A nuclear power liquid ammonia range extending power system

Abstract

The application provides a nuclear power liquid ammonia range augmentation power system and belongs to the technical field of aviation power systems. The problems of low heat value, short range, tail gas pollution and the like caused by ammonia as fuel are solved, and the problem of complexity of a traditional nuclear thermal propulsion system is reduced. The liquid ammonia storage tank outlet is communicated with the liquid ammonia pump inlet, the liquid ammonia pump outlet is communicated with the cold end inlet of a heat exchanger, the cold end outlet of the heat exchanger is communicated with the fuel inlet of a combustion chamber, the hot end outlet of the heat exchanger is communicated with the liquid metal pump inlet, the liquid metal pump outlet is communicated with the cooling inlet of a nuclear reactor module, the cooling outlet of the nuclear reactor module is communicated with the hot end inlet of the heat exchanger, the air inlet of a compressor is communicated with the outside air through an air inlet channel, the air outlet is communicated with the air inlet of the combustion chamber, the outlet of the combustion chamber is communicated with the inlet of a turbine, and the outlet of the turbine is communicated with the inlet of a tail nozzle. The application uses hydrogen after cracking as fuel, avoids nitrogen oxides caused by ammonia as fuel to cause environmental pollution, and reduces the emission of greenhouse gases.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of aviation power system technology, and in particular relates to a nuclear-powered liquid ammonia range-extending power system. Background Technology

[0002] In the field of aviation propulsion, the dual demands for clean and efficient operation and long range are increasingly at odds with existing technological bottlenecks. Ammonia, as a clean energy carrier, is widely available and easy to store, but its low calorific value means that direct use as fuel results in short engine ranges, and its combustion easily produces nitrogen oxides, causing exhaust pollution and limiting its large-scale application.

[0003] While traditional nuclear thermal propulsion technology boasts high energy density and zero carbon emissions, it requires a nuclear reactor to maintain a high temperature to directly heat the propellant, resulting in complex core design, large system size, and heavy shielding. Furthermore, it cannot utilize existing mature aero-engine technologies, making engineering implementation difficult and costly. In addition, while high-calorific-value hydrogen can compensate for the calorific value deficiency of ammonia, it faces storage and transportation bottlenecks due to its high-pressure / cryogenic storage requirements and significant safety risks.

[0004] In summary, existing technologies struggle to balance long range, low pollution, and technological feasibility. There is an urgent need for a power system that integrates the storage advantages of ammonia, the high efficiency and cleanliness of nuclear energy, and existing aviation technologies to overcome industry bottlenecks. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, the present invention proposes a nuclear-powered liquid ammonia range-extended propulsion system, which solves the problems of low calorific value, short range, and exhaust pollution associated with ammonia as fuel, and reduces the complexity of traditional nuclear thermal propulsion systems. This invention is applicable to nuclear-powered liquid ammonia range-extended propulsion systems.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: a nuclear-powered liquid ammonia range-extending power system, comprising a liquid ammonia storage tank, a liquid ammonia pump, a heat exchanger, a liquid metal pump, a nuclear reactor module, an air intake, a compressor, a combustion chamber, a turbine, a tail nozzle, a rotor shaft, a pressure vessel, a reflector, and a reactor core; The outlet of the liquid ammonia storage tank is connected to the inlet of the liquid ammonia pump, the outlet of the liquid ammonia pump is connected to the cold end inlet of the heat exchanger, the cold end outlet of the heat exchanger is connected to the fuel inlet of the combustion chamber, the hot end outlet of the heat exchanger is connected to the inlet of the liquid metal pump, the outlet of the liquid metal pump is connected to the cooling inlet of the nuclear reactor module, and the cooling outlet of the nuclear reactor module is connected to the hot end inlet of the heat exchanger. The compressor's air inlet is connected to the outside air through an air intake duct, its air outlet is connected to the air inlet of the combustion chamber, its combustion chamber outlet is connected to the turbine inlet, and its turbine outlet is connected to the inlet of the tail nozzle.

[0007] Furthermore, the heat exchanger is a partitioned heat exchanger.

[0008] Furthermore, the cold-side channel of the heat exchanger is equipped with an ammonia cracking catalyst.

[0009] Furthermore, the cold-side inlet gas of the heat exchanger is cryogenic liquid ammonia, and the outlet is ammonia cracked gas.

[0010] Furthermore, the tail nozzle is a Laval nozzle.

[0011] Furthermore, the turbine and compressor are arranged coaxially, and the turbine and compressor are connected by a rotor shaft. When working, the turbine drives the rotor shaft to rotate, thereby driving the compressor to work.

[0012] Furthermore, the liquid ammonia storage tank is equipped with a filling valve.

[0013] Furthermore, the core of the nuclear reactor module is a thermal neutron reactor or a fast neutron reactor, and its structure is axial flow or radial flow.

[0014] Furthermore, the nuclear reactor module includes a pressure vessel, a reactor core inside the pressure vessel, and a reflector layer, with the reflector layer located outside the reactor core.

[0015] A method for operating a nuclear-powered liquid ammonia range-extended propulsion system specifically includes the following steps: Air is pressurized by the air intake and compressor to form high-temperature, high-pressure air, which then enters the combustion chamber. Liquid metal is pumped out by a liquid metal pump to cool the nuclear reactor. After absorbing heat, the liquid metal enters a heat exchanger to release heat and finally returns to the liquid metal pump, forming a closed loop. After absorbing heat from the reactor core, the liquid metal transfers the heat to liquid ammonia. Liquid ammonia in the liquid ammonia storage tank is drawn into the heat exchanger by the liquid ammonia pump, absorbs heat from the liquid metal on the hot side of the heat exchanger, and is subsequently vaporized and cracked under the action of the cracking catalyst. The resulting cracked gas enters the combustion chamber for combustion. The combustion gases produced enter the turbine to expand and do work. The turbine drives the compressor through the rotor shaft. After the gas has finished doing work in the turbine, it enters the tail nozzle and is discharged to provide thrust to the engine.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the nuclear-powered liquid ammonia range-extended propulsion system described in this invention are: (1) The nuclear-powered liquid ammonia range-extending power system of the present invention efficiently converts low-calorific-value liquid ammonia into high-calorific-value hydrogen through nuclear thermal cracking, using nuclear energy to compensate for the insufficient calorific value of ammonia fuel itself. Nuclear energy, as a primary energy source, has extremely high energy density, while liquid ammonia, as a hydrogen carrier, has a high storage density. The combination of the two significantly increases the actual usable chemical energy contained in a unit mass of fuel carried by the system. Compared with directly burning ammonia or using pure hydrogen storage tanks, this system can provide more effective energy to the engine with the same fuel loading volume and weight, thereby achieving a breakthrough increase in the range or endurance of the power plant.

[0017] (2) The nuclear-powered liquid ammonia range-extended propulsion system described in this invention, compared to the traditional nuclear thermal propulsion scheme that requires direct heating of the propellant by the high-temperature heat of the reactor, only requires the reactor to provide a heat source for ammonia cracking. The temperature required for ammonia cracking is significantly lower than the temperature required for direct heating of the propellant for propulsion, which allows for a reduction in the reactor core design temperature and operating pressure, thereby enabling the use of a more compact and lightweight reactor design, and significantly reducing the shielding volume and weight. At the same time, this system mainly utilizes existing mature aero-engine technology, which greatly simplifies the system configuration, reduces technical complexity and engineering implementation difficulty, and facilitates integration and application on existing power platforms.

[0018] (3) The nuclear-powered liquid ammonia range-extended power system described in this invention uses liquid ammonia as a highly efficient and safe hydrogen carrier, solving the technical bottlenecks and safety risks of large-scale hydrogen storage and transportation. This system achieves "online on-demand production" of hydrogen through nuclear thermal cracking, avoiding the additional weight, space occupation, and safety hazards caused by on-board high-pressure hydrogen storage or cryogenic liquid hydrogen.

[0019] (4) The nuclear power liquid ammonia range-extending power system described in this invention uses hydrogen after cracking as fuel, avoids environmental pollution caused by nitrogen oxides generated when ammonia is used as fuel, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions, thus achieving zero carbon emissions. Attached Figure Description

[0020] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this invention, are used to provide a further understanding of the invention. The illustrative embodiments of the invention and their descriptions are used to explain the invention and do not constitute an undue limitation of the invention. In the drawings: In the attached diagram: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a nuclear-powered liquid ammonia range-extending power system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1-Liquid ammonia storage tank; 2-Liquid ammonia pump; 3-Heat exchanger; 4-Liquid metal pump; 5-Nuclear reactor module; 6-Air inlet; 7-Compressor; 8-Combustion chamber; 9-Turbine; 10-Tail nozzle; 11-Rotor shaft; 12-Pressure vessel; 13-Radiator; 14-Reactor core. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the invention. Furthermore, it should be noted that, for ease of description, only the parts relevant to the invention are shown in the drawings, and not all of them. Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and is not intended to limit the invention.

[0023] See Figure 1 This embodiment describes a nuclear-powered liquid ammonia range-extending power system, which includes a liquid ammonia storage tank 1, a liquid ammonia pump 2, a heat exchanger 3, a liquid metal pump 4, a nuclear reactor module 5, an air intake duct 6, a compressor 7, a combustion chamber 8, a turbine 9, a tail nozzle 10, a rotor shaft 11, a pressure vessel 12, a reflector 13, and a reactor core 14. The outlet of liquid ammonia storage tank 1 is connected to the inlet of liquid ammonia pump 2, the outlet of liquid ammonia pump 2 is connected to the cold end inlet of heat exchanger 3, and the cold end outlet of heat exchanger 3 is connected to the fuel inlet of combustion chamber 8. The hot end outlet of heat exchanger 3 is connected to the inlet of liquid metal pump 4, the outlet of liquid metal pump 4 is connected to the cooling inlet of nuclear reactor module 5, and the cooling outlet of nuclear reactor module 5 is connected to the hot end inlet of heat exchanger 3. The air inlet of the compressor 7 is connected to the outside air through the air inlet duct 6, the air outlet is connected to the air inlet of the combustion chamber 8, the air outlet of the combustion chamber 8 is connected to the inlet of the turbine 9, and the air outlet of the turbine 9 is connected to the inlet of the tail nozzle 10.

[0024] The heat exchanger 3 is a partition wall heat exchanger.

[0025] The heat exchanger 3 has an ammonia cracking catalyst installed in the cold side channel.

[0026] The cold-side inlet gas of the heat exchanger 3 is cryogenic liquid ammonia, and the outlet gas is ammonia cracking gas.

[0027] The core of the nuclear reactor module 5 is a thermal neutron reactor or a fast neutron reactor, and its structure is either axial flow or radial flow.

[0028] The tail nozzle 10 is a Laval nozzle.

[0029] The turbine 9 and the compressor 7 are arranged coaxially, and the turbine 9 and the compressor 7 are connected through the rotor shaft 11. When working, the turbine 9 drives the rotor shaft 11 to rotate, thereby driving the compressor 7 to work.

[0030] The liquid ammonia storage tank 12 is equipped with a filling valve.

[0031] The nuclear reactor module 5 includes a pressure vessel 12, a reactor core 14 inside the pressure vessel 12, and a reflector layer 13, the reflector layer 13 being located outside the reactor core 14. The reflector layer 13 serves two purposes: firstly, to reflect escaped neutrons, improving efficiency and reducing core weight; and secondly, to provide radiation shielding.

[0032] The premixed pre-evaporated turbofan engine of this invention operates as follows: Air is pressurized by the intake duct 6 and the compressor 7 to form high-temperature and high-pressure air, which then enters the combustion chamber 8. Liquid metal is pumped out by liquid metal pump 4 to cool the nuclear reactor. After absorbing heat, the liquid metal enters heat exchanger 3 to release heat and finally returns to liquid metal pump 4, forming a closed loop. After absorbing heat from the reactor core, the liquid metal transfers the heat to liquid ammonia. Liquid ammonia in liquid ammonia storage tank 1 is drawn into heat exchanger 3 by liquid ammonia pump 2, absorbs heat from the liquid metal on the hot side of heat exchanger 3, and is successively vaporized and cracked under the action of cracking catalyst. The cracked gas produced enters combustion chamber 8 for combustion. The combustion gas produced enters the turbine 9 to expand and do work. The turbine 9 drives the compressor 7 through the rotor shaft 11. After the gas does work in the turbine 9, it enters the tail nozzle 10 and is discharged to provide thrust to the engine. In the description of this application, it should be noted that the terms "upper," "lower," etc., indicating orientation and positional relationships are based on the orientation and positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application. Unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installed," "connected," and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; they can refer to mechanical connections or electrical connections; they can refer to direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal communication between two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in this application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0033] The embodiments of the present invention disclosed above are merely illustrative of the invention. These embodiments do not exhaustively describe all details, nor do they limit the invention to the specific implementations described. Many modifications and variations can be made based on the content of this specification. This specification selects and specifically describes these embodiments to better explain the principles and practical applications of the invention, thereby enabling those skilled in the art to better understand and utilize the invention.

