The Turbine Heat Waste of RDE for Desalination Laboratory Plant

Abstract

Abstract Reaktor Daya Eksperimental (RDE) is currently being developed by Batan. This reactor uses HTGR technology as the basis for its development. It has an indirect cycle power conversion with primary coolant is helium and its secondary is water. The RDE will be operated not only for an electrical generation but also for cogeneration purposes. One process can be supported in the cogeneration scheme is seawater desalination. Water is the main source of life and its availability must be maintained on earth. Therefore, to overcome the scarcity of freshwater at the remote islands in Indonesia, it needs nuclear cogeneration by coupling of RDE and desalination. With this technology, it can simultaneously produce electricity and freshwater. A variety of desalting technologies has been developed over the years, including primarily thermal and membrane processes. This paper discusses the simulation of RDE for desalination purposes. The methodology used in this research is modeled and simulation by using ChemCAD. The desalination plant is simulated by the heat exchanger unit operation. The RDE primary mass flow rate is 4.3 kg/s, 700°C of temperature and 30 bars of pressure. The secondary coolant mass flow rate is 3.8 kg/s, 60 bars, and 350°C respectively. Depending upon the specific designs the temperature ranges of the waters in this exchanger could be between 80-130°C. The extraction point of the desalination process is at turbine output, with 300.16°C, 8 bars and 3.7 kg/s of mass flow rate. The total amount of freshwater will generate is 4.09 m3/h equal to 98.16 m3/day.