System for control of externally heated turbine engine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11776702-B2
Application number	US-202117170233-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 8, 2021
Priority date	Feb 8, 2021
Publication date	Oct 3, 2023
Grant date	Oct 3, 2023

Abstract

A power-generation system for a nuclear reactor includes a power unit, a heat exchanger, and a temperature control system. The power unit produces compressed air that is heated by the nuclear reactor via the heat exchanger. The temperature control system includes a heat transfer fluid and a heat exchanger fluidly connected with the compressed air to transfer heat between the compressed air and heat transfer fluid to control the power level of the power unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A power-generation system for a nuclear reactor, the power-generation system comprising
a power unit that includes a first generator for producing electric energy and a turbine engine coupled to and configured to drive the first generator, the turbine engine includes a compressor configured to receive and compress ambient air to produce compressed air and a turbine configured to receive the compressed air after the compressed air is heated to extract work from the compressed air and drive the first generator,
a reactor heat exchanger in fluid communication with the compressor and the turbine and configured to transfer heat continuously from a nuclear reactor to the compressed air to heat the compressed air during use of the power-generation system, and
a temperature control system configured to regulate a temperature of the compressed air so that the temperature of the compressed air received by the turbine is within a predetermined range, the temperature control system including a temperature control heat exchanger, a first fluid source, and a controller, the temperature control heat exchanger connected between the compressor and the turbine and in fluid communication with both the compressed air and the first fluid source to transfer heat between the compressed air and a first fluid from the first fluid source,
wherein the controller is programmed to adjust a flow rate of the first fluid through the temperature control heat exchanger based on the temperature of the compressed air received by the turbine and a load demand on the first generator,
wherein the first fluid source includes a blower configured to provide a flow of ambient air as the first fluid,
wherein the temperature control system further includes an auxiliary power unit and a mixing valve in fluid communication with the blower, the auxiliary power unit, and the temperature control heat exchanger, wherein the auxiliary power unit is configured to produce electric power and exhaust a second fluid, and the controller is further programmed to adjust a flow rate of the first fluid and a flow rate of the second fluid through the mixing valve.

2. The power-generation system of claim 1 , wherein the temperature control heat exchanger is fluidly connected to the turbine engine and the reactor heat exchanger downstream of the compressor and upstream of the reactor heat exchanger.

3. The power-generation system of claim 1 , wherein the temperature control heat exchanger is fluidly connected to the turbine engine and the reactor heat exchanger downstream of the reactor heat exchanger and upstream of the turbine.

4. The power-generation system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is programmed to deactivate the auxiliary power unit in response to the reactor heat exchanger heating the compressed air to a threshold temperature.

5. The power-generation system of claim 1 , wherein the first fluid has a first temperature and the second fluid has a second temperature, and the first temperature is less than the second temperature.

6. The power-generation system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is programmed to deactivate the blower and activate the auxiliary combustor in response to the compressed air being below a threshold temperature.

7. The power-generation system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is programmed to deactivate the blower and the auxiliary power unit and activate the auxiliary combustor in response to the compressed air being below a threshold temperature and an increased load demand on the first generator.

8. A power-generation system comprising
a power unit that includes a first generator and a turbine engine coupled to and configured to drive the first generator, the turbine engine includes a compressor that produces compressed air and a turbine,
a reactor heat exchanger in fluid communication with the compressor and the turbine and configured to transfer heat from a nuclear reactor to the compressed air, and
a temperature control system that includes a temperature control heat exchanger and a fluid source, the temperature control heat exchanger connected between the compressor and the turbine and in fluid communication with both the compressed air and the fluid source,
wherein the temperature control system further includes a controller and a mixing valve connected between the temperature control heat exchanger and the fluid source, and the controller is programmed to adjust the mixing valve to vary a flow rate of air through the mixing valve and to the temperature control heat exchanger,
wherein the fluid source is a blower that provides a flow of cool ambient air to the mixing valve so that the temperature control heat exchanger extracts heat from the compressed air.

9. The power-generation system of claim 8 , wherein the temperature control heat exchanger is fluidly connected to the turbine engine and the cooling fluid source downstream of the compressor and upstream of the reactor heat exchanger.

10. The power-generation system of claim 8 , wherein the temperature control heat exchanger is fluidly connected to the turbine engine and the cooling fluid source downstream of the reactor heat exchanger and upstream of the turbine.

11. The power-generation system of claim 8 , wherein the controller is further programmed to increase the flow rate of the cool ambient air through the mixing valve in response to the temperature of the compressed air received by the turbine being above a predetermined temperature and a load demand on the first generator being above a predetermined output.

12. The power-generation system of claim 8 , wherein the controller is further programmed to deactivate the blower in response to the temperature of the compressed air received by the turbine being below a predetermined temperature and a load demand on the first generator being below a predetermined output.

13. A method of operating the power-generation system for the nuclear reactor of claim 1 , the method comprising,
compressing the ambient air with the compressor,
heating the compressed air with the reactor heat exchanger that is in thermal communication with the nuclear reactor,
operating the first fluid source to provide the first fluid,
transferring heat between the compressed air and the first fluid through the temperature control heat exchanger,
conducting the compressed air through the turbine after transferring heat between the compressed air and the first fluid,
driving the first generator with the turbine to produce an electrical power load, and
controlling the flow of the first fluid through the mixing valve based on the temperature of the compressed air entering the turbine.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising deactivating the first fluid source and closing the mixing valve in response to the temperature of the compressed air being below a predetermined value and the electrical power load from the first generator being below a predetermined output.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first fluid source is the blower configured to provide the flow of ambient air as the first fluid.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising activating the first fluid source and opening the mixing valve in response to the temperature of the compressed air being above a predetermined value and the electrical power load from the first generator being above a predetermined output.

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Nam Tech Inc

Inventors

• Edwards Daniel G
• Michalik Alexander
• Eifert Andrew J
• Spangler Brian T

Classifications

• G21C15/12 Primary

  from pressure vessel; from containment vessel · CPC title

• G21C15/243

  for liquids · CPC title

• G21C15/253

  for gases, e.g. blowers · CPC title

• G21D3/00

  Control of nuclear power plant (control of nuclear reaction in general G21C7/00) · CPC title

• G21D1/00 Primary

  Details of nuclear power plant (control G21D3/00) · CPC title