SuperCritical-Water-cooled Reactors (SCWRs) are being developed as one of the Generation-IV nuclear-reactor concepts. SuperCritical Water (SCW) Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) are expected to have much higher operating parameters compared to current NPPs, i.e., pressure of about 25 MPa and outlet temperature up to 625 oC. This study presents the heat transfer analysis of an intermediate Heat exchanger (HX) design for indirect-cycle concepts of Pressure-Tube (PT) and Pressure-Vessel (PV) SCWRs. Thermodynamic configurations with an intermediate HX gives a possibility to have a single-reheat option for PT and PV SCWRs without introducing steam-reheat channels into a reactor. Similar to the current CANDU and Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) NPPs, steam generators separate the primary loop from the secondary loop. In this way, the primary loop can be completely enclosed in a reactor containment building. This study analyzes the heat transfer from a SCW primary (reactor) loop to a SCW and Super-Heated Steam (SHS) secondary (turbine) loop using a double-pipe intermediate HX. The numerical model is developed with MATLAB and NIST REFPROP software. Water from the primary loop flows through the inner pipe, and water from the secondary loop flows through the annulus in the counter direction of the double-pipe HX. The analysis on the double-pipe HX shows temperature and profiles of thermophysical properties along the heated length of the HX. It was found that the pseudocritical region has a significant effect on the temperature profiles and heat-transfer area of the HX. An analysis shows the effect of variation in pressure, temperature, mass flow rate, and pipe size on the pseudocritical region and the heat-transfer area of the HX. The results from the numerical model can be used to optimize the heat-transfer area of the HX. The higher pressure difference on the hot side and higher temperature difference between the hot and cold sides reduces the pseudocritical-region length, thus decreases the heat-transfer surface area of the HX. / UOIT

Dissertação(mestrado)-Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia Oceânica, Escola de Engenharia, 2006. / Submitted by Lilian M. Silva (lilianmadeirasilva@hotmail.com) on 2013-04-23T21:28:50Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Estudo da eficiência energetica em sistemas de refrigeracao mecanica que utilizam r 717 contaminado por Água Uma Aplicação Para A Indústria Pesqueira de Rio Grande.pdf: 9060063 bytes, checksum: 062f3d7bf45bc90a87b8e3cd34a178fe (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Gabriela Silva da Rosa(gabrielasilvadarosa@gmail.com) on 2013-07-01T21:31:07Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Estudo da eficiência energetica em sistemas de refrigeracao mecanica que utilizam r 717 contaminado por Água Uma Aplicação Para A Indústria Pesqueira de Rio Grande.pdf: 9060063 bytes, checksum: 062f3d7bf45bc90a87b8e3cd34a178fe (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2013-07-01T21:31:07Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Estudo da eficiência energetica em sistemas de refrigeracao mecanica que utilizam r 717 contaminado por Água Uma Aplicação Para A Indústria Pesqueira de Rio Grande.pdf: 9060063 bytes, checksum: 062f3d7bf45bc90a87b8e3cd34a178fe (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006 / Este trabalho aborda, a influência da contaminação por água, sobre a eficiência energética de uma instalação de refrigeração mecânica funcionando com fluido refrigerante R-717. O estudo toma como base as amostras de refrigerante coletadas e as grandezas termodinâmicas levantadas em pesquisa de campo realizadas nos sistemas de refrigeração da indústria pesqueira local. Com as informações obtidas e utilizando o pacote computacional CoolPack, foram calculadas as performances dos ciclos termodinâmicos operando com o fluido anidro e contaminado com água em diversas concentrações. Mostra-se por meio desse estudo, que a contaminação por água, normalmente negligenciada, deve ser considerada como um dos parâmetros mais significativos na avaliação do potencial de economia de energia destas instalações. / This work approaches, the influence of the contamination for water, on the energy efficiency of an installation of mechanical refrigeration working with fluid soda R-717. The study takes as base the soda samples collected and the lifted up thermodynamic greatness in the obtain infomation and using the software CollPack, the perfromances of the thermodynamic cycles were calculted operating with the fluid anhydrous and polluted with water in several concentrations. It shown by middle of that study, that the contamination for water, usually neglectful, it should be considered as one of the most significant parameters in the evaluation of the potential of economy of energy of these facilities.

abstract: About 20-50% of industrial processes energy is lost as waste heat in their operations. The thermal hydraulic engine relies on the thermodynamic properties of supercritical carbon dioxide (CO2) to efficiently perform work. Carbon dioxide possesses great properties that makes it a safe working fluid for the engine’s applications. This research aims to preliminarily investigate the actual efficiency which can be obtained through experimental data and compare that to the Carnot or theoretical maximum efficiency. The actual efficiency is investigated through three approaches. However, only the efficiency results from the second method are validated since the other approaches are based on a complete actual cycle which was not achieved for the engine. The efficiency of the thermal hydraulic engine is found to be in the range of 0.5% to 2.2% based on the second method which relies on the boundary work by the piston. The heating and cooling phases of the engine’s operation are viewed on both the T-s (temperature-entropy) and p-v (pressure-volume) diagrams. The Carnot efficiency is also found to be 13.7% from a temperature difference of 46.20C based on the measured experimental data. It is recommended that the thermodynamic cycle and efficiency investigation be repeated using an improved heat exchanger design to reduce energy losses and gains during both the heating and cooling phases. The temperature of CO2 can be measured through direct contact with the thermocouple and pressure measurements can be improved using a digital pressure transducer for the thermodynamic cycle investigation. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Mechanical Engineering 2020

