Title:

Current R&D Effort Related to Supercritical CO2 Power Cycles

Speaker:

Dr. Klaus Brun

Affiliation:

Southwest Research Institute

When:

Friday, January 30, 2015 at 1:00:00 PM   Add to Calendar

Where:

Love Building, Room 210

Host:

Dr. Devesh Ranjan
devesh.ranjan@me.gatech.edu
404-385-2922

Abstract

High cycle efficiency at moderate temperature, compact turbo-machinery, simple configurations, and dry cooling are characteristics driving interest in supercritical CO2 (sCO2) power cycles across a range of power generation areas. These characteristics are due to the attributes of supercritical CO2, primarily high fluid density, low viscosity, and high heat capacity when CO2 is compressed to pressures above 74 bar at temperatures above 31°C, allowing the closed Brayton cycle to be optimized for particular performance characteristics. Because sCO2 power cycles offer advantages across a range of operating temperatures, sCO2 power cycles are being considered for next generation utility scale fossil fuel power generation, modular nuclear power generation, solar-thermal power generation, shipboard propulsion and house power, geo-thermal power, and industrial scale waste heat recovery. Over the last 10 years, SwRI has been involved in R&D activities related tosCO2 cycle and sub-component technologies through projects funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and industry. These projects include the development of sCO2 turbomachinery, combustors, heat exchangers, as well as cycle optimization, bearing/seal testing, transient flow analysis, and materials and gas mixture physical property testing. This presentation provides an overview of past and currently ongoing sCO2 power cycle related R&D activities at SwRI, including the development of a high temperature and high-pressure sCO2 expander and the design of a direct-fired natural gas oxyfuel power cycle.

Biography

Dr. Brun is the Program Director of the Machinery Program at Southwest Research Institute(SwRI). His experience includes positions in engineering, project management, and management at Solar Turbines, General Electric, and Alstom. He holds six patents, authored over 150 papers, and published two textbooks on gas turbines. Dr. Brun won an R&D 100 award in 2007 for his Semi-Active Valve invention and ASME Oil & Gas Committee Best Paper/Tutorial awards in 1998, 2000, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2012, and 2014. He was chosen to the 40 under 40 by the San Antonio Business Journal. He is the past chair of the ASME-IGTI Board of Directors and the past Chairman of the ASME Oil & Gas Applications Committee. He is also a member of the API 616 and 692 Task Forces, the Middle East and Far East Turbomachinery Symposiums, the Fan Conference Advisory Committee, and the Supercritical CO2 Conference Advisory Committee. Dr. Brun is the Executive Correspondent of Turbomachinery International Magazine and an Associate Editor of the ASME Journal of Gas Turbines for Power. Specialties: oil & gas machinery, power plants, gas turbines, energy systems, transient pipe flow.

Notes

Refreshments will be served.