Optimizing power of a variable-temperature heat reservoir Brayton cycle for space nuclear power plant

Year 2023, Volume: 3 Issue: 1, 9 - 18, 22.06.2023

Tan Wang Lingen Chen , Yanlin Ge Shuangshuang Shi Huijun Feng

https://doi.org/10.14744/seatific.2023.0002

Abstract

A variable-temperature heat reservoir endoreversible simple closed Brayton cycle (CBC) model for space nuclear power plant is established. Thermal efficiency (TEF) and power output (POW) are derived. When total heat transfer area of radiator panel and two heat exchangers (HEXs) is fixed, the maximum POW ( ) is obtained by optimizing area distributions ( , and ) among two HEXs and radiator panel, the double maximum POW ( ) is obtained by optimizing inlet temperature ( ) of cooling fluid in low temperature heat sink, and the triple maximum POW ( ) is obtained furtherly by optimizing thermal capacity rate matching ( ) between heat reservoir and working fluid. When , and are optimized, increases by 4.33% compare to initial POW ( ); when is furtherly optimized, increases by 6.33% compare to and increases 1.86% compare to ; and increases 11.76%, 7.13% and 5.17% compare to , and , respectively.

Keywords

space power plant, variable-temperature heat reservoir cycle, endoreversible closed Brayton cycle, power optimization, optimal performance, finite time thermodynamics

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