This master thesis follows the bachelor thesis with the same name. It is looks into the analyses of the combi-cycle, the advantage of which is high efficiency and easy separation of CO2 for its storage and further usage. It introduces the Graz cycle, its thermal balance a basic arrangement. The calculation is attached in a separate .XLS file. At the end of the thesis, the result of the calculation is interpreted and the conditions under which the project would be realized are outlined.

A novel turbo rotary engine, operating according to a novel thermodynamic cycle, having an efficient compression phase, a limited temperature combustion phase followed by a long power extraction phase is designed. Thermodynamic and structural design and analysis of this novel engine is carried out and two prototypes are manufactured according to these analysis. High performance figures such as torque, power and low specific fuel consumption are calculated. Also the component tests of the manufactured prototypes are completed and their results are demonstrated.

Distributed power generation through renewable sources of energy has the potential of meeting the challenge of providing electricity access to the off-grid population, estimated to be around 1.2 billion residing across the globe with 300 million in India, in a sustainable way. Technological solutions developed around these energy challenges often involve thermal systems that convert heat available from sources like solar, biomass, geothermal or unused industrial processes into electricity. Conventional steam based thermodynamic cycle at distributed scale (< 1 MWe) suffers from low efficiency driving scientific research to develop new, scalable, efficient and economically viable power cycles. This PhD work conducts one such study which provides a database of thermal power blocks optimized for the lowest initial investment cost to developers of distributed power plants. The work is divided in two steps; a) feasibility study of various thermodynamic cycles for distributed power generation covering different operating temperature regimes and b) perform their detailed thermo-economic modelling for the heat sources mentioned above. Thermodynamic cycles are classified into three temperature domains namely, low (< 450 K), medium (< 600 K) and high (< 1000 K) T cycles. Any fluid whose triple point temperature is below the typical ambient temperatures is a potential working fluid in the power cycle. Most of the organic and the inorganic fluids satisfy this criterion and can be perceived as potential power cycle fluids. The general notion is that organic fluids are more suited for low or medium temperature cycles whereas inorganic fluids for high temperature ones. Organic fluids can further be classified into hydrofluorocarbon and hydrocarbon. While the former has high global warming potential (GWP), the latter is flammable in nature. Their mixture in certain compositions is found to obviate both the demerits and perform equally well on thermodynamic scales for low T cycles. On the similar lines, mixture of HCs and inorganic fluids, such as propane+CO2 and isopentane+CO2 are found to be more appropriate for medium T applications if the issues like pinch temperature in the regenerator arising due to temperature glide are taken care of. In the high temperature domain, high efficiency Brayton cycle (supercritical CO2) and transcritical condensing cycles are studied with the latter being 2 % more efficient than the former. However, application of the condensing cycle is limited to low temperature ambient locations owing to low critical temperature of CO2 (304 K). In the same cycle configuration, mixture of CO2 and propane (52 and 48%) with a critical temperature of ~ 320 K is observed to retain the thermodynamic performance with the increased heat rejection temperature matched to the tropical ambient conditions. However, these cycles are plagued by the high operating pressures (~300 bar) calling for high temperature steel making the power block uneconomical. In this regard, the advanced CO2 cycles are developed wherein the optimum operating pressures are limited to 150 bar with an increased cycle efficiency of 6 % over the S-CO2 cycle. Feasibility study carried out on these cycles in the Indian context indicates the low and medium T cycles to be better suited for distributed power generation over the high T cycles. In the second part of work, a comprehensive study is performed to optimize the low and the medium T cycles on a thermo-economic basis for the minimum specific investment cost ($/We). Such a study involves development of component level models which are then integrated to form the system of interest, thus, following a bottom-up approach. A major emphasis is given on the development of scroll expander and low cost pebble bed thermal energy storage system that are the reported in the literature as the areas with high uncertainties while connecting them to the system. Subsequently, the key design parameters influencing the specific cost of power from an air-cooled ORC are identified and used to formulate a 7-dimensional space to search for the minimum costs for applications with a) geothermal/waste or biogas heat sources and b) solar ORCs. Corresponding maps of operating parameters are generated to facilitate distributed power engineers in the design of economic systems within constraints such as available heat source temperatures, maximum expander inlet pressures imposed, etc. Further, the effect of power scaling on these specific costs is evaluated for ORC capacities between 5 and 500 kWe.

