Southwest Research Institute (SwRI)
Co-developer: Hanwha Power Systems Americas (HPSA)
Supercritical CO2 systems are well-positioned for disruptive industry carbonization through waste heat recovery, production of zero-carbon electricity through concentrated power and geothermal systems, or in heat pump applications for producing zero-carbon heat or thermal energy storage for time-shifting renewable electricity on grids. sCO2 systems offer improved efficiency and/or modularity over steam and organic Rankine cycles. The Hanwha Power Systems Integrally Geared Supercritical CO2 Compander is the heart of this transformational power system, incorporating compression and expansion stages that circulate and extract energy from the process fluid. The compander incorporates a novel invention for a turbine case that contains separate elements for thermal and pressure containment, allowing the casing to be made from lower-cost steels instead of typical nickel-alloy. As a power-dense turbomachine operating in extreme pressure, temperature, and density conditions, the product required the completion of rigorous design activities, prototype fabrication, and testing under full mechanical conditions to validate the design.