A big country of aerospace with black technology

After the first trial operation of the thorium-based molten salt reactor, the development speed far exceeded everyone’s imagination.

In less than three weeks, all the problems encountered during the first trial operation were solved.

"Each system is ready and ready for the second trial run."

The nuclear fission reactor starts operating and the fission reaction begins.

The temperature of the solid thorium-based molten salt began to rise and soon reached 500 degrees.

By exchanging heat through the heat exchange tubes, a large amount of water becomes steam, which then drives the steam turbine.

The second trial run did not have as many problems as the first.

However, due to safety and other issues, trial runs will be conducted at least several times.

Only then can we officially declare the success of this technology.

"Director Zhang, our research has achieved some results. Do you want to come and take a look?"

Yuan Bing, who is responsible for the research and development of power generation devices, after the second successful trial run.

Tell Zhang Xingyang good news.

"Oh? You have found a way for molten salt to drive a gas turbine."

Zhang Xingyang put down his work with great interest and said.

At present, molten salt reactors still use traditional steam turbines to generate electricity.

It is also commonly known as boiling water.

If the gasified high-temperature molten salt can be directly used to drive the gas turbine, the energy conversion efficiency will be greatly improved.

Prior to this, Yuan Bing and others had already conducted a lot of research on gas turbines.

But vaporizing molten salt is far more energy efficient than the gas they used before.

Whether it is corrosive or nuclear radiation, special modifications to the core components of the gas turbine are required.

"Not yet." Yuan Bing shook his head.

Zhang Xingyang was not angry, "What good news is there?"

Yuan Bing looked proud: "We have made an experimental supercritical carbon dioxide generator!"

Supercritical carbon dioxide generator!

Zhang Xingyang became a little more interested when he heard this term.

"There is still relatively little research in this area in China. How did you do it?"

Supercritical carbon dioxide power generation is a relatively unpopular existence in the power technology tree.

It mainly uses the unique properties of supercritical fluids.

Supercritical fluids exhibit a series of characteristics because the temperature and pressure are at the critical point of gas-liquid transition.

For example, good flow and heat transfer properties.

It has good fluidity, allowing it to transfer more kinetic energy when pushing the turbine to do work.

Excellent heat transfer performance allows it to achieve higher thermal efficiency in the heat exchange process.

"We also took a trick."

On the way to the laboratory, Yuan Bing explained a little to Zhang Xingyang.

"The properties and heat transfer rules of supercritical carbon dioxide are very complex, and it is almost impossible to obtain key thermal parameters."

Supercritical fluids are different from conventional liquids or gases in that they deviate from ideal gases during thermodynamic changes. Especially in the near-critical region and across critical points, the thermodynamic parameters change nonlinearly.

"According to the general idea, we can only explore it bit by bit by constantly adjusting the working conditions and load regulation of the load."

"That's what we did at the beginning. If we continue on this path, it may take several years."

"But considering the overall development time, we gave up this research method."

Zhang Xingyang asked with interest: "What then?"

For unknown rules, it always takes a lot of time to explore its performance.

Zhang Xingyang was not surprised at all.

What made him curious was, could Yuan Bing and the others have a way to skip a lot of groping?

"Actually, we haven't given up exploring, we just changed the way we explore."

As Yuan Bing walked, he recalled what they did at that time.

"We wrote an automatic adjustment program that can autonomously adjust the load and working conditions through experimental feedback results."

"This saves us the time of doing experiments and only requires modeling and analysis of experimental data."

Zhang Xingyang gave him a thumbs up: "Your method is really good and worth learning."

In fact, Yuan Bing and the others still encountered many difficulties at that time.

First of all, programs that automatically control experimental conditions are not so easy to write.

During the first experiment, they even broke their supercritical fluid test bench!

A supercritical fluid test bench is worth millions!

If the research funds were not sufficient and Zhang Xingyang gave enough trust.

Maybe the entire project will be terminated directly.

