The Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Brayton Cycle test loop Barber-Nichols produced for the U.S. Department of Energy was loaded on to three trucks today and is being transported to Sandia National Laboratories for continued testing. The U.S. Department of Energy is developing Supercritical CO2 Brayton Cycle technology specifically to support Generation IV Nuclear Reactor design. Generation IV Nuclear Reactor goals include safety, sustainability, cost-effectiveness, and proliferation risk reduction improvements. And in addition to Generation IV Nuclear, Supercritical CO2 Brayton Cycles can also be of benefit to renewable and fossil fuel-powered plants. Carbon dioxide is an extremely efficient working fluid in its supercritical state. And as a result, more electrical power can be produced per unit of fuel ultimately reducing operating costs, payback periods, and plant emissions.
