Analysis of Reference Design for Nuclear-Assisted Hydrogen Production at 750°C Reactor Outlet Temperature

Analysis of Reference Design for Nuclear-Assisted Hydrogen Production at 750°C Reactor Outlet Temperature

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Published: 2010

Total Pages:

ISBN-13:

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The use of High Temperature Electrolysis (HTE) for the efficient production of hydrogen without the greenhouse gas emissions associated with conventional fossil-fuel hydrogen production techniques has been under investigation at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INL) for the last several years. The activities at the INL have included the development, testing and analysis of large numbers of solid oxide electrolysis cells, and the analyses of potential plant designs for large scale production of hydrogen using a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) to provide the process heat and electricity to drive the electrolysis process. The results of this research led to the selection in 2009 of HTE as the preferred concept in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) hydrogen technology down-selection process. However, the down-selection process, along with continued technical assessments at the INL, has resulted in a number of proposed modifications and refinements to improve the original INL reference HTE design. These modifications include changes in plant configuration, operating conditions and individual component designs. This report describes the resulting new INL reference design coupled to two alternative HTGR power conversion systems, a Steam Rankine Cycle and a Combined Cycle (a Helium Brayton Cycle with a Steam Rankine Bottoming Cycle). Results of system analyses performed to optimize the design and to determine required plant performance and operating conditions when coupled to the two different power cycles are also presented. A 600 MWt high temperature gas reactor coupled with a Rankine steam power cycle at a thermal efficiency of 44.4% can produce 1.85 kg/s of hydrogen and 14.6 kg/s of oxygen. The same capacity reactor coupled with a combined cycle at a thermal efficiency of 42.5% can produce 1.78 kg/s of hydrogen and 14.0 kg/s of oxygen.


Development of Design and Simulation Model and Safety Study of Large-scale Hydrogen Production Using Nuclear Power

Development of Design and Simulation Model and Safety Study of Large-scale Hydrogen Production Using Nuclear Power

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Publisher:

Published: 2007

Total Pages: 296

ISBN-13:

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Before this LDRD research, no single tool could simulate a very high temperature reactor (VHTR) that is coupled to a secondary system and the sulfur iodine (SI) thermochemistry. Furthermore, the SI chemistry could only be modeled in steady state, typically via flow sheets. Additionally, the MELCOR nuclear reactor analysis code was suitable only for the modeling of light water reactors, not gas-cooled reactors. We extended MELCOR in order to address the above deficiencies. In particular, we developed three VHTR input models, added generalized, modular secondary system components, developed reactor point kinetics, included transient thermochemistry for the most important cycles [SI and the Westinghouse hybrid sulfur], and developed an interactive graphical user interface for full plant visualization. The new tool is called MELCOR-H2, and it allows users to maximize hydrogen and electrical production, as well as enhance overall plant safety. We conducted validation and verification studies on the key models, and showed that the MELCOR-H2 results typically compared to within less than 5% from experimental data, code-to-code comparisons, and/or analytical solutions.


An Assessment of Reactor Types for Thermochemical Hydrogen Production

An Assessment of Reactor Types for Thermochemical Hydrogen Production

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Published: 2002

Total Pages: 53

ISBN-13:

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Nuclear energy has been proposed as a heat source for producing hydrogen from water using a sulfur-iodine thermochemical cycle. This document presents an assessment of the suitability of various reactor types for this application. The basic requirement for the reactor is the delivery of 900 C heat to a process interface heat exchanger. Ideally, the reactor heat source should not in itself present any significant design, safety, operational, or economic issues. This study found that Pressurized and Boiling Water Reactors, Organic-Cooled Reactors, and Gas-Core Reactors were unsuitable for the intended application. Although Alkali Metal-Cooled and Liquid-Core Reactors are possible candidates, they present significant development risks for the required conditions. Heavy Metal-Cooled Reactors and Molten Salt-Cooled Reactors have the potential to meet requirements, however, the cost and time required for their development may be appreciable. Gas-Cooled Reactors (GCRs) have been successfully operated in the required 900 C coolant temperature range, and do not present any obvious design, safety, operational, or economic issues. Altogether, the GCRs approach appears to be very well suited as a heat source for the intended application, and no major development work is identified. This study recommends using the Gas-Cooled Reactor as the baseline reactor concept for a sulfur-iodine cycle for hydrogen generation.


Review of DOE's Nuclear Energy Research and Development Program

Review of DOE's Nuclear Energy Research and Development Program

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2008-05-01

Total Pages: 102

ISBN-13: 0309111242

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There has been a substantial resurgence of interest in nuclear power in the United States over the past few years. One consequence has been a rapid growth in the research budget of DOE's Office of Nuclear Energy (NE). In light of this growth, the Office of Management and Budget included within the FY2006 budget request a study by the National Academy of Sciences to review the NE research programs and recommend priorities among those programs. The programs to be evaluated were: Nuclear Power 2010 (NP 2010), Generation IV (GEN IV), the Nuclear Hydrogen Initiative (NHI), the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP)/Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative (AFCI), and the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) facilities. This book presents a description and analysis of each program along with specific findings and recommendations. It also provides an assessment of program priorities and oversight.


