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Content archived on 2019-03-15

CONFIRMATION OF THE ADVANTAGES OF A THERMODYNAMIC CYCLE USING SULPHUR WITH THE HELP OF AN EXPERIMENTAL FACILITY

Objective



CEA INVESTIGATED THE TECHNICAL FEASIBILITY OF A TOPPING CYCLE WITH SULPHUR AS A WORKING FLUID (750 - 600 DEGREES C) IN COMBINATION WITH A CONVENTIONAL STEAM CYCLE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF ELECTRICITY. THE OVERALL ENERGY CONVERSION EFFICIENCY IS ESTIMATED TO BE 60 %.

THIS INVESTIGATION WILL USE AN EXPERIMENTAL INSTALLATION TO STUDY THE PROPERTIES OF SULPHUR AS A WORKING FLUID IN A HIGH-TEMPERATURE THERMODYNAMIC CYCLE. THE PROGRAMME INCLUDED THE DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION OF THIS INSTALLATION. THE PROPERTIES OF SULPHUR VAPOUR AS A THERMODYNAMIC FLUID ARE UNDERSTOOD ONLY AT RELATIVELY LOW TEMPERATURE (BELOW 400 DEGREES C). ABOVE THIS TEMPERATURE, THE EXPERIMENTAL DATA AVAILABLE ARE UNRELIABLE.

CEA ESTABLISHED THE REQUIRED DATA FOR THE PROPERTIES OF SULPHUR AT HIGH TEMPERATURES (UP TO 800 DEGREES C). THERE ARE TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE MAIN LOOP AND PRELIMINARY TESTS WERE NECESSARY. THE PROBLEM OF CORROSION OF STEEL BY SULPHUR AT HIGH TEMPERATURES HAD BEEN SOLVED PREVIOUSLY (AN INTERNAL PROTECTIVE COATING OF ALUMINA WAS USED). CEA ALSO TESTED THE CORROSION OF SMALL COMPONENTS UNDER REAL PLANT CONDITIONS IN A SPECIAL LOOP. IN ORDER NOT TO DESTROY THE INTERNAL COATING OF THE TUBES, THESE WERE BEST ASSEMBLED BY COUPLING SLEEVES, SCREWED AND WELDED EXTERNALLY.
TO BETTER ESTIMATE PRESSURE DROPS AND HEAT TRANSFER COEFFICIENTS, EXPERIMENTS HAVE BEEN CARRIED OUT IN A TEST RIG.

THE MAIN LOOP WAS DESIGNED IN DETAIL AND CONSTRUCTED AND PRELIMINARY TESTS WILL BE CARRIED OUT. THE LOOP IS MADE FROM A FEEDING PART, A HEATING ELEMENT (TO HEAT SULPHUR FROM 140 TO 300 DEGREES C AND THEN TO VAPORISE IT AND SLIGHTLY SUPERHEAT IT), A NOZLE AND A CONDENSER.

A DESIGN AND ECONOMIC STUDY WAS ALSO UNDERTAKEN TO EXAMINE THE UPGRADING OF AN EXISTING 250 MWE POWER PLANT, USING A SULPHUR TOPPING CYCLE. FROM A FIRST ASSESSMENT IT WAS ESTABLISHED THAT THE INVESTMENT COST OF A SULPHUR-WATER CYCLE SHOULD NOT EXCEED 5900 FF/KW COUPLED WITH A HEAT RATE OF 1.8 TH HHV/KWH IN ORDER TO REMAIN COMPETITIVE WITH A 1300 MWE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT.

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Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

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Call for proposal

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Funding Scheme

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Coordinator

Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique (CEA)
EU contribution
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Address
Centre d'Études de Saclay
91191 Gif-sur-Yvette
France

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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

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Participants (1)

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