Haalbaarheidsstudie voor warmterecuperatie van nucleaire onderzoeksreactoren

    Research output

    Abstract

    Most heating systems nowadays still use fossil fuels as their primary energy source. The use of these fuels is not sustainable as they release high amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere. Renewable energy sources aim to strongly reduce and eventually replace fossil fuels. District heating networks are large underground networks of insulated pipes that deliver heat to provide space heating and the production of domestic hot water to households and organisations. District heating is a sustainable alternative for heating with the use of fossil fuels. SCK CEN is looking for a solution that recovers the waste heat of their nuclear research reactor BR2. Due to the large amount of heating power that the reactor produces, a district heating network is the ideal solution. In this thesis, a study on the feasibility of the heat recovery of the nuclear reactor at SCK CEN will be made. First the properties of the different generations of district heating networks will be looked further into, followed by a short case study of the district heating network in Roeselare. Next the various aspects of the design of a district heating network will be researched, these aspects include determining the annual heat production of the nuclear reactor, calculating the annual heat demand of an average Flemish household and calculating the size of the network. Following the design aspects of the district heating network will be a discussion on the methods used for calculating the reduction of CO2 emissions and the financial feasibility of this project. Finally, calculations of the district heating network for different scenarios will be made in order to compare the results and conclude this thesis by looking at the general feasibility of this project.
    Original languageEnglish
    QualificationMaster of Science
    Awarding Institution
    • KU Leuven
    Supervisors/Advisors
    • Blommaert, Maarten, Supervisor, External person
    • Van Dyck, Steven, SCK CEN Mentor
    Date of Award30 Jun 2022
    Publisher
    StatePublished - 30 Jun 2022

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