Abstract Details
Abstracts
Author: Jeffrey P Freidberg
Requested Type: Poster
Submitted: 2025-03-12 12:40:03
Co-authors: D. Whyte
Contact Info:
MIT
43 Douglas Rd
Belmont, Massachusetts 02478
United States
Abstract Text:
The work presented here revisits the old and largely discarded idea of using an MHD topping cycle to improve the efficiency of a nuclear (both fusion and fission) power plant. Recall that engineering constraints limit the nuclear “furnace” coolant temperature to a maximum of about 1000 K. At these temperatures power is converted to electricity through a standard steam cycle, with a typical efficiency of about 35% - 40%. A successful MHD topping cycle could potentially raise this to 55% - 60%, leading to an enormous economic gain. Research on this topic was essentially terminated in the 1990’s for two reasons. (1) Societal: In the 1990’s CO2 emissions were not a major concern and nuclear power was not very popular. (2) Technical: Corresponding experiments demonstrated very poor behavior because of the show-stopping Velikhov-ionization instability. What has changed to motivate the revisiting? At present, point (1) has been largely reversed because of climate concerns. New research, presented today, addresses point (2). A first principles theory is presented which shows how to stabilize the ionization-instability. In addition, a global, self-consistent quasi one dimensional MHD generator model has been derived. Results show that the combination of mode-stabilization plus access to much higher magnetic fields via REBCO superconductors suggest that MHD topping cycles may indeed be a very promising approach to increasing the efficiency of nuclear power plants.
Characterization: 1.0
Comments:
Would prefer a presentation on Monday or Tuesday.