KR101629657B1 - Micro power generation module - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a micro power generating module and, more particularly, to a module type micro power generating system including generating cycle and an output control device inside a containment vessel. The micro power generating module comprises: the containment vessel storing working fluid; heating sources arranged inside of the containment vessel; a circulating pipe, where the working fluid is heated by the heating sources, installed inside of the containment vessel; a turbine, installed inside the containment vessel along the circulating pipe, rotating by the expansion of the working fluid; a cooler for cooling the working fluid passed through the turbine; a compressor for compressing the working fluid passed through the cooler and providing the same for the heat sources; a generator, connected to the turbine, for generating power; and an output control device for introducing the working fluid saved in the containment vessel to the circulating pipe or discharging the working fluid flowing through the circulating pipe towards the containment vessel. The micro power generating module of the present invention is a module type including a generation cycle and an output control device inside a containment vessel. Therefore, the present invention can be easily installed and generate power through minimum processes of construction after the produced module is transported.

Description

[0001] MICRO POWER GENERATION MODULE [0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a power generation system, and more particularly, to a module type miniature power generation system in which a power generation cycle and an output control device are all contained in a containment vessel.

The power generation systems are Rankine cycle type and Brayton cycle type, and power is produced by driving the steam turbine and the gas turbine, respectively. There is also a hybrid system that uses a Rankine cycle and a Brayton cycle together. Conventional thermal and nuclear power plants produced electricity by using the Rankine cycle, which mainly uses water and water vapor as the working fluid.

The Brayton cycle has a closed cycle in which the working fluid is compressed and circulated through the compressor and an open cycle in which the fuel is supplied from the high pressure reservoir. Since the closed cycle continues to use the working fluid, there is no consumption of the working fluid, the constant pressure ratio can be maintained, and continuous operation is possible for a long time.

Conventional closed-loop Brayton cycles regulate the output by adjusting the amount of working fluid using an inventory controller or by adjusting the pressure of the working fluid using a gas accumulator.

Korean Patent Publication No. 2000-0030983 U.S. Published Patent Application No. US2013 / 0180259

Ho Joon Yoon, Yoohan Ahn, Jeong Ik Lee, Yacine Addad, Potential Advantages of Coupling Supercritical CO2 Brayton Cycle to Water-cooled Small and Medium Size Reactor, Nuclear Engineering and Design, Vol.245, 223-232, 2012. Jekyoung Lee, Yoonhan Ahn, Seong Gu Kim, Jeong Ik Lee, Jae Eun Cha, Conceptual Design of Supercritical CO2 Brayton Cycle Radial Turbomachinery for SMART Application, Transactions of the Korean Nuclear Society, October 25-26, 2012.

An object of the present invention is to provide a module-type micro power generation system in which a power generation cycle and an output control device are all contained in a containment vessel.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a micro power generation module including a storage container for storing a working fluid, a heat source disposed inside the storage container, a working fluid heated by the heat source circulated, A turbine arranged inside the containment vessel along the circulation pipe and configured to rotate by expansion of a working fluid, a cooler configured to cool a working fluid that has passed through the turbine, and a cooler configured to cool the working fluid passing through the cooler A compressor for compressing the fluid and supplying the fluid to the heat source; a generator connected to the turbine for generating electric power; a control unit for injecting a working fluid stored in the containment vessel into the circulation pipe to adjust the output of the generator, And an output control device for discharging the working fluid flowing in the circulation pipe to the containment vessel.

In the above-described miniature power generation module, the output control device pressurizes and injects the working fluid stored in the containment vessel into the circulation pipe between the cooler and the compressor, and the working fluid flowing through the circulation pipe from the circulation pipe between the heat source and the turbine To the containment vessel.

In addition, the output control device may include a control pump configured to pressurize the circulating piping between the cooler and the compressor and to inject the working fluid stored in the containment vessel, and a working fluid flowing through the circulating piping installed in the circulating piping between the heat source and the turbine And a control valve for discharging the gas to the containment vessel.

The turbine and the generator may be connected to each other through the magnetic coupling with the containment vessel interposed therebetween. Further, the generator may be installed inside the containment vessel.

The micro power generation module further includes a cooler heat exchanger provided outside the containment vessel and a coolant heat exchanger circulation pipe for supplying and recovering a working fluid in the cooler to the coolant heat exchanger, It is preferable to cool it.

The heat source may include a heat exchanger installed in the containment vessel, and a heat exchanger circulation pipe for supplying a heated heat medium to the heat exchanger and recovering a heat medium having undergone heat exchange with the working fluid.

