Abstract

Markets are changing as the result of (1) the addition of variable wind and solar that causes highly volatile electricity prices and (2) the goal of a low-carbon economy. These changes require economic low-carbon dispatchable electricity, which is now provided by natural gas turbines, and dispatchable heat for industry and commerce. Moreover, nuclear plant requirements have changed in the last 50 years with high capital costs in western countries. An alternative plant design is described with the nuclear island separated from a nonnuclear power block by large-scale heat storage. All heat from the reactor is sent to heat storage. The nuclear reactor operates at base load and is sized to meet average energy demand over a period of days. Heat storage provides variable heat to industry and/or the power block. The nonnuclear power block is sized to provide peak electricity capacity (kilowatts) several times the nuclear reactor base-load power output to maximize revenue by sale of electricity at times of high prices. The power block capital cost (heat exchanger, turbine, and generator) per unit of generating capacity (kilowatt) is less than a conventional gas turbine that includes heat generation (compressor and burner) and the power block (turbine and generator). Nuclear reactor capital cost is reduced by fewer requirements on the nuclear system (not connected to the grid) and nuclear-quality construction for only the reactor. Operating costs (security, maintenance, etc.) are minimized by separation of the nuclear reactor plant from balance of plant. Low-cost heat storage provides a competitive economic advantage to heat-generating technologies (nuclear, concentrated solar power) over electricity-generating technologies (wind, solar, photovoltaic) with more-expensive battery or other electricity storage systems in providing dispatchable electricity to the grid.

摘要

市场正在发生变化，原因是：(1) 风能和太阳能的增加导致电价高度波动，以及 (2) 低碳经济的目标。这些变化需要经济的低碳可调度电力（现在由天然气涡轮机提供），以及工业和商业的可调度热能。此外，核电站的要求在过去 50 年中发生了变化，西方国家的资本成本很高。描述了一种替代工厂设计，其中核岛通过大型蓄热器与非核动力块分开。来自反应器的所有热量都被送到储热器。核反应堆在基本负荷下运行，其大小可满足几天内的平均能源需求。储热向工业和/或电源模块提供可变热量。非核电块的大小可提供数倍于核反应堆基本负荷电力输出的峰值电力容量（千瓦），以通过在高价时出售电力来最大化收入。每单位发电量（千瓦）的功率块资本成本（热交换器、涡轮机和发电机）低于包括热量产生（压缩机和燃烧器）和功率块（涡轮机和发电机）的传统燃气轮机。由于对核系统（未连接到电网）的要求减少以及仅反应堆的核质量建设，降低了核反应堆的资本成本。通过将核反应堆工厂与工厂平衡分离，将运营成本（安全、维护等）降至最低。