MVM EGI | ADVERTORIAL FEATURE
Water Use in Future Nuclear Power Plants in Focus
Nuclear power generation has an important role in meeting the growing global electricity demand. Electro-mobility, the expansion of information technology and AI data centers,
together with increasing industrial and public consumption, require the installation of new nuclear power plants, both large units and small modular reactors (SMRs).
TRADITIONALLY, NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS have relied on large water sources such as seas or rivers for cooling, often supplemented by wet cooling towers. However, climate change and increasing water scarcity require power plants to significantly reduce water consumption while maintaining high generation efficiency. These objectives can be achieved by fully dry cooling systems, while in certain cases dry– wet hybrid cooling configurations may offer an optimal compromise between water consumption and turbine performance. An early historic example is the Bilibino 4×12 MW nuclear power plant, operating since the 1970s with dry cooling towers. The plant is located in a remote Arctic region and operates under extremely harsh winter conditions with temperatures reaching –62°C, demonstrating the reliability of dry cooling technology. Water-saving yet efficient power generation - while
maintaining low condenser temperatures - is essential for nuclear plants. Therefore, dry-wet cooling combinations provide an effective and economically viable solution. MVM EGI has developed and patented several possible
cooling solutions to address these requirements. The first configuration is a natural draft dry cooling tower with a single cooling water circuit, incorporating
an internal circular wet cooling section. The diagrams below illustrate the water consumption and turbine output characteristics of the dry-wet cooling solution compared to an all-wet cooling application. For more ambitious water saving targets, a combined
dry–wet cooling configuration with an increased dry cooling section and a reduced wet cooling section may be applied. A low-profile, combined draft dry-wet solution may also be considered with some extra fan power consumption. Hybrid dry-wet cooling technologies therefore offer
a practical pathway for future nuclear power plants to balance efficient power generation with significantly reduced water consumption. ■
Above: Single circuit hybrid dry-wet cooling tower for yearly approx. 50% water saving
MVM EGI Zrt. Irinyi József str. 4-20, Budapest, Hungary 1117 T: +36 1 225 6100 E:
info@mvmegi.com W:
www.mvmegi.com
Above: Steam turbine output variation with all wet and hybrid dry-wet cooling towers
Above: Bilibino 4x12 MW NPP with dry cooling towers by MVM EGI
Above: Separate circuit hybrid dry-wet cooling tower for yearly approx. 70…80% water saving
Above: Water consumption variation with all wet and hybrid dry-wet cooling towers
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