The heat source includes a reactor core and a reactor vessel surrounding the core and forming a space through which a coolant for cooling the core flows, It can be a reactor. The heat exchanger may further include a heat pipe having one end connected to the core and the other end extending to the outside of the containment vessel.

The working fluid and the coolant may be carbon dioxide.

Since the micro power generation module according to the present invention is a module type including both a power generation cycle and an output control device in a containment vessel, the manufactured module can be installed and installed immediately through a minimum construction work.

Further, since the working fluid is stored in the containment vessel, there is an advantage that a separate working fluid reservoir for controlling the output is not necessary.

1 is a conceptual diagram of an embodiment of a micro power generation module according to the present invention.
2 is a conceptual diagram of another embodiment of the micro power generation module according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of a micro power generation module according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments are provided by way of example so that those skilled in the art can fully understand the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below, but may be embodied in other forms.

1 is a conceptual diagram of an embodiment of a micro power generation module according to the present invention. 1, an embodiment of a micro module nuclear power plant according to the present invention includes a containment vessel 10, an outer containment vessel 20, a reactor 30, a circulation pipe 40, a turbine 50, A compressor 70, a recuperator 80, a generator 90, and an output control device 110. The compressor 70, In this embodiment, the reactor 30 is used as a heat source.

The reactor 30 except for the generator 90, the circulation pipe 40, the turbine 50, the cooler 60, the compressor 70 and the heat exchanger 80 are installed in the containment vessel 10. The containment vessel 10 is disposed in the outer containment vessel 20 and the generator 90 is installed between the containment vessel 10 and the outer containment vessel 20.

The reactor 30, the circulation pipe 40, the turbine 50, the cooler 60, the compressor 70 and the heat exchanger 80 form a closed Brayton cycle. The reactor 30 heats the working fluid as a heat source of the Brayton cycle and the circulation pipe 40 forms a path through which the working fluid discharged from the reactor 30 circulates. The turbine (50) rotates during the expansion of the working fluid.

The recuperator 80 recovers heat in the middle of the cycle to increase the efficiency of the cycle. The cooler 60 cools the working fluid for compression. The compressor 70 compresses the working fluid to complete the Brayton cycle.

The working fluid may be supercritical carbon dioxide, helium, or a mixture of carbon dioxide and helium. In this embodiment, supercritical carbon dioxide is used as the working fluid. Supercritical carbon dioxide plays a role of absorbing and releasing heat energy by temperature change. Supercritical fluid refers to a fluid at a point where it can not distinguish a liquid from a gas by reaching a state exceeding a certain high temperature and high pressure limit. The density of the molecules is close to the liquid, but the viscosity is low and has a property close to the gas. Supercritical carbon dioxide conveys heat energy while utilizing the circulation line 40 connecting the components of the Brayton cycle to each other.

Breton cycles using supercritical carbon dioxide as the working fluid have the following advantages: First, since there is no phase change in the cycle, there is no risk of destruction of the blade due to abnormal flow in the turbine or compressor. Second, since the inflow condition of the compressor is located near the critical point, the compressor operates like a pump due to the high density of the working fluid, thereby greatly reducing the consumption of the compressor. As a result, the amount of circulation represented by the difference between the work of the turbine and the work of the compressor increases, and the heat utilization efficiency of the cycle is greatly increased. Third, since the supercritical carbon dioxide is vaporized and leaves only contaminants when it is blown, no secondary waste such as water contaminated with radioactivity remains.

Hereinafter, the configuration and operation of each stage of the Brayton cycle will be described in more detail.

The reactor 30 includes a core 31, a reactor vessel 32, a control rod 33, and the like. The core (31) is the center of the reactor (30), where the atomic nucleus of the nuclear fuel combines with the neutron to generate a split fission and generate energy. The reactor vessel 32 refers to a hermetically sealed container for accommodating the core 31 and the reactor cooling system. The control rod 33 is covered with a material that absorbs thermal neutrons well. The reactivity of the nuclear fuel can be controlled by inserting and removing the control rod 33 into the core 31 of the reactor 30. [ Further, the reactor vessel 32 forms a space through which the coolant for cooling the core 31 and the supercritical carbon dioxide as the operating fluid flow.

One end of the reactor 30 is connected to the core 31 and the other end of the reactor 30 is provided with a heat pipe 34 extending to the outside of the containment vessel 10. The heat pipe 34 serves to discharge decay heat of the core 31 to the outside.

