What Is the Largest Supercritical CO2 Turbine Built to Date

The Largest Supercritical CO2 Turbine Built to Date

Short answer

The largest built and operated supercritical CO2 (sCO2) power turbine system to date is the STEP Demo pilot plant in San Antonio, Texas. It is designed for 10 MWe net output, has demonstrated 4 MWe in Phase 1 testing, targets >50 percent net cycle efficiency at full-temperature operation, and uses a closed sCO2 Brayton cycle with multi-stage axial turbomachinery. ([POWER Magazine][1])

Details and sources

1) STEP Demo, San Antonio, Texas

Size and output: Designed for 10 MWe; in Phase 1 integrated testing the plant generated 4 MWe while operating at about 500 C in a simplified mode. ([GTI Energy][2])

Efficiency: Program target is greater than 50 percent net cycle efficiency at full conditions, with capability up to ~700 C turbine inlet temperature. ([The Department of Energy's Energy.gov][3])

Type: Closed, recuperated sCO2 Brayton cycle using multi-stage axial turbomachinery. (STEP program briefs and press outline the axial expander and recuperated layout.) ([GTI Energy][2])

> Notes on “size”: public materials emphasize plant rating (10 MWe) rather than rotor dimensions. The STEP flyer and technical briefs show the full-scale rotor but do not publish its diameter in open literature. ([GTI Energy][4])

2) Other notable sCO2 turbine demonstrations

Sandia National Laboratories grid-connected loop

Output: First grid-tie demonstration, order of kilowatts (about 10 kW class).

Type: Simple recuperated closed-loop sCO2 Brayton. ([News Releases][5])

SwRI and GE high-temperature prototype

Claim: Operated the highest-temperature sCO2 turbine prototype reported at the time; multi-stage axial hot-gas expander.

Scale: Prototype, not multi-MW; focused on temperature and materials readiness. ([Southwest Research Institute][6])

500 kW-class pilot study

Output: ~0.5 MWe system reported with ~16.5 percent thermal efficiency (research configuration).

Type: Pilot-scale sCO2 power generation setup (configuration varies by study). ([ScienceDirect][7])

Bottom line

Largest built and operated sCO2 turbine system: STEP Demo, designed for 10 MWe, demonstrated 4 MWe so far, targeting >50 percent net cycle efficiency, multi-stage axial in a closed sCO2 Brayton cycle. ([POWER Magazine][1])

Next-largest public items are in the sub-MW to kW class (Sandia loop, various pilots), and high-temperature prototype expanders (SwRI/GE). ([News Releases][5])

[1]: https://www.powermag.com/breakthrough-for-sco2-power-cycle-as-step-demo-completes-phase-1-of-10-mw-project/?utm_source=chatgpt.com Breakthrough for sCO2 Power Cycle as STEP Demo Completes ...

[2]: https://www.gti.energy/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/STEP-Project-Detailed-Description-Dec2018.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com 10 MWe Supercritical Carbon Dioxide (sCO2) Pilot Power ...

[3]: https://www.energy.gov/eere/solar/project-profile-10-megawatt-supercritical-carbon-dioxide-turbine?utm_source=chatgpt.com 10-Megawatt Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Turbine

[4]: https://www.gti.energy/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Supercritical-CO2-10-MW-Demonstration-Project-Under-Construction-Sept-Oct-2022.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com SUPERCRITICAL CO2

[5]: https://newsreleases.sandia.gov/brayton_power/?utm_source=chatgpt.com Sandia technology test delivers electricity to the grid

[6]: https://www.swri.org/newsroom/press-releases/swri-ge-design-operate-the-highest-temperature-sco2-turbine-the-world?utm_source=chatgpt.com SwRI and GE design and operate the highest temperature ...

[7]: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1359431121004749?utm_source=chatgpt.com 500 kW supercritical CO2 power generation system for ...

TEL: 1-608-238-6001 Email: greg@infinityturbine.com

Infinity Turbine PowerBlock 10 MW Supercritical CO2 turbine generator power supplying 10 MW of power for AI Data Centers and charging Tesla MegaBlock... More Info

CONTACT TEL: 1-608-238-6001 Email: greg@infinityturbine.com (Standard Web Page) | PDF