Claims

1. A nuclear-powered liquid ammonia range-extended propulsion system, characterized in that: It includes a liquid ammonia storage tank (1), a liquid ammonia pump (2), a heat exchanger (3), a liquid metal pump (4), a nuclear reactor module (5), an air intake (6), a compressor (7), a combustion chamber (8), a turbine (9), a tail nozzle (10), a rotor shaft (11), a pressure vessel (12), a reflector (13), and a reactor core (14). The outlet of the liquid ammonia storage tank (1) is connected to the inlet of the liquid ammonia pump (2), the outlet of the liquid ammonia pump (2) is connected to the cold end inlet of the heat exchanger (3), the cold end outlet of the heat exchanger (3) is connected to the fuel inlet of the combustion chamber (8), the hot end outlet of the heat exchanger (3) is connected to the inlet of the liquid metal pump (4), the outlet of the liquid metal pump (4) is connected to the cooling inlet of the nuclear reactor module (5), and the cooling outlet of the nuclear reactor module (5) is connected to the hot end inlet of the heat exchanger (3). The compressor (7) has an air inlet that is connected to the outside air through an air inlet duct (6), an air outlet that is connected to the air inlet of the combustion chamber (8), an outlet of the combustion chamber (8) that is connected to the inlet of the turbine (9), and an outlet of the turbine (9) that is connected to the inlet of the tail nozzle (10).

2. The nuclear-powered liquid ammonia range-extended propulsion system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heat exchanger (3) is a partition wall heat exchanger.

3. The nuclear-powered liquid ammonia range-extended propulsion system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heat exchanger (3) has an ammonia cracking catalyst in its cold side channel.

4. The nuclear-powered liquid ammonia range-extended propulsion system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cold side inlet gas of the heat exchanger (3) is cryogenic liquid ammonia, and the outlet gas is ammonia cracking gas.

5. The nuclear-powered liquid ammonia range-extended propulsion system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tail nozzle (10) is a Laval nozzle.

6. The nuclear-powered liquid ammonia range-extended propulsion system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The turbine (9) and the compressor (7) are arranged coaxially, and the turbine (9) and the compressor (7) are connected by a rotor shaft (11). When working, the turbine (9) drives the rotor shaft (11) to rotate, thereby driving the compressor (7) to work.

7. The nuclear-powered liquid ammonia range-extended propulsion system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The liquid ammonia storage tank (1) is equipped with a filling valve.

8. The nuclear-powered liquid ammonia range-extended propulsion system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The core of the nuclear reactor module (5) is a thermal neutron reactor or a fast neutron reactor, and its structure is axial flow or radial flow.

9. The nuclear-powered liquid ammonia range-extended propulsion system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The nuclear reactor module (5) includes a pressure vessel (12), a reactor core (14) inside the pressure vessel (12), and a reflector (13), wherein the reflector (13) is located outside the reactor core (14).

10. A method for operating a nuclear-powered liquid ammonia range-extended propulsion system as described in claims 1-9, characterized in that: Specifically, the following steps are included: Air is pressurized by the intake duct (6) and the compressor (7) to form high temperature and high pressure air, which then enters the combustion chamber (8). Liquid metal is pumped out by liquid metal pump (4) to cool the nuclear reactor. After absorbing heat, the liquid metal enters the heat exchanger (3) to release heat and finally returns to the liquid metal pump (4) to form a closed loop. After absorbing the heat of the reactor core, the liquid metal transfers the heat to liquid ammonia. The liquid ammonia in the liquid ammonia storage tank (1) is drawn into the heat exchanger (3) by the liquid ammonia pump (2), absorbs the heat of the liquid metal on the hot side of the heat exchanger (3), and is successively vaporized and cracked under the action of the cracking catalyst. The cracked gas produced enters the combustion chamber (8) for combustion. The combustion gas produced enters the turbine (9) to expand and do work. The turbine (9) drives the compressor (7) through the rotor shaft (11). After the gas finishes doing work in the turbine (9), it enters the tail nozzle (10) and is discharged to provide thrust for the engine.

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