Effects of inlet working condition and heat load on supercritical CO2 compressor performance

Abstract

The supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) Brayton power cycle is more effective than the conventional power cycle and is more widely applicable to heat sources. The inlet working conditions of the compressor have a higher influence on their operating performance because the thermophysical properties of the CO2 vary dramatically close to the critical point. The flow in the sCO2 compressor is simulated and the compressor performance is analyzed. The results show that the sCO2 centrifugal compressor operates outside of its intended parameters due to the change in inlet temperature. The sCO2 compressor requires more power as the inlet temperature increases. The compressor power is 582 kW when the inlet temperature is at 304 K. But the power is doubled when the inlet temperature increases to 314 K, and the change in the isentropic efficiency is within 5%. The increase in the inlet temperature significantly reduces the risk of condensation in centrifugal compressors. When the heat load of the sCO2 power system changes, the inlet pressure to the turbine can be kept constant by regulating the rotational speed of compressors. With the increase in rotational speed, the incidence loss and condensation risk increase.