Science Alliance Annual Report—2008–2009
Joint Directed Research and Development
Arthur Ruggles
For most of the last thirty years, little need or incentive existed for capturing as much of the heat as possible from power production systems. But now, for many obvious reasons—including renewed interest in efficient designs, more complete use of fuel, and reduction of wastes—this objective is becoming an important driver in energy research.
A significant part of improving efficiency is to increase the maximum temperatures possible in the thermodynamic power cycles that generate electricity. Fundamental research in thermal-fluid transport of this kind is once again a “hot topic,” and UT’s Department of Nuclear Engineering, with its longstanding expertise in this area, is poised to make use of work and partnerships in a number of applications, including high-temperature hydrogen production with the Department of Energy, and solar collecting systems with high-temperature energy storage in cooperation with Sandia Labs. In the latter application, storage becomes an important component for regulating energy supply.
Above, John Ritchie with the molten salt pool. Ritchie is the graduate research assistant working with Ruggles on the project.
Below: the planned molten salt test loop
At ORNL an LDRD team headed by Graydon Yoder has put together a small molten salt loop system to reestablish and advance this much needed technology. Compared to older, conventional systems using gas or water, molten salts are receiving a lot of attention lately because they allow for transporting heat at higher temperatures and lower pressures.
In the companion JDRD research, Arthur Ruggles and his graduate research assistant John Ritchie will review, identify, design, test, and develop instrumentation that can operate at high temperatures both in experiments and for actual use in molten salt-based energy production systems.
Both ORNL’s loop and UT’s instrumentation constitute a substantial commitment on the part of the collaborating, experienced thermal-fluid researchers at both institutions. Together these projects are already attracting interest as a means for integrating storage in power systems for both the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and Tennessee’s new Solar Initiative.
JDRD Project: Molten salt cooled high temperature pebble bed reactor;
LDRD Project: Investigation of molten salt thermal performance in pebble beds using unique heating techniques, Graydon Yoder.