Chapter 409 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 circulation technology and metals with large heat capacity can actually be used for power generation, and the efficiency is higher than boiling water.

But in comparison, those technologies have their own shortcomings, such as the immaturity of supercritical carbon dioxide circulation technology and the high liquefaction temperature of metals with large heat capacity.

Water is different. It has a large heat capacity ratio, is easy to obtain, is non-toxic, has suitable operating temperature and pressure, stable chemical properties, and moderate density. It is almost impossible to find a product that can replace it.

In general, the most cost-effective way for humans to use energy at present 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, "In fact, I don't need to tell you, you all have the answer in your heart."

Academician Hou Chengping smiled and said, "I have indeed considered it. In theory, that kind of power generation should be very suitable for controlled nuclear fusion."

"But at present, compared with mature heat engines, it has lagged behind a lot in technology because it has withdrawn from the mainstream public's vision before."

All the people present are academicians and top experts in the field of nuclear energy. The three of them naturally know the technology that Xu Chuan did not express in his words.

In fact, before today's exchange, Hou Chengping had discussed this with Wang Yongnian.

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 lit up 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 magnetohydrodynamic power generation was put forward.

Moreover, the theory of magnetohydrodynamic power generation was not only proposed early, but also applied quite early.

In 1959, the United States successfully developed an 11.5-kilowatt magnetohydrodynamic power generation test device.

In the mid-1960s, the United States applied it to the military and built a magnetohydrodynamic power generation device as a pulse power source for laser weapons and a wind tunnel test power source.

Including the disintegrated Red Russia and the small island country, both have included magnetohydrodynamic power generation in the national key energy research project and achieved remarkable results.

In 1971, Red Russia built a magnetohydrodynamic-steam combined cycle test power station with an installed capacity of 75,000 kilowatts, of which the magnetohydrodynamic motor capacity was 25,000 kilowatts.

Later, the world's first 500,000-kilowatt magnetohydrodynamic and steam combined power station was also built in Red Russia.

The fuel used in this power station is natural gas, which can provide both electricity and heat. Compared with ordinary thermal power stations, it can save more than 20% of fuel.

Despite this, magnetohydrodynamic generators have not become popular worldwide.

At present, only a few countries have built magnetohydrodynamic power plants.

This is because the conditions for magnetohydrodynamic power generation are too harsh compared to traditional thermal power generation.

The so-called magnetohydrodynamic power generation technology refers to the use of fuel (oil, natural gas, coal, nuclear energy, etc.) to directly heat it into an easily ionized gas, so that it is ionized into plasma at a high temperature of more than two thousand degrees Celsius or even three thousand degrees Celsius.

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 converts thermal energy directly into electric current without going through a mechanical conversion link, so it is called direct power generation, also known as plasma power generation technology.

The mainstream magnetohydrodynamic power generation technology currently used by various countries is coal burning and gas burning, and the required temperature is very high, which needs to reach about 3000℃.

This temperature is very difficult to achieve through coal or gas.

Due to technical reasons, coupled with general economic benefits, it is not as good as traditional thermal power generation with technological progress, so it has gradually withdrawn from the public's view.

However, magnetohydrodynamic technology has always been a hot focus of research in various countries.

The reason is very simple. Magnetic fluid technology can be applied in military, aerospace, aviation, controlled nuclear fusion and other fields.

Listening to Academician Hou Chengping talking 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 once withdrew from the mainstream power generation technology."

"But it is also undeniable that at the beginning, it was not actually prepared for traditional fossil fuel combustion power generation."

"Even nuclear fission cannot be adapted to magnetic fluid power generation technology."

"Because it is too demanding on the temperature of power generation."

"High temperature of more than 3,000 degrees, and ionized fuel to form plasma, this is almost impossible or very difficult to do for most heat engines."

"However, for controlled nuclear fusion, this is quite easy."

"Whether it is the helium ash guided out from the divertor or the heat we guide out from the first wall, it is easy to reach a temperature of more than 3,000 degrees."

"Fundamentally speaking, the technology of magnetic fluid power generation has been proposed from the beginning to match controlled nuclear fusion."

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, the thermal energy is guided out, first 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 has 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 is what he and Academician Wang Yongnian have long considered.

After all, for the heat generated by the controllable nuclear fusion reactor, even the magnetic fluid generator set 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 where 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°C.

At 1 standard atmosphere, 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.

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 provide heat to the ultra-supercritical unit first; 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 long-term experience in the design of nuclear fission generators, 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 was most familiar with, I was easily surpassed by others and made a better and more perfect plan. How could I not be convinced?

PS: Second update, there will be an additional chapter in the evening, please vote for me and give me a rewardヾ(≧▽≦*)o