Indirect Coupling to Steam-Cycle Equipment
An indirect coupling transition project is more complex than only reusing the site, electrical, and buildings of a retired coal plant for advanced nuclear generation, but is less complex than the direct steam-cycle coupling option.
Advanced nuclear power plants are designed to have increased safety, lower construction costs, faster deployment, and easier siting requirements than their traditional counterparts. This makes them more attractive to replace retiring coal power plants. For more information about how an advanced nuclear technology could indirectly couple with the steam-cycle equipment from a coal plant, contact Christine King, GAIN Director, at [email protected] or 650-283-4235.
How does Indirect coupling to steam-cycle equipment work?
In a traditional power plant, a fuel source — like coal, natural gas or the nuclear fission process — produces heat that turns water into steam. That steam moves through steam-cycle equipment and then into a turbine to generate electricity. In this case, the heating source is directly coupled with the steam-cycle equipment.
With an indirect coupling project, the reactor transfers heat to an intermediate circuit that is coupled with the steam-cycle components of a retired coal plant. An example of this is TerraPower’s Natrium reactor. Their nuclear technology generates heat and saves it in a thermal energy storage system (TES). Operators can then pull heat from storage to immediately create steam and generate electricity, or reserve it later.