Chapter 410 The most perfect power generation application
Hearing Xu Chuan's words, the other three people in the office looked over.
The efficiency of boiling water is indeed not the highest among many power generation methods.
For example, supercritical carbon dioxide cycle technology and metals with large heat capacity can actually be used to generate electricity, and the efficiency is higher than boiling water.
But relatively speaking, those technologies have their own shortcomings, such as immature supercritical carbon dioxide cycle technology, high liquefaction temperature of metals with large heat capacity, etc.
Water is different. It has a large heat capacity ratio, is easy to obtain, is non-toxic, has suitable operating temperature and pressure, has stable chemical properties, has moderate density and other advantages. It is almost impossible to find a product that can replace it.
Generally speaking, the current most cost-effective way for humans to use energy is to rely on thermal energy conversion (doing work, boiling water) without any problems.
Noticing the gazes of the three people, Xu Chuan smiled and said: "Actually, you don't need to tell me, you all have the answer in your heart."
Academician Hou Chengping smiled and said: "I have indeed considered it. Theoretically, that kind of power generation method should be very suitable for controllable nuclear fusion."
"However, currently, compared to mature thermal engines, it has lagged far behind in terms of technology because it has previously withdrawn from the mainstream view of the public."
The people present here are all academicians and top experts in the field of nuclear energy. Naturally, all three of them know about the technology that was not expressed in Xu Chuan's words.
In fact, before today's exchange, Hou Chengping and Wang Yongnian had discussed and exchanged things in this regard.
At present, apart from solar power generation, it can be said that all large-scale power generation methods basically convert different energy sources into kinetic energy through various methods, and then drive the generator to rotate and generate electricity.
Apart from this route, have humans discovered other power generation methods in the field of power generation?
The answer is yes.
As early as the 19th century, after Faraday proposed magnetohydrodynamics, the theory of magnetic fluid power generation was put forward.
Moreover, the theory of magnetic fluid power generation was not only proposed early, but was actually applied quite early.
In 1959, the United States successfully developed an 11.5-kilowatt magnetic fluid power generation test device.
In the mid-1960s, the United States applied it in the military and built a magnetic fluid power generation device used as a pulse power supply for laser weapons and a power supply for wind tunnel testing.
Including the disintegrated Hongsu and small island countries, magnetic fluid power generation has been included in the national key energy research projects and has achieved remarkable results.
In 1971, Hongsu built a magnetic fluid-steam combined cycle test power station with an installed capacity of 75,000 kilowatts, of which the magnetic fluid motor capacity was 25,000 kilowatts.
Subsequently, the world's first 500,000-kilowatt combined magnetic fluid and steam power station was also built in Hongsu.
The fuel used by this power station is natural gas, which can provide both power and heat. Compared with ordinary thermal power stations, it can save more than 20% of fuel.
Despite this, magnetic fluid generators have not become popular around the world.
At present, magnetic fluid power plants have been built in only a few countries.
This is because the conditions for magnetic fluid power generation are too harsh compared to traditional thermal power generation.
The so-called magnetic fluid power generation technology refers to using fuel (oil, natural gas, coal, nuclear energy, etc.) to directly heat it into an easily ionized gas, so that it can be ionized into plasma at a high temperature of more than 2,000 degrees Celsius or even 3,000 degrees Celsius.
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Then when these plasmas flow at high speed in the magnetic field, they will cut the magnetic lines of force, thereby further generating induced electromotive force.
This technology directly converts thermal energy into electric current without going through mechanical conversion links, so it is called direct power generation, also called plasma power generation technology.
Currently, the mainstream of magnetic fluid power generation technology used in various countries is to burn coal and gas, which requires very high temperatures, reaching about 3000°C.
It is quite difficult to achieve this kind of temperature through coal or gas.
Due to technical reasons, coupled with the mediocre economic benefits, which cannot compare with traditional thermal power generation with technological advancement, it has gradually withdrawn from the public's vision.
However, magnetic fluid technology has always been a hot focus of research in various countries.
The reason is very simple. Magnetic fluid technology can be used in military, aerospace, aviation, controlled nuclear fusion and other fields.
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Listening to Academician Hou Chengping talk about the shortcomings of magnetic fluid power generation technology, Xu Chuan smiled and nodded, saying: "Indeed, it is undeniable that magnetic fluid power generation technology has once withdrawn from the mainstream power generation technology."
"But it is also undeniable that at the beginning, it was not actually prepared for traditional fossil fuel burning power generation."
"Even nuclear fission cannot actually be adapted to magnetic fluid power generation technology."
"Because it's too harsh on the temperature for power generation."
