Automatic Control Strategy Development for the Supercritical CO2 Brayton Cycle for LFR Autonomous Load Following

The supercritical carbon dioxide (S-CO2) Brayton cycle is a promising advanced alternative to the Rankine saturated steam cycle and ideal gas Brayton cycle for the energy converters of specific reactor concepts belonging to the U.S. Department of Energy Generation IV Nuclear Energy Systems Initiative. A new plant dynamics analysis computer code has been developed for simulation of the S-CO2 Brayton cycle coupled to an autonomous Lead-Cooled Fast Reactor (LFR). The plant dynamics code was used to develop an automatic control strategy for the whole plant in response to changes in the demand from the electrical grid. The specific features of the S-CO2 Brayton cycle that result in limitations on the control range and speed of specific control mechanisms are discussed. Calculations of whole-plant responses to plant operational transients involving step and continuous changes in grid demand are demonstrated. (authors)