Planned to be built at SwRI’s headquarters in San Antonio, the test facility, which will be tied to the power grid, aims to demonstrate and help in advancing the technology development of the sCO2 Brayton power cycles.
The six-year project is part of DOE’s Supercritical Transformational Electric Power (STEP) program, which is intended to meet provide cleaner, more affordable power sources to help meet national climate and energy goals.
SwRI president Adam L Hamilton said: “We are proud to be part of a project that will demonstrate the world’s first large-scale sCO2 power plant.”
In Brayton power cycles, high-power-density turbomachinery utilizes sCO2 as the working flui, GTI said.
SwRI said that using sCO2, the turbomachinery power cycles have potential to reach higher thermal efficiencies when compared to conventional techniques.
US DOE Under Secretary for Science and Energy Franklin Orr said: “Supercritical CO2 power systems have the potential to improve the efficiency and reduce the size of future power plants significantly.
“Smaller size and increased efficiency can lead to lower costs and fewer greenhouse gas emissions.”
For the demonstration project, GTI will provide system engineering and test management while GE Global Research will design and fabricate turbomachinery.
Additionally, SwRI will design, implement, and operate the test facility as well as turbomachinery evaluation.
The project will also receive additional project from original equipment manufacturers, international research and development organizations, universities, and power system utilities.
Image: Engineering concept drawing of sCO2 power demonstration plant. Photo: courtesy of Southwest Research Institute/ Southwest Research Institute.
