Design Considerations for Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Brayton Cycles With Recompression

Supercritical carbon dioxide (SCO₂) Brayton cycles have the potential to offer improved thermal-to-electric conversion efficiency for utility scale electricity production. These cycles have generated considerable interest in recent years because of this potential and are being considered for a range of applications, including nuclear and concentrating solar power (CSP). Two promising SCO₂ power cycle variations are the simple Brayton cycle with recuperation and the recompression cycle. The models described in this paper are appropriate for the analysis and optimization of both cycle configurations under a range of design conditions. The recuperators in the cycle are modeled assuming a constant heat exchanger conductance value, which allows for computationally efficient optimization of the cycle's design parameters while accounting for the rapidly varying fluid properties of carbon dioxide near its critical point. Representing the recuperators using conductance, rather than effectiveness, allows for a more appropriate comparison among design-point conditions because a larger conductance typically corresponds more directly to a physically larger and higher capital cost heat exchanger. The model is used to explore the relationship between recuperator size and heat rejection temperature of the cycle, specifically in regard to maximizing thermal efficiency. The results presented in this paper are normalized by net power output and may be applied to cycles of any size. Under the design conditions considered for this analysis, results indicate that increasing the design high-side (compressor outlet) pressure does not always correspond to higher cycle thermal efficiency. Rather, there is an optimal compressor outlet pressure that is dependent on the recuperator size and operating temperatures of the cycle and is typically in the range of 30–35 MPa. Model results also indicate that the efficiency degradation associated with warmer heat rejection temperatures (e.g., in dry-cooled applications) are reduced by increasing the compressor inlet pressure. Because the optimal design of a cycle depends upon a number of application-specific variables, the model presented in this paper is available online and is envisioned as a building block for more complex and specific simulations.