Summary for the AA1 example simulation

Supercritical CO2 (sCO2) Brayton power cycles use CO2 at supercritical pressures as the working fluid. Compared to conventional steam Rankine cycles, sCO2 cycles can achieve significantly higher cycle efficiencies, which is defined as the ratio of net power gained (turbine power minus compression power) to the heat input. Higher cycle efficiency leads to lower fuel cost, lower water usage, and lower greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, sCO2 cycles operate at high pressures throughout the cycle, which results in a working fluid with a high density. This can minimize the plant footprint and therefore lower capital cost.

The objective of this simulation is to:

• Demonstrate the impact of varying bypass compressor flowrate on the overall efficiency of the system given a constant heater duty.

• Demonstrate the impact of varying turbine outlet pressure on the overall cycle efficiency.

• Determine the optimum bypass flow that maximizes the cycle efficiency.

The following figure shows the schematic diagram of the Supercritical CO2 Brayton Cycle system, as modeled in AVEVA Process Simulation.