Abstract: The main advantages of the supercritical carbon dioxide( sCO_2) Brayton cycle as a power cycle are high efficiency,simple structure,compact system and wide heat source adaptability,which is expected to be widely used in the next generation of nuclear reactors,coal-fired power plants,waste heat recovery and renewable energy( solar energy,geothermal energy,etc.) fields. As a new type of power cycle working fluid,sCO_2 has mild critical point conditions( 31. 1 ℃/7. 38 MPa),and its physical properties change sharply near the critical point. In view of the coal-based energy structure and severe climate challenges in China,the combination of sCO_2 power cycle with oxy-fuel combustion,fluidized bed boilers,coal gasification and other technologies provides new solutions to achieve clean,efficient and low-carbon utilization of coal. In this paper,the properties of sCO_2 were firstly analyzed,then the basic principles of two types of indirect-fired and direct-fired sCO_2 Brayton cycles were introduced,and then the research progress of sCO_2 power cycle applied to coal-fired power stations was summarized. The development of sCO_2 cycle coal-fired power plant can be divided into the following two paths: ① the indirect-fired sCO_2 cycle instead of steam Rankine cycle,which is used in coal-fired power stations,and is combined with technologies such as pulverized coal boilers,circulating fluidized bed boilers,and oxy-fuel combustion; ② the direct-fired sCO_2 cycle coal-fired power station has higher efficiency and inherent carbon capture,which can compete with the IGCC power station with carbon capture and storage( CCS) system. And then a variety of technical solutions of sCO_2 power cycle applied to coal-fired power station were analyzed,including the advantages,technical challenges and development directions of different types. Next,the experimental research and heat transfer characteristics of sCO_2 in conventional round pipe,thin round pipe,micro round pipe,and printed circuit heat exchanger( PCHE) were elaborated. Also,the empirical correlations of sCO_2 flow and heat transfer in circular tubes and PCHE were summarized and analyzed. At the same time,the numerical simulation methods of sCO_2 heat transfer were presented. Finally,from the basic theory,system study and equipment development,the shortcomings of the existing research and prospects for future research were pointed out,which had reference significance for the future development of coal-fired sCO_2 cycle power station technology. The CO2 emission reduction will be the main research direction of coal-fired power station in the next few decades. The direct-fired sCO_2 cycle coal-fired power generation technology with higher efficiency and inherent carbon capture will attract more attention from academics and industry. In China,it is more practical to apply the sCO_2 Brayton cycle to coal-fired power plants. At present,there is a considerable gap between China with foreign countries on the research of sCO_2 cycle power station technology. We should rely on the technology accumulation of ultra supercritical coal-fired power plants and IGCC power plants to rapidly promote the research and development of the technology of coal-fired sCO_2 cycle power station in China.