Where will they be allowed to continue their research?

Writing programs requires a good enough software engineer, and completing data modeling and analysis requires strong enough mathematical skills.

Fortunately, Yuan Bing's mathematical skills have not fallen behind after so many years of work.

Only then can we complete modeling and analysis of astronomical data in a short period of time.

The machine was tested 24 hours a day and a massive amount of data was obtained.

Walking into the laboratory where Yuan Bing belongs, several large-scale devices are placed in an orderly manner.

The middle is connected by high-strength pipes.

"Is this the supercritical generator you developed?"

Zhang Xingyang glanced at it and couldn't quite understand the operation process.

Just notice that this device has several turbine compressors, heat exchangers, coolers and other devices.

If you want to really understand it, you still need developers to explain it.

"We are using a closed Brayton cycle."

Yuan Bing started explaining using the equipment at hand.

The closed Brayton cycle system is the main operating mode of gas turbines.

The gas is compressed in the compressor, and then the compressed gas enters the gas turbine combustion chamber and is heated in the combustion chamber.

The heated high-temperature gas enters the gas turbine and expands to perform work.

Drive the generator to generate electricity.

“After the superfluid carbon dioxide passes through the first variable-speed turbine-driven compressor, it passes through the regenerator and then is compressed by the second compressor.”

"Then it is heated through the heat exchanger of the nuclear reactor, and then the steam turbine works to drive the generator to generate electricity."

"After this, the carbon dioxide will be cooled down through the cooler and the cycle will start again."

Yuan Bing briefly introduced the principles of the power generation system.

Then he said with some emotion:

"Although the structural design is relatively simple, we encountered many difficulties during the process."

Zhang Xingyang patted his shoulder with understanding:

"Thank you for your hard work!"

Supercritical fluid power generation technology, as an emerging technology.

No one has completed development internationally.

This means that Yuan Bing and the others are copying homework.

Even whether this road will work is still unknown.

Zhang Xingyang didn’t give Yuan Bing much time to feel sad:

“What is the power of supercritical carbon dioxide generators today?”

Yuan Bing retracted his thoughts and said:

"The current power of this supercritical carbon dioxide generator is 25MW."

Compared with the power of the reactor, the power of the generator is not very high.

A thorium-based molten salt reactor that is less than the size of a room is ten times more powerful.

"What about its thermal efficiency?"

Zhang Xingyang was curious about another question.

The thermal performance of supercritical fluid is much higher than that of traditional gas.

"In the highest case, it can reach 78%."

Yuan Bing revealed a number that would make others stunned.

However, Zhang Xingyang still captured the small details, "What about normal operation?"

Gas turbines can reach a maximum thermal efficiency of more than 60%.

But normally it remains around forty.

"Normally it remains between 60 and 70 percent."

Yuan Bing said: "This number is our current data, and it may be improved after subsequent improvements."

As an experimental supercritical carbon dioxide generator, it is not easy to achieve this level.

Many inventions are not able to achieve the later effects at the beginning.

The first steam engines struggled to pump water from mines.

The original nuclear reactor could only light a small light bulb.

"I don't mean to blame you." Zhang Xingyang waved his hand and said.

“Will your supercritical generator participate in the next trial run?”

The experimental thorium-based molten salt reactor is not only capable of housing a set of steam-powered generators.

Heat exchanger pipes can be connected to several different systems.

Therefore, adding a supercritical carbon dioxide generator will have no impact on the reactor.

At most, it can transfer more heat from the liquid molten salt.

"I'm a little undecided about this."

Yuan Bing said hesitantly.

After looking at Zhang Xingyang, he explained:

"I mainly feel that the current supercritical carbon dioxide generators are not perfect enough."

"It would be too bad if something went wrong during the experiment."

Zhang Xingyang asked: "Are there any big problems with supercritical carbon dioxide?"

Yuan Bing shook his head subconsciously: "That's not true. Supercritical fluids do not exist under normal temperature and pressure."

