Nuclear Reactor Power System
The nuclear reactor power supply system addresses inefficiencies in conventional systems by integrating AC and DC power sources with backup systems, enhancing reliability and safety, and enabling comprehensive utilization of nuclear energy for diverse applications.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2024531543
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Priority Date
- 2022-04-02
- Filing Date
- 2023-03-29
- Publication Date
- 2025-11-26
- Estimated Expiration
- 2043-03-29
AI Technical Summary
Conventional nuclear reactor power supply systems have limited application scenarios and are economically inefficient due to the reliance on high-safety AC or DC power supplies, affecting safety and the scope of nuclear energy utilization.
A nuclear reactor power supply system incorporating an AC power supply with a commercial AC power source, backup AC power sources, and a DC power supply with batteries and converters, which do not rely on high-safety systems, ensuring reliable power distribution to both safety and non-safety related loads, and enabling integration with external grids and clean energy sources.
Enhances the reliability and economic efficiency of nuclear energy use by expanding application scope, reducing costs, and improving safety through passive design, allowing power supply to diverse loads including seawater desalination and hydrogen production.
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Abstract
Description
[Technical Field]
[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority from Chinese Patent Application No. 202210342916.X, filed on April 2, 2022, for the invention entitled "Nuclear Reactor Power Supply System," the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
[0002] Technical Field The present invention relates to the field of nuclear power supply technology, and more particularly to a power supply system for a nuclear reactor. [Background technology]
[0003] In recent years, clean and low-carbon energy has become the mainstream of the development of the global energy industry, and China is actively promoting the transformation of its energy structure. Nuclear energy, in particular, plays an important role in clean energy, and is rapidly growing in tandem with other clean energy sources. With the rapid development of clean energy sources such as wind power and solar power, it is necessary to develop stable, base energy sources that complement wind and solar power, and nuclear power is well suited to complement wind and solar power due to its stable output.
[0004] Due to their modularity and versatile application, small reactors have attracted attention both domestically and internationally. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency's definition, a small reactor generally refers to a reactor with an output of less than 300 MWe. They generally employ a modular design, offer flexible deployment, and are relatively inexpensive to build. Advanced small reactors typically employ passive designs. The power supply for equipment related to small reactor accident mitigation and post-accident protection systems is also crucial. A reliable power supply after an accident can effectively mitigate the consequences of an accident.
[0005] The conventional nuclear reactor power supply system has few application scenarios, and high safety class power supply is used, which makes the construction and operation of the power plant economically inefficient, and affects the safety of the nuclear reactor and the application scope of nuclear energy. Summary of the Invention
[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a nuclear reactor power supply system that can realize the design of a highly reliable small nuclear reactor power supply system without relying on high-safety AC or DC power supplies, improves safety and economy, and enables comprehensive utilization of nuclear energy using small nuclear reactors.
[0007] The nuclear reactor power supply system of the present invention includes an AC power supply system including a commercial AC power supply connected to a small nuclear reactor module and supplying power to an external power grid, and a DC power supply system that continuously supplies power to a predetermined load of the power plant when the AC power supply stops during normal operation of the power plant. The commercial AC power supply includes a high-voltage bus, a low-voltage bus, and a transformer. Power is supplied to the high-voltage bus from the small nuclear reactor module, and the high-voltage bus is transformed by the transformer and supplies power to the low-voltage bus. The DC power supply system includes an AC / DC converter, a DC bus, and a battery. The AC / DC converter is connected to the low-voltage bus and converts AC power supplied from the low-voltage bus into DC power, which charges the battery via the DC bus.
[0008] Preferably, the AC power system further includes a backup AC power source, the backup AC power source including a diesel generator connected to the low voltage bus and supplying power to the DC bus when the mains AC power source is unavailable.
[0009] Preferably, the standby AC power source further includes an auxiliary AC power source that generates electrical power through an auxiliary generator, powers cold starts of the small nuclear reactor modules, and can also power the high voltage bus.
[0010] Preferably, the DC power system further includes a standby DC power source, which charges the battery when the diesel generator is unavailable.
[0011] Preferably, the battery includes a high reliability battery that supplies power to the power plant's common loads, each module protection system of the small nuclear reactor modules and its associated loads during normal operation of the power plant and when the AC power supply is interrupted.
[0012] Preferably, the batteries include a service battery that supplies power to non-safety related loads of the small nuclear reactor module, and power is shared among multiple modules.
[0013] Preferably, the backup DC power source includes a fuel cell or a mobile power source.
[0014] Preferably, the high voltage bus is connected to an external power grid, a micro-power grid or dedicated loads to provide power.
[0015] Preferably, the micro-grid includes hybrid wind and solar power generation, seawater desalination, hydrogen production by electrolysis, and energy storage loads.
