Exergetic design and analysis of a nuclear SMR reactor tetrageneration (combined water, heat, power, and chemicals) with designed PCM energy storage and a CO2 gas turbine inner cycle

• Published in: Nuclear engineering and technology 2021-02, Vol.53 (2), p.677-687
• Main Authors: Norouzi, Nima, Fani, Maryam, Talebi, Saeed
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cogeneration; Exergy; Hybrid nuclear system; Nuclear energy storage; Nuclear tetrageneration; Solar thermal power plant; Tetrageneration
• ISSN: 1738-5733
• DOI: 10.1016/j.net.2020.07.007

The tendency to renewables is one of the consequences of changing attitudes towards energy issues. As a result, solar energy, which is the leader among renewable energies based on availability and potential, plays a crucial role in full filing global needs. Significant problems with the solar thermal power plants (STPP) are the operation time, which is limited by daylight and is approximately half of the power plants with fossil fuels, and the capital cost. Exergy analysis survey of STPP hybrid with PCM storage carried out using Engineering Equation Solver (EES) program with genetic algorithm (GA) for three different scenarios, based on eight decision variables, which led us to decrease final product cost (electricity) in optimized scenario up to 30% compare to base case scenario from 28.99 $/kWh to 20.27 $/kWh for the case study. Also, in the optimal third scenario of this plant, the inner carbon dioxide gas cycle produces 1200 kW power with a thermal efficiency of 59% and also 1000 m3/h water with an exergy efficiency of 23.4% and 79.70 kg/h with an overall exergy efficiency of 34% is produced in the tetrageneration plant. •This paper presents a new cogeneration plant named nuclear tetrageneration.•In the tetrageneration plants a combined water, heat, power and chemicals generation occurs.•SMR reactor is used in this plant as a source of power supported with the solar thermal collectors.•Tetrageneration plant provides a 45% increase in the overall exergy efficiency of the plant.•Formic acid which was produced in this plant by solar fuel technology can be used as a chemical energy storage.