Zhang Xingyang spread his hands and said, "That's it, then what are you afraid of?"

Supercritical fluids can only maintain their state when they are at the critical point.

Once this condition does not exist, the supercritical fluid will return to its normal state.

Carbon dioxide gas is a gas at normal temperature and pressure.

This means that even if their generator fails and leaks.

Only a part of the carbon dioxide gas is leaked.

There will be no other consequences other than lowering some of the oxygen concentration.

"Then it's decided that you will also participate in the next reactor trial operation."

After Zhang Xingyang finished speaking, he was ready to leave.

Now that you’ve seen everything you need to see, why don’t you leave now?

However, Yuan Bing grabbed his sleeve.

"What else?"

Yuan Bing hesitated for a moment, then said at Zhang Xingyang's urging:

"Do you think it is possible for our supercritical carbon dioxide generator to be used on aircraft carriers?"

Zhang Xingyang was a little surprised that Yuan Bing cared so much about this matter.

"It is possible, but it still depends on our reactor development progress and your generator development progress."

Yuan Bing said with determination: "Then I will risk my life to develop a qualified supercritical carbon dioxide generator."

As a veteran military industry veteran who has experienced the pressure of the Eagle aircraft carrier in previous decades.

Yuan Bing knows better than most what a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier represents.

The motherland's thousands of miles of maritime territory cannot be guarded by more than one conventionally powered aircraft carrier.

A powerful aircraft carrier formation consisting of several nuclear-powered aircraft carriers is necessary to protect it.

The third trial operation of the thorium-based molten salt reactor was only one week apart from the second one.

The second operating status has shown that the reactor itself has been successfully developed.

All that's left is optimization in all aspects.

Let its efficiency in all aspects be further improved.

Therefore, most people pay attention to other than their own work content.

Most of the attention was placed on Yuan Bing's newly developed supercritical carbon dioxide generator.

Everyone is really curious about this generator, which is said to have a thermal efficiency of nearly 80%.

Before this, the so-called high-efficiency steam turbines they used had a thermal efficiency of only over 30%.

"Sister Su, do you think their generator's thermal efficiency is really that high?"

A researcher from the Materials Laboratory asked Su Xiao.

After all, in the eyes of many people in the materials laboratory.

Su Xiao has a very close relationship with their director, and maybe he can learn more from the director.

"Probably." Su Xiao said slightly coldly.

She did know some things that others didn't know. For example, Zhang Xingyang had spent a long time in Yuan Bing's laboratory before this.

So there is a high probability that this is true.

If it was false, Zhang Xingyang would have refuted the rumor long ago.

The trial operation time of the third thorium-based molten salt reactor will be much longer than the previous two.

The first experiment lasted only an hour, and the second trial lasted longer, reaching nearly five hours.

The third trial run time will be 48 hours!

"The results are out!"

Someone who was good at sociability ran in from outside the laboratory panting and said.

"what's the result?"

"Can it reach 80 percent?"

"Is it sixty percent?"

The assistant researcher who ran in took a breath and said:

"Exceeded! Exceeded!"

"real or fake?!"

"No way?"

People around him exclaimed in surprise, basically thinking it was impossible.

Before this, the most optimistic people thought that 60% would be good.

"Experimental data shows that its thermal efficiency reaches 81%!"

The assistant researcher showed everyone a piece of paper in his hand.

The above data is very simple, it is simply the temperature change data of each point.

Basically, everyone doesn’t look at the data and looks directly at the conclusion at the bottom.

It clearly says 81%.

"Isn't this an epoch-making invention?"

Everyone fell into silence after reading it. After a while, someone said something.

Lidya Su thought for a while and said:

"Not yet, unless they can address issues like cost and manufacturing processes."

As the head of the laboratory, Su Xiao knows more.

This supercritical carbon dioxide generator costs hundreds of millions!

Even research institutes with deep pockets cannot afford to build more. (End of chapter)