[0016] Preferably, hydrogen production by electrolysis supplies hydrogen to the fuel cell.
[0017] The nuclear reactor power supply system of the present invention realizes the comprehensive utilization of nuclear energy and rational power supply from small nuclear reactors, expands the application scope of small nuclear reactors, and improves the reliability of nuclear energy power supply. It further utilizes the advanced passive design of small nuclear reactors and does not require high-safety power supplies, further improving the safety and economic efficiency of small nuclear reactors. Furthermore, the passive design of small nuclear reactors does not rely on high-safety AC / DC power systems, and can be used to supply power to loads such as off-site seawater desalination and hydrogen production through electrolysis, or as a base energy source that complements wind and solar hybrid power generation. It can also be used to supply power to dedicated loads, such as island power supply, thereby achieving the comprehensive utilization of nuclear energy, effectively reducing the cost of nuclear power generation from small nuclear reactors, and improving its economic efficiency.
[0018] It should be noted that the above description and the following detailed description are illustrative and are not intended to limit the present invention. [Brief explanation of the drawings]
[0019] In order to more clearly explain the present invention, the drawings used in the embodiments of the present application will be briefly described below. The drawings described below are only one embodiment of the present application, and those skilled in the art can obtain other embodiments based on the drawings without creative work.
[0020] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a nuclear reactor power supply system according to a specific embodiment of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]
[0021] 100 AC power system 105 Standby AC power supply 110 Regular AC power supply 115 Diesel Generator 120 Auxiliary AC power supply 125 Auxiliary Generator 130 High Voltage Bus 140 Low Voltage Bus 200 DC power supply system 205 Spare Battery 210 AC / DC converter 220 DC Bus 225 Regular Battery 230 Highly Reliable Battery 235 Power Plant Common Load 240 Module Protection System 300 External power grid 310 Micro Power Grid 320 Dedicated Load 400 Small Reactor Module
[0022] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the present application and, together with the description, explain the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0023] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the detailed description of the examples and the drawings are for illustrative purposes only, and the present invention is not limited to the following examples. Note that for the sake of convenience, only a portion of the structure related to the present invention is shown in the drawings.
[0024] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a nuclear reactor power supply system according to a specific embodiment of the present invention.
[0025] As shown in Fig. 1, the nuclear reactor power system according to the present invention comprises an AC power system 100 and a DC power system 200. Neither the AC power system 100 nor the DC power system 200 is a high-safety class power system. The AC power system 100 includes a utility AC power supply 110, which is connected to a small nuclear reactor module 400 and supplies power to an external power grid 300. The DC power supply system 200 continuously supplies power to a predetermined power plant load when the AC power supply stops during normal operation of the power plant.
[0026] The small reactor module 400 of the power plant includes multiple modules, such as module 1, module 2, ... module X, and the number of modules X can be set according to the needs of the power plant. These modules can work together to generate electricity and supply power to the external power grid 300 via the AC power supply system 100.
[0027] The utility AC power supply 110 includes a high-voltage bus 130, a low-voltage bus 140, and a transformer 150, with the high-voltage bus 130 receiving power from the small reactor module 400, being transformed by the transformer 150 and supplying power to the low-voltage bus 140. Depending on the needs of the power plant, a medium-voltage bus (not shown) may be provided, with the high-voltage bus 130 being transformed by the transformer 150 and supplying power to the medium-voltage bus, and the medium-voltage bus being transformed by the transformer 150 and supplying power to the low-voltage bus 140.
[0028] The DC power supply system 200 includes an AC / DC converter 210, a DC bus 220, and a battery 250. The AC / DC converter 210 is connected to the low-voltage bus 140, converts AC power supplied from the low-voltage bus 140 into DC power, and charges the battery 250 via the DC bus 220.
[0029] In the nuclear reactor power system according to the present invention, the small reactor module 400 generates electricity, transmits the generated electricity to the external power grid 300 via the high-voltage bus 130 of the commercial AC power supply 110, and supplies the electricity to the external power grid 300. Multiple small reactor modules 400 are interconnected and serve as backups for each other, effectively achieving the reliability and safety of the power supply. The electricity generated by the small reactor module 400 passes through the high-voltage bus 130, is transformed by the transformer 150, and then transmitted to the low-voltage bus 140. Because the electricity transmitted by the low-voltage bus 140 is AC power, the low-voltage bus 140 is connected to the AC / DC converter 210 of the DC power supply system 200. The AC power is converted to DC power by the AC / DC converter 210, and then the battery 250 is charged via the DC bus 220. The battery 250 continuously supplies power to the designated loads of the power plant during normal operation of the power plant and when the AC power supply is interrupted, and can also supply power to loads that are not related to the safety of the small reactor module 400, such as loads that support "investment protection" and power generation functions. In the event of a sudden power outage at the power plant, some of the power plant's equipment will shut down. In order to protect the interests of the power plant's investors, a certain amount of battery capacity is installed as an emergency power source. This battery capacity is used only to protect the interests of the investors, does not affect the safety of the power plant, and reduces the number and duration of unplanned power outages, thereby providing "investment protection."
