R Z Aminov¹ and V E Yurin²

¹ Federal Research Center "Saratov Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences", 24, Rabochaya str., Saratov, 410028, Russia

² Yuri Gagarin State Technical University of Saratov, 77, Politechnicheskaya street, Saratov, 410054, Russia

Abstract

A heat storage system, including an additional low-power steam turbine, can provide effective participation of nuclear power plants in covering daily irregularities in energy consumption in the power system. In addition, the system provides an additional reserve for the NPP's own needs, due to the possibility of using the energy of residual heat release from the reactor core to supply power to the station's own needs. In the paper, the methodology developed by the authors is presented, which allows to research ways to improve the efficiency of nuclear power plants based on a comprehensive assessment of technical and economic efficiency, changes in plant safety and effects for the entire state energy system as a whole, achieved through the installation of new equipment. As an example, a thermal storage system, a steam-gas plant, and a system for passive heat removal from the reactor core have been investigated.