Les travaux présentés dans cette thèse concernent un nouveau procédé de stockage d'électricité à échelle industrielle, sous forme de stockage de chaleur sensible. La chaleur est stockée dans deux échangeurs gaz-solide de grande taille appelés régénérateurs qui sont reliés à une paire de turbomachines (compresseur et turbine) formant ainsi un cycle thermodynamique. Selon le sens d'écoulement du fluide caloporteur, ce cycle est de type « pompe à chaleur » en stockage ou « moteur thermique » en déstockage. La modélisation complète du procédé a permis de caractériser son comportement dans un cas industriel, et de mettre en évidence les tendances principales du système. Les performances prévues se rapprochent de celles des installations existantes les plus adaptées au stockage massif d'électricité, telles que le stockage hydraulique gravitaire. Une étude CFD a permis l'optimisation d'une géométrie de canal à obstacles destinée à intensifier l'échange thermique dans les régénérateurs et qui sera testée expérimentalement à la suite de cette thèse. Les préparatifs de cette expérience sont abordés et ses objectifs sont explicités. / Les travaux présentés dans cette thèse concernent un nouveau procédé de stockage d'électricité à échelle industrielle, sous forme de stockage de chaleur sensible. La chaleur est stockée dans deux échangeurs gaz-solide de grande taille appelés régénérateurs qui sont reliés à une paire de turbomachines (compresseur et turbine) formant ainsi un cycle thermodynamique. Selon le sens d'écoulement du fluide caloporteur, ce cycle est de type « pompe à chaleur » en stockage ou « moteur thermique » en déstockage. La modélisation complète du procédé a permis de caractériser son comportement dans un cas industriel, et de mettre en évidence les tendances principales du système. Les performances prévues se rapprochent de celles des installations existantes les plus adaptées au stockage massif d'électricité, telles que le stockage hydraulique gravitaire. Une étude CFD a permis l'optimisation d'une géométrie de canal à obstacles destinée à intensifier l'échange thermique dans les régénérateurs et qui sera testée expérimentalement à la suite de cette thèse. Les préparatifs de cette expérience sont abordés et ses objectifs sont explicités.

This dissertation about the Stirling engine deals with the history and formation of the heat engine. At the beginning of this work, fundamental parts and their functions are described, elucidating the principle of operation explained by the thermodynamic cycle and subsequently comparing the ideal and the real Stirling cycle and last but not least provides various modifications whilst describing their differences. The mathematical model of the Stirling engine is processed by Schmidth’s theoretical analysis and thereafter is created in PScad v46. The process of creating a model is shown in one of the chapters of this dissertation. The results were taken into account in the design of 3D models in Inventor Professional by Autodesk. The work concludes with the evaluation of the computational model and its functionality as well as the documentation of the 3D model.

No description available.

The aim of this thesis is to evaluate ORC systems and technologies from an energy and economic perspective. ORC systems are a growing renewable electricity generation technology, but New Zealand has limited local skills and expertise for identifying ORC resource opportunities and subsequently developing suitable technologies at low cost. For this reason, this thesis researches ORC technology, resource types, and international development, with the aim to determine guidelines for how to cost-effectively develop ORC systems, and to make recommendations applicable to furthering their development within a New Zealand context. This thesis first uses two surveys, one of commercial ORC installations, and a second of economic evaluations of ORC systems in literature, to determine what resources and economic scenarios are supportive of commercial development. It is found that geothermal resources provide the largest share of ORC capacity, with biomass and waste-heat recovery (WHR) being developed more recently. The surveys also found that countries with high electricity prices or policy interventions have developed a wider range of resources using ORC systems. This thesis then undertakes an EROI evaluation of ORC electricity generation systems using a combination of top-down and process based methodologies. Various heat sources; geothermal, biomass, solar, and waste heat are evaluated in order to determine how the utilised resource can affect energy profitability. A wide range of EROIstnd values, from 3.4 – 22.7 are found, with solar resources offering the lowest EROIs, and geothermal systems the highest. Higher still EROI values are found to be obtainable with longer system lifetimes, especially for WHR systems. Specific engineering aspects of ORC design and technology such as high-side pressure, heat storage, modularity, superheating, pinch-point temperature difference, and turbine efficiency are evaluated in terms of economic performance, and a variety of general conclusions are made about each. It is found that total system thermo-economic optimisation may not lead to the highest possible EROI, depending on the objective function. Lastly, the effects of past and potential future changes to the markets and economies surrounding ORCs are explored, including the New Zealand electricity spot price, steel and aluminium prices, subsidies, and climate policy. Of the subsidy types explored, it is found that directly subsidising ORC system capital has the greatest effect on the economic performance of ORC systems, as measured by common metrics. In conclusion, this thesis finds that ORC systems have a limited applicability to New Zealand’s electricity market under current economic conditions outside of geothermal and off-grid generation, but changes to these conditions could potentially make their development more viable. The author recommends that favourable resources should be developed using systems that provide high efficiencies, beyond what might provide the best economic performance, in order to increase EROI, and reduce the future need for costly investments into increasingly less favourable resources.