[0030] The reactor power supply system of the present invention generates electricity using the small reactor module 400 and supplies the electricity to the external power grid 300, while storing the electricity generated by the small reactor module 400 in the battery 250, continuously supplies power to specified loads in the power plant, and also provides power to loads that are not related to the safety of the small reactor module 400. As a result, the reactor power supply system does not depend on the external power grid 300, and the reactor can be installed in places where a power grid is not available outside the power plant, or where the reliability of the power grid is low outside the power plant.
[0031] In one embodiment, the high voltage bus 130 of the utility AC power supply 110 is connected to an external power grid 300, a micro power grid 310, or dedicated loads 320 to provide power.
[0032] The micro-power grid 310 may include wind-solar hybrid power generation, seawater desalination, hydrogen production by electrolysis, or energy storage loads. Clean energy sources such as wind and solar power generation are rapidly developing, creating a need for stable, base energy sources to complement them. Due to its stable output, the nuclear reactor power supply system of the present invention is suitable for complementing wind and solar power generation as a base energy source. It can also be used to supply power to dedicated loads 320, such as island power supply, thereby realizing the comprehensive utilization of nuclear energy and reducing the cost of nuclear power generation using small nuclear reactors.
[0033] Each module of the small reactor module 400 generates power and supplies other power to the external power grid 300, the micro power grid 310, and the dedicated loads 320 in addition to the power required for its own operation. When the power plant is operating normally, the AC power supply system 100 in the power plant provides power to the small reactor module 400 via the high-voltage bus 130. While the power plant's reactor is shut down, the external power grid 300 and the micro power grid 310 can supply power to the AC power supply system 100 in the power plant via the high-voltage bus 130. The power loads in the power plant are supplied with power by a transformer device 150 connected to the high-voltage bus 130 according to the difference in required voltage.
[0034] As shown in FIG. 1 , in one embodiment, the AC power supply system 100 further includes a backup AC power supply 105, which includes a diesel generator 115 connected to a low-voltage bus 140. When the utility AC power supply 110 is unavailable, the diesel generator 115 converts AC power into DC power via an AC / DC converter 210 and then supplies power to a DC bus 220.
[0035] When the normal AC power supply 110 is unavailable, the backup AC power supply 105 may be used to supply power within the power plant. For example, when all modules of the small nuclear reactor module 400 are shut down and the external power grid 300 or the micro power grid 310 is not connected (or unavailable), the diesel generator 115 of the backup AC power supply 105 may be used to supply power within the power plant. The diesel generator 115 is connected to the low-voltage bus 140 and serves as a backup power source for a given load.
[0036] In one embodiment, the standby AC power source 105 further includes an auxiliary AC power source 120, which generates power via an auxiliary generator 125 to power a cold start of the small nuclear reactor module 400 and may also provide power to the high voltage bus 130.
[0037] The auxiliary generators 125 of the auxiliary AC power source 120, which may be gas turbines, are connected to the high-voltage bus 130 and can provide power for cold starting of each of the small reactor modules 400 if off-site power is unavailable, and for graceful shutdown and cooling of the small reactor modules 400 in the unlikely event that all of the main generators and off-site power for the small reactor modules 400 fail simultaneously during plant operation. The type and design of the auxiliary AC power source 120 may be selected based on the site characteristics of the plant, and the auxiliary AC power source 120 is physically separated from the diesel generators 115 to minimize the adverse effects of potential failures (e.g., fuel fires) on the other power sources.
[0038] In one embodiment, the DC power system 200 further includes a backup DC power source 205 that charges the battery 250 when the diesel generator 115 is unavailable.
[0039] The battery 250 includes a high reliability battery 230 that provides power to the plant's common load 235, each module protection system 240 of the small reactor modules 400, and its associated loads during normal plant operation and when the AC power supply is interrupted.
[0040] The high reliability battery 230 supplies power to the common load 235 (e.g., control room) of the power plant during normal plant operation and when the AC power supply is interrupted, and also supplies power to the associated loads of each module protection system 240. The high reliability battery 230 is of redundant design and has an operation cycle of 24 hours or 72 hours depending on the required functions of the connected loads, ensuring a stable and controllable state of the power plant after an accident.
