Multi-aspect exergo-economic/environmental study/optimization of an eco-friendly heat integration process for gas turbine modular helium reactors in integration with a Stirling engine

Abstract

As a nuclear power source, gas turbine modular helium reactors (GT-MHR) can play a major role in the energy industry due to their high safety index and low operating costs. In light of the GT-MHR's high heat capacity, this study integrates a GT-MHR cycle with a Stirling engine to achieve a high-efficiency electricity production framework in an eco-friendly framework. Multi-aspect study from energy, exergy, economic and exergoenvironmental viewpoints are conducted. Detailed heat exchanger modeling is performed to accurately evaluate the system's performance conditions as part of the design process. The outcomes of this study reveal that in the optimum operating mode, the turbine's inlet temperature and expansion ratio are 1300 K and 2, respectively. The compressor compression ratio is 2.1, the Stirling engine inlet temperature is 850.6 K, and the regenerative effectiveness is 0.866. Consequently, the system's total electricity becomes 325.57 MW with 54.26 % energetic and 75.13 % exergetic efficiencies. The economic assessment of the system reveals that the unit electricity product cost is 8.9 $/GJ, and the total investment cost is 12737 $/h. Also, the optimal exergoenvironmental results show an exergoenvironmental index of 0.237, an environmental damage effectiveness index of 0.0031, and an exergetic stability factor of 0.24. Compared to GT-MHR, GT-MHR/KC, GT-MHR/APC, and GT-MHR/ORC, the newly designed system produces 44.57, 21.47, 29.74, and 25.17 MW more electricity and is more energetically efficient by 28.3 %, 24.45 %, 25.8 %, and 25.07 %, respectively.