Abstract
Powerful Heat Transfer Solutions™ has developed a novel heat exchange system for emerging nuclear and concentrated solar power plants that is safer, more reliable, and more efficient than current practice. It leverages existing, proven technologies to create a single heat transfer system that replaces multiple heat exchangers arranged in parallel to achieve the same scale. This system unlocks the higher plant efficiencies and economies of advanced supercritical steam plant designs. A major benefit of this system is that it completely isolates the high-temperature, high-pressure power cycle fluids (e.g., steam) from potentially reactive high-temperature heat transfer fluids (e.g., liquid metals) using a non-reactive intermediate heat transfer fluid (e.g., air, nitrogen). The separation improves safety and provides flexibility to cost-effectively balance hot-side and cold-side heat transfer designs. Unlike conventional heat exchangers, this system can independently optimize alloy selections, pressure ratings, and heat transfer coil sizes for each service (e.g., steam, liquid metals). As a result, power cycle pressures and temperatures are not limited by heat transfer fluids, heat exchanger designs, or tube leakage concerns. This design offers significant advantages in plant safety, efficiency, availability, reliability, and operational flexibility. It will improve overall power plant economics and decrease the levelized cost of electricity.