Supercritical carbon dioxide is heated by the thermal energy supplied from the reactor 30 and supplied to the turbine 50 at a high temperature and a high pressure. The thermal energy of the hot circulating fluid in the turbine 50 is converted to a heat. When the hot circulating fluid is expanded, a part of the thermal energy at the nozzle portion of the turbine 50 is converted into kinetic energy. Next, some of the kinetic energy is transferred to the bucket of the turbine 50 and converted into a work. Some of the converted work is used to drive the compressor 70, which is coaxially connected to the turbine 50, and the rest is utilized for power generation.

When the turbine (50) rotates, power is generated in the rotary generator (90) connected to the turbine (50). The turbine 50 and the generator 90 are connected to each other through the magnetic coupling with the containment vessel 10 therebetween. It is in principle to prevent leakage which may occur in the sealing part.

Supercritical carbon dioxide, which consumes thermal energy in the process of rotating the turbine 50, is discharged from the turbine 50.

The thermal energy of the supercritical carbon dioxide discharged from the turbine 50 is partially recovered from the recuperator 80. The recovered heat energy is used to heat the cooled supercritical carbon dioxide to a predetermined temperature through the cooler 60 and the compressor 70.

Supercritical carbon dioxide passing through the recuperator (80) is cooled to a predetermined temperature in the cooler (60) and discharged. The cooler 60 is connected through an air-cooled cooler heat exchanger 61 provided outside the outer containment vessel 20 and a coolant heat exchanger circulation pipe 62. The supercritical carbon dioxide of the cooler 60 is supplied to the cooler heat exchanger 61 through the cooler heat exchanger circulation pipe 62. In the cooler heat exchanger (61), heat exchange is performed between supercritical carbon dioxide and outside air supplied through an air cooling fan or the like. The supercritical carbon dioxide cooled in the cooler heat exchanger (61) is supplied back to the cooler (60).

The supercritical carbon dioxide passing through the cooler 60 is compressed in the compressor 70 and absorbs heat in the recuperator 80. And then supplied to the reactor 30 again to complete the cycle.

Hereinafter, the output control apparatus will be described.

The output control device 110 serves to regulate the output of the generator 90. The output control device 110 includes a control pump 111 and a control valve 112. In this embodiment, carbon dioxide, which is an operating oil, is stored in the containment vessel 10. Since the pressure inside the containment vessel 10 is about 50 to 60 bar, the carbon dioxide exists in a gaseous state. The output control device 110 injects the carbon dioxide stored in the containment vessel 10 into the circulation pipe 40 or discharges the working fluid flowing in the circulation pipe 40 to the containment vessel to generate the output of the generator 90 . In order to increase the output, high pressure carbon dioxide is injected into the circulation pipe 40, and in order to lower the output, the working fluid of the circulation pipe 40 is discharged to the containment vessel 10.

The control pump 111 serves to inject carbon dioxide into the circulation pipe 40. Since the pressure inside the circulation pipe 40 is higher than the pressure inside the containment vessel 10, the control pump 111 pressurizes and injects the carbon dioxide. The control pump 111 is preferably configured to inject carbon dioxide into the circulation pipe 40 between the cooler 60 and the compressor 70. Since the temperature and pressure of the working fluid are lowest in the circulation pipe 40 disposed between the cooler 60 and the compressor 70, the fluid can be injected only when the pressure is about 20 to 30 bar by the control pump 111 . That is, the fluid can be injected with a small compression time.

The control valve 112 serves to discharge the carbon dioxide circulating through the circulation pipe 40 to the containment vessel. The control valve 112 is preferably installed in the circulation pipe 40 between the reactor 30 and the turbine 50. If the load on the generator 90 and the turbine 50 are disconnected mechanically in the event of a loss of load, the turbine 50 will rotate much faster than the design speed. When the turbine 50 is rotated at an excessive speed, damage to the turbine blades occurs and replacement is required. Therefore, the high-temperature, high-pressure fluid entering the inlet of the turbine 50 is discharged to the containment vessel 10 through the control valve 112 to protect the turbine 50 when the load is lost.

The present embodiment is advantageous in that the containment vessel 10 can be used as a carbon dioxide storage vessel, so that a separate working fluid reservoir is not necessary. Further, the carbon dioxide filled in the containment vessel 10 has an advantage that it can shield neutrons and gamma rays leaking from the core.

Hereinafter, an operation method in an emergency will be described.

