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US 11,879,385 B2Granted
Engine system with fuel-drive thermal support
AssigneeRolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc.
InventorAndrew J. Eifert
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A power-generation system for a nuclear reactor includes a power unit, a reactor heat exchanger, and an auxiliary combustion system. The power unit produces compressed air that is heated by the reactor heat exchanger. The auxiliary combustion system includes an auxiliary combustor located external to the power unit and fluidly connected with the compressed air to increase the temperature of the compressed air.
Claims19
A power-generation system for a nuclear reactor, the power-generation system comprising
- a power unit that includes a generator for producing electric energy and a turbine engine coupled to and configured to drive the generator, the turbine engine includes a compressor configured to receive and compress ambient air to produce compressed air and a turbine configured to receive the compressed air after the compressed air is heated to extract work from the compressed air and drive the generator,
- a reactor heat exchanger in fluid communication with the compressor and the turbine and configured to transfer heat continuously from the nuclear reactor to the compressed air to heat the compressed air during use of the power-generation system, and
- an auxiliary combustion system located external to the turbine engine and configured to heat the compressed air to supplement the reactor heat exchanger, the auxiliary combustion system including an auxiliary combustor and a controller, the auxiliary combustor fluidly connected to the compressor and the turbine and configured to mix a fuel with the compressed air and ignite the fuel and the compressed air to increase a temperature of the compressed air,
- wherein the controller is programmed to adjust a flow rate of the fuel mixed with the compressed air in the auxiliary combustor based on at least one of the temperature of the compressed air received by the turbine and a load demand on the generator.
1 more element
A power-generation system comprising
- a power unit that includes a generator for producing electric energy and a turbine engine having a compressor configured to produce compressed air and a turbine configured to drive the generator,
- a reactor heat exchanger in fluid communication with the compressor and the turbine and configured to transfer heat from a heat source to the compressed air, and
- an auxiliary combustion system including a controller and an auxiliary combustor located external to the turbine engine and fluidly connected to the turbine engine,
- wherein the controller is programmed to adjust a flow rate of a fuel provided to the auxiliary combustor to increase the temperature of the compressed air,
- wherein the controller is programmed to increase the flow rate of the fuel in response to one of a load demand on the generator being greater than a current load demand output and a rate change of the load demand on the generator being greater than a load demand rate change threshold.
2 more elements
A method of operating a power-generation system for a nuclear reactor, the method comprising,
- compressing air with a compressor of a turbine engine,
- heating the compressed air with a reactor heat exchanger that is in thermal communication with the nuclear reactor,
- mixing a fuel with the compressed air in an auxiliary combustor located external to the turbine engine and igniting the fuel and compressed air to increase a temperature of the compressed air,
- conducting the compressed air through a turbine,
- driving a generator with the turbine to produce electrical power, and
- controlling a flow rate of the fuel provided to the auxiliary combustor with a controller based on at least one of the temperature of the compressed air received by the turbine and a load demand on the generator.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.