Advanced High-Temperature Helium Brayton Cycles

Principal Investigator:
Peterson

Gas turbines operate at much higher average pressures than steam
turbines, and thus are more compact and substantially less expensive.
As occurred in the fossil energy industry, where natural gas fired
turbines could be built for much lower costs than steam-cycle coal
plants, nuclear power plants will evolve in the same direction.
Closed-cycle helium power conversion will be demonstrated in the
Next Generation Nuclear Plant, to be built at Idaho National Laboratory.
UCB is studying advanced high-temperature closed helium cycles,
based on this NGNP technology, that could be used with future molten-salt
and liquid metal cooled fusion and fission energy systems. Multiple
reheat stages, and high-pressure operation, have been shown to further
increase efficiency and substantially reduce capital costs. This
has major implications for fusion energy production, where the use
of the helium coolant, instead of steam, also greatly simplifies
the management of tritium.

Research Sponsors: DOE-OFES, SNL