Research on variable speed operation scheme for mobile microreactor coupled with helium gas turbine cycle

IF 1.9 3区工程技术 Q1 NUCLEAR SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Annals of Nuclear Energy Pub Date : 2025-03-25 DOI:10.1016/j.anucene.2025.111389

Xuyao Geng, Jie Wang

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

The micro high temperature gas-cooled reactor coupled with gas turbine direct cycle has the characteristics of inherent safety, high outlet temperature and no phase change of working medium. It is a competitive mobile microreactor technology scheme. Mobile microreactors mainly operate in remote off-grid areas, and need to cope with frequent load power variations. They mainly operate in variable speed mode. While, there are few studies on the variable speed operation characteristics of mobile microreactors. In this paper, a 10MWth mobile microreactor coupled with helium gas turbine cycle (MMR-GT) is selected as research object, and the differential algebraic equations mathematical model is established. The system analysis program is developed based on Modelica language. Firstly, the characteristics of MMR-GT under constant speed and variable speed operation schemes are compared when 100pcm reactivity is inserted and the load power varies the same. In variable speed operation, the performance parameters of turbomachinery changes more obviously than that in constant speed operation. Then, the steady-state operation characteristics of MMR-GT at different rotational speed is analyzed. With the decrease of speed, the power of each component, mass flow rate and system pressure all drop rapidly. The recuperator effectiveness is higher at low flow rate, and it is increased by 15.5% when the rotational speed is reduced to 60% of the rated value. Finally, the response of MMR-GT to load power fluctuations is analyzed. Without inserting external reactivity, the decrease of load power leads to the increase of rotational speed and flow rate, the decrease of reactor outlet temperature, and the rise in reactor power due to negative feedback effect. For load power increase, the positive reactivity needs to be inserted to increase driving torque. The speed control scheme is tested for partial load power loss. It indicates that the shaft speed can be controlled at the set value through bypass valve.

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来源期刊

Annals of Nuclear Energy 工程技术-核科学技术

CiteScore

4.30

自引率

21.10%

发文量

632

审稿时长

7.3 months

期刊介绍： Annals of Nuclear Energy provides an international medium for the communication of original research, ideas and developments in all areas of the field of nuclear energy science and technology. Its scope embraces nuclear fuel reserves, fuel cycles and cost, materials, processing, system and component technology (fission only), design and optimization, direct conversion of nuclear energy sources, environmental control, reactor physics, heat transfer and fluid dynamics, structural analysis, fuel management, future developments, nuclear fuel and safety, nuclear aerosol, neutron physics, computer technology (both software and hardware), risk assessment, radioactive waste disposal and reactor thermal hydraulics. Papers submitted to Annals need to demonstrate a clear link to nuclear power generation/nuclear engineering. Papers which deal with pure nuclear physics, pure health physics, imaging, or attenuation and shielding properties of concretes and various geological materials are not within the scope of the journal. Also, papers that deal with policy or economics are not within the scope of the journal.