33
3
Energy Recovery by
Benign Hydrothermal
Processes
3.1 intrOdUCtiOn
Water has been used as a benign thermal energy carrier for recovery of energy from
various other sources. While the examples of use of water and steam as benign thermal energy carrier are numerous, this chapter focuses on four important applications
of water and steam as energy carrier. Although water and steam are used for heating
and cooling in all refineries and other process industries, this chapter focuses on
the use of water and steam to carry energy created by other sources such as nuclear
energy, geothermal energy, solar energy, and different types of fuel burning to generate electric power, and/or heating and cooling purposes. Four applications that are
considered here include (1) the role of water as a coolant and a thermal energy carrier
for the nuclear reactor, (2) the use of water and steam in the recovery of geothermal
energy, (3) the use of water to store heat produced from solar energy, and (4) the role
of steam to drive turbine for power generation from various types of fuel burning. In
each of these applications, water or steam plays a benign but very important role for
various types of energy conversion and recovery processes.
3.2 rOle OF Water in PrOdUCtiOn OF nUClear POWer
As discussed in Chapter 2, the extraction of uranium requires a large quantity of water.
This section illustrates the important role of water in the nuclear reactor. There are
several types of nuclear reactors, that is, water cooled, gas cooled, fast neutron, and
so on, currently used in commercial practice. However, as shown in Table 3.1 [1–4],
a majority of the commercial nuclear reactors (>80%) currently in operation use water
as a coolant and an energy carrier. In fact, water is not only a coolant but also a moderator of the nuclear reactors and provides both energy carrier and safety functions
for the reactors. Some of the water-based nuclear reactors are briefly described below.
3.2.1 lighT WATer reACTor
The light water reactor uses light water (hence enriched uranium) and this category
contains two different types of reactor: pressurized water reactor (PWR) and boiling water reactor (BWR) [2]. The light water also combines the functions of coolant
and moderator. In both PWR and BWR, the water flows through the reactor core,
3
Energy Recovery by
Benign Hydrothermal
Processes
3.1 intrOdUCtiOn
Water has been used as a benign thermal energy carrier for recovery of energy from
various other sources. While the examples of use of water and steam as benign thermal energy carrier are numerous, this chapter focuses on four important applications
of water and steam as energy carrier. Although water and steam are used for heating
and cooling in all refineries and other process industries, this chapter focuses on
the use of water and steam to carry energy created by other sources such as nuclear
energy, geothermal energy, solar energy, and different types of fuel burning to generate electric power, and/or heating and cooling purposes. Four applications that are
considered here include (1) the role of water as a coolant and a thermal energy carrier
for the nuclear reactor, (2) the use of water and steam in the recovery of geothermal
energy, (3) the use of water to store heat produced from solar energy, and (4) the role
of steam to drive turbine for power generation from various types of fuel burning. In
each of these applications, water or steam plays a benign but very important role for
various types of energy conversion and recovery processes.
3.2 rOle OF Water in PrOdUCtiOn OF nUClear POWer
As discussed in Chapter 2, the extraction of uranium requires a large quantity of water.
This section illustrates the important role of water in the nuclear reactor. There are
several types of nuclear reactors, that is, water cooled, gas cooled, fast neutron, and
so on, currently used in commercial practice. However, as shown in Table 3.1 [1–4],
a majority of the commercial nuclear reactors (>80%) currently in operation use water
as a coolant and an energy carrier. In fact, water is not only a coolant but also a moderator of the nuclear reactors and provides both energy carrier and safety functions
for the reactors. Some of the water-based nuclear reactors are briefly described below.
3.2.1 lighT WATer reACTor
The light water reactor uses light water (hence enriched uranium) and this category
contains two different types of reactor: pressurized water reactor (PWR) and boiling water reactor (BWR) [2]. The light water also combines the functions of coolant
and moderator. In both PWR and BWR, the water flows through the reactor core,