Publications

The supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO₂) Brayton cycle is a promising candidate for future nuclear reactors due to its ability to improve power cycle energy conversion efficiency. The sCO₂ Brayton cycle can operate with an efficiency of 45-50% at operating temperatures of 550-700 C. One of the greatest hurdles currently faced by sCO₂ Brayton cycles is the corrosivity of sCO₂ and the lack of long-term alloy corrosion and mechanical performance data, as these will be key to enhancing the longevity of the system, and thus the levelized cost of electricity. Past studies have shown that sCO₂ corrosion occurs through the formation of metal carbonates, oxide layers, and carburization, and alloys with Cr, Mo and Ni generally exhibit less corrosion. While stainless steels may offer sufficient corrosion resistance at the lower range of temperatures seen by the sCO₂ Brayton cycles, more expensive nickel-based alloys are typically needed for the higher temperature regions. This study investigates the effects of corrosion on the Haynes 230 alloy, with a preliminary view on changes in the mechanical properties. High temperature CO₂ is used for this study as the corrosion products are similar to that of supercritical CO₂, allowing for an estimation of the susceptibility towards corrosion without the need for high pressure experimentation.

The supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO₂) Brayton cycle is a promising candidate for future nuclear reactors due to its ability to improve power cycle energy conversion efficiency. The sCO₂ Brayton cycle can operate with an efficiency of 45-50% at operating temperatures of 550-700 C. One of the greatest hurdles currently faced by sCO₂ Brayton cycles is the extreme corrosivity of sCO₂. This affects the longevity of the power cycle and thus the levelized cost of electricity. Past studies have shown that sCO₂ corrosion occurs through the formation of metal carbonates, oxide layers, and carburization, and alloys with Cr, Mo and Ni generally exhibit less corrosion. While stainless steels may offer sufficient corrosion resistance at the lower range of temperatures seen by the sCO₂ Brayton cycles, more expensive alloys such as Inconel and Haynes are typically needed for the higher temperature regions. This study investigates the effects of corrosion on the Haynes 230 alloy, focusing on changes in the mechanical properties.

Few technologies are as prevalent in modern everyday life as space heating and cooling. Space heating and cooling dictates the level of comfort experienced inside a building, and can even have effects on productivity. At an extreme scale, space heating and cooling enables places such as subzero Alaska and scorching hot Arizona to be more widely inhabited. Aside from moderating comfort, space cooling facilitates the proliferation of other technologies: temperature and humidity control is important for semiconductor and pharmaceutical laboratories, as well as for the optimal operation of high performance computing centers/data centers.

Abstract not provided.

This report describes the first design of a refrigerator condenser using the Sandia Cooler, i.e. air - bearing supported rotating heat - sink impeller. The project included ba seline performance testing of a residential refrigerator, analysis and design development of a Sandia Cooler condenser assembly including a spiral channel baseplate, and performance measurement and validation of this condenser system as incorporated into the residential refrigerator. Comparable performance was achieved in a 60% smaller volume package. The improved modeling parameters can now be used to guide more optimized designs and more accurately predict performance.

Abstract not provided.

Abstract not provided.