Emerging Ideas Workshop: No- and Low-Water Power Plant Cooling

Nicholas Cizek, ARPA-E Fellow

March 28, 2012

2

Estimated US Water Flows 2005 (MGD), Total: 400 BGD

AJ Simons (LLNL and USDOE), 2010. Based on J Kenny (USGS), 2009

3

Estimated US Water Flows 2005 (MGD), Total: 400 BGD

AJ Simons (LLNL and USDOE), 2010. Based on J Kenny (USGS), 2009

Subject to

CWA §316(b)

How will we produce this electricity

without this water?

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15

Source: Solley, 1998; EPRI 2003, A Survey of Water Use

ProjectedPopulationGrowthFrom Campbell, 1997

+20%

+29%

+10%

+81%+68%

+37%

+36%

%

Figure I-2. Water Shortages and Population Growth (Water shortage is defined as total freshwater withdrawal divided by available precipitation. Water withdrawal data are taken from Solley et al., 1998; ratios shown are taken from EPRI,

2003a; and projected population growth is taken from Campbell, 1997.)

30% Population Increase by 2030, Mostly in DRY PLACES

Solley (USGS), 1998; EPRI, 2003; Campbell (US DOC), 1997

+37%

+68% +81%

+10% +36%

+29%

+20%

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Objectives

Identify needs and transformational technological approaches for •  Enabling dry cooled power plant efficiency ≥

wet cooled power plant efficiency •  Enabling GW-scale dissipation of low grade heat

(35° C) to air without evaporating water or raising surface water temperature.

Identify metrics

AM Brainstorm

PM Brainstorm

Dry Cooled Power Plant with Thermal Storage

Water Cooled Steam

Condenser

Thermal Energy

Storage Tank

Tank to Air HX

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Dissipating GW of 35° C Heat to Air

•  Increase surface area •  Increase heat transfer coefficient •  Increase passive or forced convective air flow

rate •  Decrease parasitic load

Boomsma, et al, Mechanics of Materials, 2003

Power Plant Dry Cooling Techno-Economic Goal

LCOE ≤ 5¢/kWh

One Route: Installed Price ≤ 2¢/W

No Efficiency Loss

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Topics Not For Discussion

In the interest of time, the following topics will not be discussed: •  Regulations, policies, subsidies •  Incremental improvements •  Demonstration projects

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Questions