Nuclear power generation method and system

• US 20100232561A1
• Filed: 01/09/2007
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Boss, Michael Joseph
• Application Number:
  US11/651,252
• Publication Number:
  US 20100232561A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 376/241
• CPC Class Codes: F01K 23/10 with exhaust fluid of one cycle heating the fluid in another cycle F01K17/025 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G21D 5/08 with engine working medium heated in a heat exchanger by the reactor coolant
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 30/00 Energy generation of nuclear origin

Abstract

A power generation system is disclosed. The power generation system includes a nuclear reactor, a steam turbine, a gas turbine, and a primary generator. The steam turbine is in thermal connection with the nuclear reactor via a transfer medium and converts thermal energy to rotation. The gas turbine converts thermal energy to rotation and is in thermal connection with the transfer medium to increase a thermal energy of the transfer medium. The primary generator is in mechanical connection with the steam turbine to generate power in response to a rotation of a rotor of the primary generator.

Claims

1. A power generation system comprising:

a transfer medium;

a nuclear reactor thermally connected to the transfer medium and capable of increasing a thermal energy of the transfer medium;

a steam turbine thermally connected to the transfer medium and capable of converting the thermal energy of the transfer medium to rotation;

a gas turbine arranged in parallel with the nuclear reactor and in thermal connection with the transfer medium and capable of increasing the thermal energy of the transfer medium entering the steam turbine via an exhaust gas of the gas turbine, the gas turbine driven by a fuel independent of the nuclear reactor; and

a primary generator in mechanical connection with the steam turbine to generate power in response to a rotation of a rotor of the primary generator.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a secondary generator in mechanical connection with the gas turbine to generate power in response to a rotation of a rotor of the secondary generator.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) to transfer thermal energy from an exhaust of the gas turbine to the transfer medium.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the transfer medium entering the steam turbine comprises thermal energy of about 300 to 700 degrees Fahrenheit of superheat.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the gas turbine comprises a plurality of gas turbines, wherein:

a number of the plurality of gas turbines is greater than a number of gas turbines necessary to increase the thermal energy of the transfer medium entering the steam turbine to about 300 to 700 degrees Fahrenheit of superheat.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the transfer medium is steam.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a cooling medium to cool the nuclear reactor; and

a steam generator in thermal connection with the cooling medium and the transfer medium, the steam generator transferring thermal energy from the cooling medium to the transfer medium.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the power generation system generates at least 1000 Megawatts electrical (MWe).

9. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the nuclear reactor generates at least 1500 Megawatts thermal (MWth).

10. The system of claim 9, comprising:

at least two gas turbines arranged to operate in parallel.

11. A method of generating electrical energy comprising:

transporting thermal energy from a nuclear reactor to a steam turbine via a transfer medium;

generating thermal energy and rotation of a shaft of a gas turbine;

combining a portion of the thermal energy generated by the gas turbine with the thermal energy of the transfer medium;

converting the combined thermal energy of the transfer medium to rotation of a shaft of the steam turbine; and

converting the rotation of the shaft of the steam turbine to electrical energy via a primary generator.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

converting the rotation of the shaft of the gas turbine to electrical energy via a secondary generator.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the converting the rotation of the shaft of the steam turbine to electrical energy and the converting the rotation of the shaft of the gas turbine to electrical energy comprise:

converting the rotation of the shaft of the steam turbine and the shaft of the gas turbine to generate a total of at least 1000 Megawatts electrical (MWe).

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the transporting thermal energy comprises:

transporting thermal energy from the nuclear reactor having a thermal output of at least 1500 Megawatts thermal (MWth) via the transfer medium to the steam turbine.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the generating thermal energy comprises:

rotation of at least two shafts of at least two gas turbines.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the combining comprises:

transferring thermal energy from the gas turbine to the transfer medium via a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG).

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the converting the combined thermal energy comprises:

converting the combined thermal energy of about 300 to 700 degrees Fahrenheit of superheat to rotation of the shaft of the steam turbine.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein:

the generating thermal energy comprises generating thermal energy and rotation of a plurality of shafts of a plurality of gas turbines, a number of the plurality of gas turbines greater than a number of gas turbines necessary to provide the combined thermal energy of the transfer medium having the thermal energy of about 300 to 700 degrees Fahrenheit of superheat.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the transporting thermal energy comprises:

transporting thermal energy from the nuclear reactor to the steam turbine via steam.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the transporting thermal energy comprises:

transferring thermal energy from the nuclear reactor to a cooling medium; and

transferring thermal energy from the cooling medium to the transfer medium via a steam generator.