Thermodynamic Analysis and Optimization of Mobile Nuclear System

Guobin Jia, Guifeng Zhu, Yuwen Ma, Jingen Chen () and Yang Zou ()
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Guobin Jia: Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China
Guifeng Zhu: Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China
Yuwen Ma: Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China
Jingen Chen: Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China
Yang Zou: Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201800, China

Energies, 2024, vol. 18, issue 1, 1-26

Abstract: This paper develops a system–component integrated design method for a closed Brayton cycle in a nuclear-powered emergency power vehicle, optimizing the thermodynamic performance by varying the maximum operating temperature and pressure, minimum operating temperature, helium–xenon gas molar mass, and PCHE parameters to maximize the specific power and thermal efficiency. The key results are as follows: (1) The maximum allowable pressure decreases with the temperature, and the specific power increases for both the SRC and the IRC without considering the ultimate heat sink. (2) The PCHE weight is minimized at a helium–xenon gas molar mass of 25 g/mol, while the turbomachine’s weight decreases with an increasing molar mass, leading to an overall system weight reduction. (3) The thermal efficiency decreases with lower minimum operating temperatures, optimizing at 350 K due to a precooler weight increase. (4) The thermal efficiency plateaus after a certain number of PCHE channels, with the recuperator effectiveness significantly impacting the performance. (5) The SRC, with a specific power and a thermal efficiency of 194.38 kW/kg and 39.19%, is preferred over the IRC for the SIMONS due to its mobility and rapid deployment. This study offers a comprehensive analysis for optimizing closed Brayton cycle systems in emergency power applications.

Keywords: system–component integrated design method; specific power; He-Xe binary mixture gas; closed Brayton cycle; mobile nuclear system (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: 2024
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