Computer apparatus for monitoring and verifying nuclear and fossil power plant heat losses based on the revised NCV method

A computing apparatus whose output data is used to evaluate a thermal engine as influenced by its condenser, thereby improving the thermal engine's thermodynamic understanding and safety, the computing apparatus comprising:

• a data acquisition device to collect data associated with the thermal engine comprising Operating Parameters which include a set of Off-Line Operating Parameters and a set of On-Line Operating Parameters, resulting in a set of acquired system input data;
• a computer with a processing and memory means which includes an ability for processing a set of computer instructions, processing the set of acquired system input data, processing a set of associated output data and memory means for storing temporal trends of data as part of the set of associated output data;
• an analytical model of a thermal engine's condenser whose traditional irreversible loss is replaced with a highly accurate irreversible loss based on an Exergetic Engine whose analytics comprise a correction to Carnot's THot based on a summation of the condenser's exergy flow, resulting in a set of highly accurate thermodynamic parameters including the highly accurate irreversible loss and is thus used to evaluate the thermal engine as influenced by its condenser;
• the set of computer instructions, when executed by the computer, includes description of the analytical model and the set of highly accurate thermodynamic parameters, and, further, includes manipulation of the set of acquired system input data and the set of associated output data, resulting in a programmed computer;
• execution of the programmed computer based on the set of computer instructions, resulting in additions to the set of associated output data;
• examination of the set of associated output data for a set of identified thermal degradations associated with the thermal engine as influenced by its condenser, and includes examination of measures to be taken to correct the degradations, resulting in a set of both identified thermal degradations and their corrective measures;
• and
• action instigated by the thermal engine's operator based on the set of both identified thermal degradations and their corrective measures, thereby improving the thermal engine's thermodynamic understanding and safety.

A computing apparatus whose output data is used to evaluate a thermal engine as influenced by its heat exchangers, thereby improving the thermal engine's thermodynamic understanding and safety, the computing apparatus comprising:

• a data acquisition device to collect data associated with the thermal engine comprising Operating Parameters which include a set of Off-Line Operating Parameters and a set of On-Line Operating Parameters, resulting in a set of acquired system input data;
• a computer with a processing and memory means which includes an ability for processing a set of computer instructions, processing the set of acquired system input data, processing a set of associated output data and memory means for storing temporal trends of data as part of the set of associated output data;
• an analytical model of a thermal engine's heat exchangers whose traditional Carnot reversibility is replaced with a highly accurate Exergetic Reversibility based on an Exergetic Engine whose analytics comprise a correction to Carnot's THot based on a summation of the heat exchanger's exergy flow, resulting in a set of highly accurate thermodynamic parameters including the highly accurate Exergetic Reversibility and is thus used to evaluate the thermal engine as influenced by its heat exchangers;
• the set of computer instructions, when executed by the computer, includes description of the analytical model and the set of highly accurate thermodynamic parameters, and, further, includes manipulation of the set of acquired system input data and the set of associated output data, resulting in a programmed computer;
• execution of the programmed computer based on the set of computer instructions, resulting in additions to the set of associated output data;
• examination of the set of associated output data for a set of identified thermal degradations associated with the thermal engine as influenced by its heat exchangers, and includes examination of measures to be taken to correct the degradations, resulting in a set of both identified thermal degradations and their corrective measures;
• and
• action instigated by the thermal engine's operator based on the set of both identified thermal degradations and their corrective measures, thereby improving the thermal engine's thermodynamic understanding and safety.

A computing apparatus whose output data is used to prevent a nuclear engine's thermal power from exceeding regulatory limits, thereby improving the nuclear engine's thermodynamic understanding and safety, the computing apparatus comprising:

• a data acquisition device to collect data associated with the nuclear engine comprising Operating Parameters which include a set of Off-Line Operating Parameters and a set of On-Line Operating Parameters, which include a set of thermodynamic extensive properties of the nuclear engine's Reactor Vessel coolant, a set of applicable Regulatory Limits on the nuclear engine's Core Thermal Power and identification of Mechanisms for Controlling the Rate of Fission (MCRF), resulting in a set of acquired system input data;
• a computer with a processing and memory means which includes an ability for processing a set of computer instructions, processing the set of acquired system input data, processing a set of associated output data and memory means for storing temporal trends of data as part of the set of associated output data;
• an analytical model of the nuclear engine which comprises a determination of Core Thermal Power, a set of Inertial Conversion Factors (ICF), and the set of thermodynamic extensive properties, which produce a set of operational limits applicable for the nuclear engine's Core Thermal Power such that the set of Regulatory Limits are not exceeded, resulting in the analytical model which includes range testing of Core Thermal Power;
• the set of computer instructions, when executed by the computer, includes description of the analytical model, and, further, includes manipulation of the set of acquired system input data and the set of associated output data, resulting in a programmed computer;
• execution of the programmed computer based on the set of computer instructions including range testing of Core Thermal Power, ensuing a set of results from range testing of Core Thermal Power being added to the set of associated output data;
• examination of the set of associated output data;
• and
• action instigated by the nuclear engine's operator by adjusting MCRF such that the Core Thermal Power does not exceed the set of Regulatory Limits based on the set of results from range testing of Core Thermal Power, thereby improving thermodynamic understanding and safety.