Grid-Scale Ternary-Pumped Thermal Electricity Storage for Flexible Operation of Nuclear Power Generation under High Penetration of Renewable Energy Sources

Rob Hovsapian, Julian D. Osorio, Mayank Panwar, Chryssostomos Chryssostomidis and Juan C. Ordonez
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Rob Hovsapian: Energy Systems Integration, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO 80401, USA
Julian D. Osorio: Center for Energy Conversion & Storage, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO 80401, USA
Mayank Panwar: Energy Systems Integration, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO 80401, USA
Chryssostomos Chryssostomidis: Mechanical & Ocean Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
Juan C. Ordonez: Department of Mechanical Engineering, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Energy and Sustainability Center and Center for Advanced Power Systems, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32310, USA

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 13, 1-15

Abstract: In this work, the integration of a grid-scale ternary-Pumped Thermal Electricity Storage (t-PTES) with a nuclear power generation to enhance operation flexibility is assessed using physics-based models and digital real time simulation. A part of the electricity from the nuclear power generation is delivered to the grid, and the balance is used to power a heat pump that can be augmented by an auxiliary resistive load element to increase the charging rate of the thermal storage. This increases the thermal potential between hot and cold thermal stores (usually solid materials or molten salts inside large storage tanks). The thermal energy is transformed back into electricity by reversing the heat pump cycle. Different transient scenarios including startup, shutdown, and power change for grid-connected operation are simulated to determine the behavior of the hybrid nuclear-t-PTES system operating under variable loads that constitute a departure from conventional, baseload nuclear plant operation schemes. Ternary refers to the three modes operation: (i) heat pump (including heating coil), (ii) heat engine, and (iii) simultaneous operation of heat pump (including heating coil) and heat engine during changeover from pumping to generation or vice-versa. The controllability of t-PTES in the short timescales as a dynamic load is used to demonstrate operational flexibility of hybrid nuclear plants for flexible operation through advanced load management. The integration of t-PTES into nuclear power systems enhances the system flexibility and is an enabler for high penetration of renewable energy resources.

Keywords: ternary-Pumped Thermal Electricity Storage (t-PTES); nuclear reactor; flexible operation; thermal-electrical co-simulation; grid integration (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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