Patent Number: 053613775
Section: summary

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention is related to the production of electrical power or energy. More specifically, the present invention provides an apparatus and method for producing electrical power with steam generated by a nuclear reactor. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART Conventional methods of electrical power production utilize pressurized steam generation and a subsequent pressure drop for rotating a steam turbine/generator to produce electricity. An essential part of the system cycle is to condense the exiting turbine steam back into water to permit repressuring the system. In turn, the water is again heated into steam, which requires a large quantity of heat for a transformation of state from water to steam, that is, the Heat of Vaporization. In a conventional nuclear-fueled system, water is heated and the water is transformed into saturated steam. Since saturated steam is highly erosive, higher cost 1800 RPM turbines must be used. Reheat of the steam flow to a L.P. (low pressure) Turbine is by use of main saturated steam. The foregoing are disadvantages of the nuclear fueled system. The main advantage is the low cost of the fuel, that is, cost per BTU. In a conventional fossil fired system the water is heated and the water is transformed into saturated steam. The saturated steam is in turn heated to a higher temperature (superheated) thus permitting greater power production for a given cycle fluid flow. Also with the use of superheated steam less costly 3600 RPM turbines are used. Reheat of the steam for L.P. turbine flow is accomplished by use of a fossil fired reheater. The main advantage of the fossil fired system above the nuclear fueled system is the system has smaller fluid flow for a given output since more heat can be added. This in turn reduces equipment sizes and permits the use of 3600 RPM steam turbines. The main disadvantage is the higher cost of fossil fuel, that is, cost per BTU. A patentability investigation was conducted and the following U.S. Pat. Nos. by Nos. were discovered: 3,329,575 entitled: POWER PLANT APPARATUS to Burback et al PA1 3,575,002 entitled: COMBINATION FOSSIL FUEL AND SUPER-HEATED STEAM NUCLEAR POWER PLANT to Vuia. PA1 3,583,156 entitled: GAS TURBINE POWERPLANTS to Schabert. PA1 3,826,091 entitled: PROCESS FOR CONVERTING HEAT PRODUCED BY A NUCLEAR REACTOR TO ELECTRICAL ENERGY to Stahl. PA1 3,894,394 entitled: HTGR POWER PLANT HOT REHEAT STEAM PRESSURE CONTROL SYSTEM to Braytenbah et al. PA1 4,015,430 entitled: ELECTRIC POWER PLANT AND TURBINE ACCELERATION CONTROL SYSTEM FOR USE THEREIN to Braytenbah et al. PA1 4,336,105 entitled: NUCLEAR POWER PLANT STEAM SYSTEM to Silvestri, Jr. PA1 4,530,814 entitled: APPARATUS FOR SUPERHEATING STEAM to Schluderberg. PA1 (a) providing a nuclear reactor engaged to a steam generator for generating steam when heated aqueous product is passed therethrough; PA1 (b) passing heated aqueous product through the steam generator of step (a) to produce steam; PA1 (c) passing the produced steam of step (b) through a superheater to superheat the produced steam, preferably to produce steam having an enthalpy above about 1450 BTU per lb.; PA1 (d) passing the superheated produced steam of step (c) through a first turbine to expand the superheated produced steam and produce steam, preferably producing steam having an enthalpy above about 1250 BTU per lb.; PA1 (e) reheating the produced steam of step (d) to obtain a reheated steam, preferably obtaining a reheated steam having an enthalpy above about 1470 BTU per lb.; PA1 (f) passing the obtained reheated steam of step (e) through a second turbine coupled to a generator in order to expand the obtained reheated steam and generate electrical power with the generator. U.S. Pat. No. 3,329,575 to Burbach et al deals with the problem of a separately fired superheater for a typical 600 PSI nuclear steam cycle. The patent indicates the problem can be solved by increasing the steam pressure from 600 PSI to 1000 PSI; that is, the nuclear steam generator steam is increased to a pressure of 1000 PSI by a compressor and then is piped to the fossil fired superheater. This is an inefficient set-up but confirms the need for higher pressures in the superheater to assure a superheater of reasonable size. U.S. Pat. No. 3,575,002 teaches that a separately fired superheater has problems relative to tube design in and around the "firebox" which results in tube temperatures exceeding the temperature limit of existing material. The patent indicates the problem can be solved by placing the superheater in a boiler which would be utilized for both a conventional fossil plant and the nuclear cycle superheater; that is, a separate fossil fuel plant and separate superheated steam nuclear power plant with the steam being heated in the fossil fuel plant's boiler. U.S. Pat. No. 4,530,814 to Schluderberg provides for a design of a reheater to add heat to the nuclear steam flow between the high and low pressure turbine of a nuclear power plant. The heat added comes from a fossil fired steam circuit; that is, fossil heated vapor heats the nuclear system cycle's steam. This patent is not related to the nuclear-fossil integrated designs presented in this invention. None of the foregoing prior art patents teach or suggest the particular apparatus and method of the present invention. What is needed and what has been invented by me is an apparatus and method for producing electrical power or energy without the deficiencies associated with the foregoing prior art. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention accomplishes its desired objects by broadly providing a method for producing electrical power from steam generated by a nuclear reactor comprising the steps of: The method additionally comprises recovering expanded steam from the second turbine, said recovered expanded steam from the second turbine preferably having an enthalpy greater than about 1050 BTU per lb.; condensing the recovered expanded steam into an aqueous product; passing the aqueous product through a first pump to pump the aqueous product to produce a pumped aqueous product; passing the pumped aqueous product through at least one first heater to produce an aqueous product having an elevated temperature, an elevated pressure and elevated enthalpy; passing the aqueous product having an elevated temperature, pressure and enthalpy through a second pump; and passing subsequently the aqueous product from the second pump through at least one second heater to produce the heated aqueous product which is for being passed through the steam generator. The present invention also accomplishes its desired objects by broadly providing an apparatus for producing electrical power comprising in combination a nuclear reactor engaged to and communicating with a steam generator; a superheater (i.e. fossil fired or steam to steam superheater) engaged to and communicating with the steam generator; a first turbine engaged to and communicating with the superheater; a reheater engaged to and communicating with the first turbine; and a second turbine coupled to a generator and engaged to and communicating with the reheater. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method for producing electrical power from steam generated by a nuclear reactor. It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for accomplishing the method for producing electrical power from steam generated by a nuclear reactor. These, together with the various ancillary objects and features which will become apparent to those skilled in the art as the following description proceeds, are attained by this novel method and apparatus, a preferred embodiment being shown with reference to the accompanying drawings, by way of example only wherein: