-transfer characteristics, which make them very attractive for use in power industry. In this chapter, specifics of thermophysical properties and heat transfer of SCFs such as water, carbon dioxide and helium are considered and discussed. Also, particularities of heat transfer at SuperCritical Pressures (SCPs) are presented, and the most accurate heat-transfer correlations are listed. SuperCritical Water (SCW) is widely used as the working fluid in the SCP Rankine “steam”-turbine cycle in fossil-fuel thermal power plants. This increase in thermal efficiency is possible by application of high-temperature reactors and power cycles. Currently, six concepts of Generation-IV reactors are being developed, with coolant outlet temperatures of 500°C~1000°C. SCFs will be used as coolants (helium in GFRs and VHTRs; and SCW in SCWRs) and/or working fluids in power cycles (helium; mixture of nitrogen (80%) and helium [20%]; nitrogen, and carbon dioxide in Brayton gas-turbine cycles; and SCW “steam” in Rankine cycle).


Author(s):  
Ronan M. Kavanagh ◽  
Geoffrey T. Parks

The STIG, HAT and TOPHAT cycles lie at the centre of the debate on which humid power cycle will deliver optimal performance when applied to an aero-derivative gas turbine and, indeed, when such cycles will be implemented. Of these humid cycles, it has been claimed that the TOPHAT cycle has the highest efficiency and specific work, followed closely by the HAT (Humid Air Turbine) and then the STIG (STeam Injected Gas turbine) cycle. In this study, the systems have been simulated using consistent thermodynamic and economic models for the components and working fluid properties, allowing a consistent and non-biased appraisal of these systems. Part 1 of these two papers focusses purely on the thermodynamic performance and the impact of the system parameters on the performance, part 2 will study the economic performance. The three humid power systems and up to ten system parameters are optimised using a multi-objective Tabu Search algorithm, developed in the Cambridge Engineering Design Centre.


1967 ◽  
Vol 89 (2) ◽  
pp. 217-227 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. C. Weatherston ◽  
A. Hertzberg

A method of circumventing the turbine inlet temperature limitation of present-day gas turbines is presented. This method is based on a direct fluid-to-fluid energy exchanger whereby the available energy of expansion of the hot combustion gas in a gas turbine cycle is transferred directly to a colder gas. The aerodynamic wave processes in several possible modes of operation are examined to determine the inherent limitations in efficiency of direct fluid-to-fluid energy exchange processes. In particular, it is demonstrated that, by using a system of isentropic compression waves to avoid shock losses and by carefully choosing the molecular weights of the fluids utilized in the energy exchanger, perfect energy exchange is possible in principle. When allowances are made for losses due to mixing, leakage, and viscous effects, an energy exchanger utilizing heated combustion air at 3240 deg F to drive steam at 1500 deg F with a potential energy exchange efficiency of 85 percent is feasible. Applications of the air-steam energy exchanger operating in gas turbine cycles utilizing a conservative choice of component efficiencies indicate that thermal efficiencies of gas turbine power cycles of 50–60 percent may be possible.


Author(s):  
Mohammed Mahdi ◽  
Roman Popov ◽  
Igor Pioro

The vast majority of Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) are equipped with water- and heavy-water-cooled reactors. Such NPPs have lower thermal efficiencies (30–36%) compared to those achieved at NPPs equipped with Advanced Gas-cooled Reactors (AGRs) (∼42%) and Sodium-cooled Fast Reactors (SFRs) (∼40%), and, especially, compared to those of modern advanced thermal power plants, such as combined cycle with thermal efficiencies up to 62% and supercritical-pressure coal-fired power plants — up to 55%. Therefore, NPPs with water- and heavy-water-cooled reactors are not very competitive with other power plants. Therefore, this deficiency of current water-cooled NPPs should be addressed in the next generation or Generation-IV nuclear-power reactors / NPPs. Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR) concept / NPP is currently considered as the most efficient NPP of the next generation. Being a thermal-spectrum reactor, VHTR will use helium as a reactor coolant, which will be heated up to 1000°C. The use of a direct Brayton helium-turbine cycle was considered originally. However, technical challenges associated with the direct helium cycle have resulted in a change of the reference concept to indirect power cycle, which can be also a combined cycle. Along with the VHTR, Gas-cooled Fast Reactor (GFR) concept / NPP is also regarded as one of the most thermally efficient concept for the upcoming generation of NPPs. This concept was also originally thought to be with the direct helium power cycle. However, technical challenges have changed the initial idea of power cycle to a number of options including indirect Brayton cycle with He-N2 mixture, application of SuperCritical (SC)-CO2 cycles or combined cycles. The objective of the current paper is to provide the latest information on new developments in power cycles proposed for these two helium-cooled Generation-IV reactor concepts, which include indirect nitrogen-helium Brayton gas-turbine cycle, supercritical-pressure carbon-dioxide Brayton gas-turbine cycle, and combined cycles. Also, a comparison of basic thermophysical properties of helium with those of other reactor coolants, and with those of nitrogen, nitrogen-helium mixture and SC-CO2 is provided.


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