Improved Design and Economic Estimation of Cold-End Systems for Inland Nuclear Power Plants

Reserve sites for coastal nuclear power plants are gradually being depleted, prompting a shift towards the development of inland nuclear power stations. A new cooling system based on the integration of multiple cooling sources using a hybrid dry–wet cycle is proposed to achieve a balance between energy and water consumption for inland nuclear power stations. Comparative studies among all the available cooling systems were further conducted to analyze the cooling performance and economic viability. The case study results indicate that, in comparison to relative humidity, the cooling performance and circulating water consumption of cooling systems are more susceptible to changes in dry-bulb temperature. In arid and water-scarce regions, a Combined Natural Draft Hybrid Cooling System generally exhibits a monthly average circulating water consumption rate that is more than 270 kg/s lower than that of the natural draft wet cooling system, with an average monthly back pressure reduction of 0.11 kPa. When the dry-bulb temperature exceeds 13 °C, the net profit of wet cooling surpasses that of hybrid cooling. However, this scenario undergoes a reversal as the dry-bulb temperature decreases and local water prices rise. It is emphasized that hybrid cooling demonstrates minimal impact when subjected to changes in environmental conditions, offering extensive regional applicability.