In normal operation, the air cooling fan of the cooler heat exchanger (61) connected to the cooler (60) is operated by using a part of the power generated by the generator (90), thereby removing supercritical carbon dioxide heat. At this time, heat is also partially discharged through the heat pipe 34.

However, in an emergency in which the core 31 is overheated, the turbine 50 operates in a turbocharger mode in which the compressor 70 is rotated for a few minutes to remove the heat of the core 31. Further, the decay heat of the core 31 through the heat pipe 34 is directly discharged to the outside. This can prevent serious accidents such as melting of the core (31).

2 is a conceptual diagram of another embodiment of the micro power generation module according to the present invention. The embodiment shown in FIG. 2 differs in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 from the type of the heat source and the installation position of the generator, and therefore only the embodiment will be described in detail.

The heat source of this embodiment includes a heat exchanger circulation pipe 121 configured to supply a heated heat medium to the heat exchanger 120 and the heat exchanger 120 and to recover the heat medium having undergone the heat exchange with the working fluid. For example, the heat exchanger 120 may be a heat exchanger 120 of a solar power generation system. Solar power generation is a power generation method in which a heating medium is heated using a heat collecting plate, a working fluid connected to the turbine is heated through a heat exchanger 120, and a turbine is rotated using a heated working fluid to generate electricity. In the heat exchanger 120, a heat medium heated by the heat collecting plate is supplied through the heat exchanger circulation pipe 121, and the heat medium transfers heat to the working fluid through the heat exchanger 120.

In this embodiment, the generator 90 is disposed inside the containment vessel 10, and only the transmission line extends outside the containment vessel 10.

The miniature power generation modules according to the present embodiment can be directly developed by disposing the micro power generation modules in a place such as a desert where the heat collecting plates are disposed and connecting the heat medium storage tank and the heat exchanger circulating pipe 121 in which the heating medium heated through the heat collecting plate is connected.

While the present invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be practical exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

For example, solar heat is used as a means for heating a heating medium supplied to the heat exchanger of FIG. 2, and thermal power such as coal or gas, nuclear power, or the like may be used.

10: containment vessel 20: outer containment vessel
30: Reactor 31: Core
32: reactor vessel 33: control rod
34: heat pipe 40: circulation pipe
50: turbine 60: cooler
61: cooler heat exchanger 62: cooler heat exchanger circulation pipe
70: compressor 80:
90: generator 110: output control device
111: control pump 112: control valve
120: Heat exchanger 121: Heat exchanger circulation pipe

Claims (10)

A containment vessel in which a working fluid is stored,
A heat source disposed inside the containment vessel,
A circulation pipe arranged inside the containment vessel in which a working fluid heated by the heat source is circulated,
A turbine configured to rotate by the expansion of the working fluid, a cooler configured to cool the working fluid passing through the turbine, and a working fluid passing through the cooler, A compressor configured to supply,
A generator connected to the turbine to generate electric power;
And an output control device for injecting a working fluid stored in the containment vessel into the circulation pipe or discharging a working fluid flowing in the circulation pipe to the containment vessel to adjust the output of the generator. The method according to claim 1,
The output control device pressurizes and injects the working fluid stored in the containment vessel to the circulation pipe between the cooler and the compressor and discharges the working fluid flowing in the circulation pipe from the circulation pipe between the heat source and the turbine to the containment vessel. Power generation module. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the output control device includes a control pump configured to pressurize and inject a working fluid stored in the containment vessel into a circulation pipe between the cooler and the compressor, and a working fluid provided in the circulation pipe between the heat source and the turbine, And a control valve that discharges the gas into the container. The method according to claim 1,
And the turbine and the generator are connected to each other through the magnetic coupling with the containment vessel interposed therebetween. The method according to claim 1,
And the generator is installed inside the containment vessel. The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising a cooler heat exchanger provided outside the containment vessel and a coolant heat exchanger circulation pipe for supplying and recovering the working fluid in the cooler to the cooler heat exchanger,
And the cooler heat exchanger cools the working fluid supplied from the cooler. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the heat source includes a heat exchanger installed in the containment vessel and a heat exchanger circulation pipe for supplying a heated heat medium to the heat exchanger and recovering a heat medium having undergone heat exchange with the working fluid. The method according to claim 1,
The heat source includes a reactor core and a reactor vessel surrounding the core and forming a space through which a coolant for cooling the core flows, Micro power generation module. 9. The method of claim 8,
And a heat pipe connected to the core at one end and extending to the outside of the containment vessel at the other end. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the working fluid is carbon dioxide.

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