[0041] In one embodiment, the battery 250 includes a service battery 225 that provides power to loads associated with supporting investment protection and power generation functions, and whose power is shared among the small nuclear reactor modules 400 .
[0042] The service battery 225 can power all non-safety loads, such as investment protection and loads supporting power generation functions, of the small nuclear reactor module 400. The service battery 225 is also charged via the DC bus 220.
[0043] In one embodiment, the diesel generator 115 supplies power to the low-voltage bus 140 to maintain battery power when the normal charging power source for the battery 250 is unavailable. The load of the diesel generator 115 is primarily the high-reliability battery 230 and the service battery 225, and the diesel generator 115 charges the high-reliability battery 230 and the service battery 225 via the low-voltage bus 140 and the DC bus 220.
[0044] When the diesel generator 115 is unavailable, the backup DC power supply 205 may be activated to provide power to the high reliability battery 230 and the service battery 225. The backup DC power supply 205 may include a fuel cell or a mobile power supply.
[0045] In one example, hydrogen production by electrolysis supplies hydrogen to fuel cells in standby DC power source 205. When a power plant powers hydrogen production by electrolysis in microgrid 310, hydrogen-oxygen fuel cells may be used to power DC bus 220.
[0046] The reactor power supply system of the present invention involves the interlocking of multiple small reactor modules 400 and connections to an external power grid 300, a diesel generator 115, an auxiliary generator 125 (gas turbine), and a standby DC power supply 205 (fuel cell or mobile power supply), effectively realizing the reliability and safety of the power supply. In addition, by utilizing the passive design of the small reactor, the system does not rely on a high-safety AC / DC power supply system and can be used to supply power to loads outside the power plant, such as seawater desalination and hydrogen production through electrolysis, or as a base energy source for wind and solar hybrid power generation, or to supply power to dedicated loads 320 such as island power supply, thereby realizing the comprehensive utilization of nuclear energy, effectively reducing the cost of nuclear power generation using small reactors, and improving economic efficiency.
[0047] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. Various embodiments that fall within the technical concept of the present invention fall within the scope of protection of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will recognize that any changes or modifications made to the above embodiments without departing from the technical concept of the present invention will fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.
Claims
1. A small nuclear reactor module including a plurality of modules, the plurality of modules working together to generate electricity; an AC power supply system including a commercial AC power supply, the commercial AC power supply being connected to the small nuclear reactor module and supplying power to an external power grid; a DC power supply system that continuously supplies power to a specified load of the power plant when the AC power supply is stopped during normal operation of the power plant; Equipped with The AC power supply system and the DC power supply system are not high safety class power supply systems, The commercial AC power supply includes a high-voltage bus, a low-voltage bus, and a transformer, and power is supplied from the small nuclear reactor module to the high-voltage bus, and the high-voltage bus is transformed by the transformer to supply power to the low-voltage bus; The DC power supply system includes an AC / DC converter, a DC bus, and a battery. The AC / DC converter is connected to the low-voltage bus, converts AC power supplied from the low-voltage bus into DC power, and charges the battery through the DC bus. A small reactor module power supply system.
2. The AC power system further includes a backup AC power source, the backup AC power source including a diesel generator connected to the low voltage bus and providing power to the DC bus when the normal AC power source is unavailable.
2. The small reactor module power supply system according to claim 1.
3. The standby AC power source further includes an auxiliary AC power source, the auxiliary AC power source generating electrical power through an auxiliary generator, powering a cold start of the small nuclear reactor module, and powering the high voltage bus.
3. The small reactor module power supply system according to claim 2.
4. The DC power system further includes a standby DC power source, the standby DC power source charging the battery when the diesel generator is unavailable.
2. The small reactor module power supply system according to claim 1.
5. The battery includes a high-reliability battery, which supplies power to a common load of the power plant, each module protection system of the small nuclear reactor modules, and its associated loads during normal operation of the power plant and when the AC power supply is interrupted.
5. The small reactor module power supply system according to claim 4.
6. The battery includes a service battery, and the service battery supplies power to a load not related to the safety of the small nuclear reactor module, and the power is shared among multiple modules.
5. The small reactor module power supply system according to claim 4.
7. The backup DC power source includes a fuel cell or a mobile power source.
5. The small reactor module power supply system according to claim 4.
8. The high voltage bus is connected to an external power grid, a micro power grid, or dedicated loads to provide power.
8. The small reactor module power supply system according to claim 1.
9. The micro-grid may include hybrid wind and solar power generation, desalination, hydrogen production by electrolysis, or energy storage loads.
9. The small nuclear reactor module power system according to claim 8.
10. The hydrogen produced by electrolysis supplies hydrogen to a fuel cell.
10. The small nuclear reactor module power system of claim 9.
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