Publications
Advanced Nuclear Power ProgramComparative Economic Prospects of the
Supercritical CO2 Brayton Cycle GFR
M. J. Driscoll
MIT-ANP-PR-119 (February 2008)
Abstract
The potential for economic competitiveness of a Gas Cooled Fast Reactor (GFR) cooled by supercritical CO2 (S-CO2) in a direct Brayton cycle power conversion system (PCS) is assessed. A differential approach is adopted using published literature values for other reactor types. Because of its compact PCS, capital cost savings on the order of 10% are foreseeable, arising in part from the ability to house the PCS inside containment, and thus eliminate the separate turbine building typical of steam Rankine units. A reduction of 5% in busbar costs should also be achievable because of the higher thermal efficiency of the S-CO2 cycle. However, fuel cycle costs appear to be more than double that of current LWRs, enough to offset such reductions, due mostly to the low specific power (kW/kg) of the GFR core, which has been de-rated to emphasize passive decay heat removal systems – a circumstance shared with other GEN-IV fast reactors, except for sodium cooled versions. Complete reliance on active DHRS could remedy this shortcoming.
