Patent ID: 11879385
Assignee: ROLLS-ROYCE NORTH AMERICAN TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Field: Engines, pumps, turbines (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC F  G | IPC F  G

Claim 0:
1. A power-generation system for a nuclear reactor, the power-generation system comprising
a power unit that includes a generator for producing electric energy and a turbine engine coupled to and configured to drive the generator, the turbine engine includes a compressor configured to receive and compress ambient air to produce compressed air and a turbine configured to receive the compressed air after the compressed air is heated to extract work from the compressed air and drive the generator,
a reactor heat exchanger in fluid communication with the compressor and the turbine and configured to transfer heat continuously from the nuclear reactor to the compressed air to heat the compressed air during use of the power-generation system, and
an auxiliary combustion system located external to the turbine engine and configured to heat the compressed air to supplement the reactor heat exchanger, the auxiliary combustion system including an auxiliary combustor and a controller, the auxiliary combustor fluidly connected to the compressor and the turbine and configured to mix a fuel with the compressed air and ignite the fuel and the compressed air to increase a temperature of the compressed air,
wherein the controller is programmed to adjust a flow rate of the fuel mixed with the compressed air in the auxiliary combustor based on at least one of the temperature of the compressed air received by the turbine and a load demand on the generator.