A Potassium-Steam Binary Vapor Cycle for a Molten-Salt Reactor Power Plant

A conceptual design for one embodiment of a binary vapor cycle coupled to a molten-salt reactor has been prepared to determine whether such a plant is sufficiently attractive to warrant further investigation. Its overall thermal efficiency is estimated to be 54 percent, while its heat rejection to the condensers is about half of that for a modern steam plant. The quantities of material required for the heat exchangers and piping for both a coal-fired supercritical-pressure steam plant and a nuclear-powered potassium vapor and supercritical-steam plant are estimated and compared along with the associated costs. The resulting cost and performance data indicate that the nuclear plant with a potassium-vapor and steam binary cycle may give both lower capital charges and a much higher overall efficiency than a coal-fired super-critical-pressure steam plant.