"The high temperature is above 3,000 degrees and ionizes the fuel to form plasma. For most heat engines, it is almost impossible or very difficult to achieve this."
"But for controlled fusion, it's quite easy."
“Whether it’s the helium ash exported from the divertor or the heat we conduct from the first wall, it’s easy to reach a temperature of over 3,000 degrees.”
"Fundamentally speaking, the technology of magnetic fluid power generation has been complementary to controllable nuclear fusion since it was first proposed."
On the opposite side, Hou Chengping nodded in agreement and said: "Indeed, it is very difficult to use other fuels to heat the temperature to more than 3,000 degrees. Controlled nuclear fusion naturally has advantages in this regard.
"
Xu Chuan smiled and continued: "In addition to magnetic fluid power generation, we can also equip the tail with an 'ultra-supercritical heat engine generator' and a 'supercritical heat engine generator.'"
As he spoke, he stood up and pulled out a blackboard from the corner of the office.
After taking out a piece of white chalk from the chalk box, he started drawing on the blackboard.
Starting from the demonstration reactor, to guiding the thermal energy out, it first passes through the magnetic fluid power generation technology along the pipeline, and then continues to derive back, passing through the "ultra-supercritical heat engine generator" and "supercritical heat engine generator" zones, drawing
It has a structure similar to a production assembly line, or a geothermal pipeline in the north.
In the office, Hou Chengping and the others stood up and walked behind him, looking at the structural diagram on the blackboard.
Although the structure diagram is quite simple and not very standardized, this structure diagram clearly expresses the meaning inside.
Looking at the structural diagram drawn by Xu Chuan, Academician Hou Chengping smiled and praised: "Interesting, it seems that Academician Xu, you have already thought about how to use controllable nuclear fusion to generate electricity."
The combination of magnetic fluid power generation technology and heat engine technology to perfectly utilize the heat guided from controllable nuclear fusion was something he and Academician Wang Yongnian had long considered.
After all, for the heat generated by the controllable nuclear fusion reactor, even the magnetic fluid generator cannot consume all the heat energy at once.
In this case, it is possible to deploy a conventional heat engine behind the magnetic fluid generator to continue to utilize the participating thermal energy.
On the side, Academician Wang Yongnian did not speak. He looked at the sketch on the blackboard and fell into thinking with interest.
On the sketch on the blackboard, he saw something new, which was more advanced than the combined generator set he had originally discussed with Hou Chengping.
The so-called ‘ultra-supercritical heat engine generator’ and ‘supercritical heat engine generator’ refer to units in which the parameters of the working fluid in the boiler reach or exceed the critical pressure.
Generally speaking, the working fluid in power generation boilers is water. The critical pressure of water is 22.129MPa and the critical temperature is 374.15℃.
At 1 standard atmospheric pressure, the boiling point of water changing from liquid to gas is 100°C. If you want to increase the temperature of water vapor, you must increase the pressure to increase the boiling point.
At a pressure of 22.115 MPa and a temperature of 374.15°C, the density of water vapor is the same as that of liquid water, reaching a critical state; when both temperature and pressure exceed the critical value, water will be in a supercritical state.
Using supercritical water vapor to generate electricity is called supercritical power generation technology, and ultra-supercritical power generation is a higher stage than supercritical power generation technology.
Currently, there is no internationally unified standard for the classification of ultra-supercritical and supercritical.
However, in the national "863 Plan" project "Ultra-Supercritical Coal-fired Power Generation Technology", the ultra-supercritical parameters are set to pressure ≥ 25 MPa and temperature ≥ 580°C.
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Looking at the structural diagram on the blackboard, Wang Yongnian looked at Xu Chuan with twinkling eyes and said: "Use the residual heat of the magnetic fluid unit to first supply heat to the ultra-supercritical unit; then use the circulating auxiliary heat pipes and technology to further pull out the residual heat.
liters, and then provide heat to the supercritical unit."
"If necessary, a subcritical heat engine can be added later."
"In this way, we can achieve near-perfect utilization of controllable nuclear fusion heat energy. This solution is simply perfect, and it is much better than the combined unit we previously conceived!"
"I didn't expect Academician Xu to have such in-depth research on traditional heat engine technology."
At this moment, he truly admired and admired the young man in front of him.
With his years of immersed experience in the design of nuclear fission power units, after having the structural diagram pointed out, he naturally quickly figured out the corresponding core.
But for him, thermal engine power generation technology is one of the most familiar fields.
However, in the field that I am most familiar with, I was easily surpassed by others and made a better and more perfect plan. How could I not be convinced?
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PS: Second update, there will be an additional chapter in the evening, please give me a monthly ticket for rewardヾ(≧▽≦*)o
