Thermal balance of wet-steam turbines in nuclear power plants: a case study

Abstract

Conventional methodology is applied in this study to estimate the efficiency of nuclear power generation and the electrical power that is generated at a nuclear plant built in the nineteen-sixties. A simulation of the whole power plant is conducted with this methodology. The characteristic parameters from the study are compared with those estimated by the manufacturer for its on-design operation mode. Furthermore, the model calculates the anticipated pressures, temperatures, mass flows and electrical power on the basis of the data from various performance tests. These estimated parameters are then compared with real values measured in the plant. The objective of the present paper is to study whether the conventional approach is acceptable for the simulation of the parameters of the power station, and to identify areas where the results of the simulation may be improved, in order to minimize the deviations between the simulated parameters and the actual measurements.