Thermodynamics Project ME 3211

To: Dr. Bill Pedersen

From: Jacob Solberg

Subject: Alternative Energy System (Prairie Island Nuclear Project)

Date: 4/27/14



Introduction
The objective of this memo/report is to educate the reader on the fundamentals of the Prairie Island
nuclear power plant and to conduct an analysis on the efficiency of the plant. Also the data provided from Xcel
provided another engineers analysis so certain changes will be made to the systems parameters. The results of
the second analysis shown in Appendix 1 will be compared to the results from the original analysis. The goal
of the second analysis is to try to improve the efficiency by increasing the steam generator pressure from
735psi to 870.23psi.

Summary
- The Prairie Island plant is a (PWR) or Pressurized Water Reactor
- A PWR employs two water loops a primary loop which pumps through the reactor to remove thermal
energy produced from the core. This hot pressurized water is then passed through a steam generator
where the secondary loop water is converted to high temperature and high pressure steams that turns a
turbine.
- For a nuclear plant the efficiency of the plant is the plants electrical output divided by the reactors
thermal power
- The Information on the system was found on the Xcel Website at
http://www.xcelenergy.com/staticfiles/xe/Regulatory/Regulatory%20PDFs/PI-EAL-RM.pdf
- The Plant has two units which produces a total energy of 1677 megawatt Thermal or 584 megawatt
electric (Each)
- According to the Nuclear Energy Institute http://www.nei.org/Knowledge-Center/Nuclear-
Statistics/Costs-Fuel,-Operation,-Waste-Disposal-Life-Cycle (The Average fuel cost is 0.75cents/kwh
and the Operating and Maintence Cost is 1.65cents/kwh)
- According to NPR http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2011/10/27/141766341/the-price-of-electricity-
in-your-state (The average price of electricity in the state of Minnesota is 10.9cent/Kwh)
Assumptions
- The primary loop which includes the reactor will have all state points stay the same for the second
analysis therefore the reactors thermal power will say at 1677 megawatt thermal.
- By increasing the pressure of the steam generator pressure the material of the plant will not fail
- The turbine is ideal therefore s3=s4s
- Open System therefore Q=W+ Change in enthalpy
- Assume that the water reentering the reactor is 565.6 Fahrenheit (Not given in data)
Results/Conclusion
- By increase the pressure the overall efficiency was able to improve from 34.824% to 41.324%
- This is however not feasible due to system constraints determined by material failure in high
pressurized zones































Appendix 1
Density of Water

Turbine:
Turbine Power or Wout=?



Reactor:



Steam Generator:





Reactor Vessel:



Pressurizer:


Condenser:


Cooling Tower(4):

1000
kg
m
3
:= Cp 4.2210
3

J
kg K
:=
Turbt emp 511AF 283.889AC = :=
TurbPress 685psi 4.723 10
3
kPa = :=
W
out
TurbFlowchangeinentropy
TurbFlow 7300000
lb
hr
919.785
kg
s
= :=
Coolant Flow 178000
gal
min
11.23
m
3
s
= := Coolant MassFlow Coolant Flow 1.123 10
4

kg
s
= :=
Coolant Press 2235psi 1.541 10
4
kPa = :=
Heat Out put 572000000 Bt u 6.035 10
11
J = :=
St eamcapacit y 3650000
lb
hr
459.892
kg
s
= :=
FeedTemp 436AF 242.222AC = :=
St eamout t emp 511AF 283.889AC = :=
St eamPress 870.23psi 6 10
3
kPa = :=
React orinlett emp 592.6AF 329.222AC = :=
Designtemp 650AF 361.111AC = := ThermalPower 1677MW := Q
in
1677MW :=
DesignPress 2485psi 1.713 10
4
kPa = :=
Operat ingPress 2235psi 1.541 10
4
kPa = :=
Operat ingt emp 653AF 362.778AC = :=
CondFlow 300000
gal
min
18.927
m
3
s
= := Condmassflow CondFlow 1.893 10
4

kg
s
= :=
Condheat t rans 3873616764
BTU
hr
1.135 10
6
kW = :=
CoolingFlow 151500
gal
min
9.558
m
3
s
= := Coolingmassflow CoolingFlow 9.558 10
3

kg
s
= :=
















H
1
242.22AC 240AC ( )
250AC 240AC ( )
2802.210
3

J
kg
280310
3

J
kg

|

\
|
|
.
280310
3

J
kg
+ 2.803 10
6

J
kg
= :=
To solve for the outlet temperature of the steam generator the reactor and the steam generator
must be compared

The mass flow of the steam generator is found by looking at Table A-6 in the thermodynamic book in
the superheated section of water to find the v at 6MPa
The flow rate
increased with
pressure
Now Solving for T4


On T-s diagram
Using Super Table








Pressure not needed to solve just an extra calculation
Coolant MassFlow Cp T1 T2 ( ) MassFlowst eam Cp T4 T3 ( )
v
1
0.03245
m
3
kg
:= MassFlowst eam
CondFlow
v
1
583.268
kg
s
= :=
T
2
565.6AF 314.222AC = :=
Coolant MassFlow React orinlett emp T
2

( )
Cp
MassFlowst eam Cp
FeedTemp + 531.027AC =
T
3
531.027AC :=
T
4
T
3
H
3
531.027AC 500AC ( )
550AC 500AC ( )
3541.310
3

J
kg
3423.110
3

J
kg

|

\
|
|
.
3423.110
3

J
kg
+ 3.496 10
6

J
kg
= :=
S
3
477.545AC 450AC ( )
500AC 240AC ( )
6.882610
3

J
kg K
6.721910
3

J
K kg

|

\
|
|
.
6.721910
3

J
K kg
+ 6.739 10
3

J
K kg
= :=
S
3
6.739 10
3

J
K kg
=
S
3
S
4s
Condheat t rans 1.135 10
9
W =
Condheat t rans Condmassflow h1 h4 ( )
P1 P4
P
1
242.22AC 240AC ( )
250AC 240AC ( )
3651.2kPa 3347kPa ( ) 3347kPa + 3.415 10
3
kPa = :=
P
4
3.415 10
3
kPa :=









































Original efficiency


Finiancal Analysis


Fuel Cost, Operating Cost and Waste
Cost are only extra information for
the reader






Condheattrans Condmassflow H
1
h4
( )

Condheat t rans
Condmassflow
H
1

\
|
|
.
1 2.743 10
6

J
kg
= H
4
2.743 10
6

J
kg
:=
W
t urb
TurbFlow H
3
H
4

( )
6.93 10
5
kW = :=
nt h
W
t urb
Q
in
41.324% = :=
Nt horginal
584MW
Q
in
34.824% = :=
Difference nt h Nt horginal ( ) 6.5% = :=
dollar 1 :=
FuelCost 0.750.01
dollar
kWhr
2.083 10
6

1
s
1
kW
= :=
Operat ingCost 1.650.01
dollar
kWhr
4.583 10
9

1
J
= :=
WasteCost
1
10
0.01
dollar
kWhr
2.778 10
10

1
J
= :=
PowerGenerat edCostTot al 8.470.01
dollar
kWhr
2.353 10
8

1
J
= :=
PriceElect ricty 10.90.01
dollar
kWhr
3.028 10
8

1
J
= := W
turb
693.01MW =
Profit W
t urb
PriceElect rict y PowerGenerat edCostTot al ( ) [ ] 1.476 10
8

1
yr
= :=
Diffoft woanalysis W
t urb
584MW
( )
PriceElect rict y PowerGenerat edCostTot al ( ) [ ] 0.736
1
s
= :=
Diffoft woanalysis 2.322 10
7

1
yr
=