IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/energy/v318y2025ics0360544225005560.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Study on the load-following ability of HeXe cooled SMR with close Brayton cycle for renewable energy integration

Author

Listed:
  • Li, Xinyu
  • Guan, Chaoran
  • Chai, Xiang
  • Liu, Xiaojing

Abstract

Microgrids are vital for enhancing energy resilience and reliability, and the aim of carbon neutrality accelerates the integration of renewable energy. However, the variability of renewable energy and fluctuating demand present challenges to supply-load balance for renewable microgrids. This paper addresses the supply-load balance issues by integrating small modular reactors (SMRs) into renewable microgrids, developing load-following strategies, and evaluating transient performance under fluctuations. It presents a one-dimensional dynamic model of the Helium-Xenon cooled SMR with closed Brayton cycle (CBC) and transient simulations are conducted for three different control methods, to investigate the mechanisms and evaluate their characteristics and deficiencies. Combined regulation strategies are proposed, and their effectiveness is proven. From the evaluation, inventory control performs better initially. The turbine bypass valve control is also a favorable choice, especially under strict safety requirements. Using load regulation combinations, the system demonstrates a quick and fluctuation-free load-following in 20 %/100s ramp change and the 20 % step change within a 10-s offset for 100%–0% full range, able to manage the variability and demand fluctuations of microgrids. The outcomes of this study confirm the load-following capability of the HeXe cooled SMRs and highlight the feasibility and effectiveness of integrating nuclear energy into renewable microgrids.

Suggested Citation

  • Li, Xinyu & Guan, Chaoran & Chai, Xiang & Liu, Xiaojing, 2025. "Study on the load-following ability of HeXe cooled SMR with close Brayton cycle for renewable energy integration," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 318(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:318:y:2025:i:c:s0360544225005560
    DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2025.134914
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360544225005560
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.energy.2025.134914?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:318:y:2025:i:c:s0360544225005560. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/energy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.