Super Critical Carbon Dioxide Brayton Cycle Based Heat Removal System in Nuclear Power Plants

Heat removal from the core and spent fuel is one of the fundamental safety functions. Mobile equipment for heat removal from the core and spent fuel is required after Fukushima accident, but there are various constraints for modification of current operating nuclear power plants, such as layout, especially when new equipment are needed inside the containment. New reactor designs emphasize passive safety systems, but most passive safety systems rely on large pool and the heat removal duration depends on water volume. Super critical carbon dioxide brayton cycle can work as a heat engine by itself without external power supply or water supply, and supply surplus electricity due to the difference between expansion work and compression work. Also, super critical carbon dioxide brayton cycle is small, can be designed as a modular, mobile system and has little effect to system configuration or layout of current operating nuclear power plants. Super critical carbon dioxide brayton cycle is a good choice for self-propelling or passive heat removal for nuclear power plant modifications or new reactor designs without difficult modification of system configuration or layout. Super critical carbon dioxide Brayton cycle based heat removal system in nuclear power plants is designed and its technical feasibility is analyzed.