Advances in High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor Fuel Technology

Advances in High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor Fuel Technology

Author: International Atomic Energy Agency

Publisher:

Published: 2012-06

Total Pages: 639

ISBN-13: 9789201253101

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This publication reports on the results of a coordinated research project on advances in high temperature gas cooled reactor (HTGR) fuel technology and describes the findings of research activities on coated particle developments. These comprise two specific benchmark exercises with the application of HTGR fuel performance and fission product release codes, which helped compare the quality and validity of the computer models against experimental data. The project participants also examined techniques for fuel characterization and advanced quality assessment/quality control. The key exercise included a round-robin experimental study on the measurements of fuel kernel and particle coating properties of recent Korean, South African and US coated particle productions applying the respective qualification measures of each participating Member State. The summary report documents the results and conclusions achieved by the project and underlines the added value to contemporary knowledge on HTGR fuel.


Design Configurations and Coupling High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor and Hydrogen Plant

Design Configurations and Coupling High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor and Hydrogen Plant

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Published: 2008

Total Pages:

ISBN-13:

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The US Department of Energy is investigating the use of high-temperature nuclear reactors to produce hydrogen using either thermochemical cycles or high-temperature electrolysis. Although the hydrogen production processes are in an early stage of development, coupling either of these processes to the high-temperature reactor requires both efficient heat transfer and adequate separation of the facilities to assure that off-normal events in the production facility do not impact the nuclear power plant. An intermediate heat transport loop will be required to separate the operations and safety functions of the nuclear and hydrogen plants. A next generation high-temperature reactor could be envisioned as a single-purpose facility that produces hydrogen or a dual-purpose facility that produces hydrogen and electricity. Early plants, such as the proposed Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP), may be dual-purpose facilities that demonstrate both hydrogen and efficient electrical generation. Later plants could be single-purpose facilities. At this stage of development, both single- and dual-purpose facilities need to be understood.


Hydrogen Production from Nuclear Energy

Hydrogen Production from Nuclear Energy

Author: Greg F Naterer

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2013-03-28

Total Pages: 506

ISBN-13: 1447149386

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With the resurgence of nuclear power around the world, and the increasingly important role of hydrogen as a clean energy carrier, the utilization of nuclear energy for large-scale hydrogen production will have a key role in a sustainable energy future. Co-generation of both electricity and hydrogen from nuclear plants will become increasingly attractive. It enables load leveling together with renewable energy and storage of electricity in the form of hydrogen, when electricity prices and demand are lowest at off-peak hours of nuclear plants, such as overnight. Hydrogen Production from Nuclear Energy provides an overview of the latest developments and methods of nuclear based hydrogen production, including electrolysis and thermochemical cycles. Particular focus is given to thermochemical water splitting by the copper-chlorine and sulphur-based cycles. Cycle configurations, equipment design, modeling and implementation issues are presented and discussed. The book provides the reader with an overview of the key enabling technologies towards the design and industrialization of hydrogen plants that are co-located and linked with nuclear plants in the future. The book includes illustrations of technology developments, tables that summarize key features and results, overviews of recent advances and new methods of nuclear hydrogen production. The latest results from leading authorities in the fields will be presented, including efficiencies, costs, equipment design, and modeling.


Nuclear Hydrogen Production Handbook

Nuclear Hydrogen Production Handbook

Author: Xing L. Yan

Publisher: CRC Press

Published: 2016-04-19

Total Pages: 939

ISBN-13: 1439810842

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Written by two leading researchers from the world-renowned Japan Atomic Energy Agency, the Nuclear Hydrogen Production Handbook is an unrivalled overview of current and future prospects for the effective production of hydrogen via nuclear energy. Combining information from scholarly analyses, industrial data, references, and other resources, this h


Analysis of a High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor Powered High Temperature Electrolysis Hydrogen Plant

Analysis of a High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor Powered High Temperature Electrolysis Hydrogen Plant

Author:

Publisher:

Published: 2010

Total Pages:

ISBN-13:

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An updated reference design for a commercial-scale high-temperature electrolysis (HTE) plant for hydrogen production has been developed. The HTE plant is powered by a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) whose configuration and operating conditions are based on the latest design parameters planned for the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP). The current HTGR reference design specifies a reactor power of 600 MWt, with a primary system pressure of 7.0 MPa, and reactor inlet and outlet fluid temperatures of 322°C and 750°C, respectively. The reactor heat is used to produce heat and electric power to the HTE plant. A Rankine steam cycle with a power conversion efficiency of 44.4% was used to provide the electric power. The electrolysis unit used to produce hydrogen includes 1.1 million cells with a per-cell active area of 225 cm2. The reference hydrogen production plant operates at a system pressure of 5.0 MPa, and utilizes a steam-sweep system to remove the excess oxygen that is evolved on the anode (oxygen) side of the electrolyzer. The overall system thermal-to-hydrogen production efficiency (based on the higher heating value of the produced hydrogen) is 42.8% at a hydrogen production rate of 1.85 kg/s (66 million SCFD) and an oxygen production rate of 14.6 kg/s (33 million SCFD). An economic analysis of this plant was performed with realistic financial and cost estimating The results of the economic analysis demonstrated that the HTE hydrogen production plant driven by a high-temperature helium-cooled nuclear power plant can deliver hydrogen at a competitive cost. A cost of $3.03/kg of hydrogen was calculated assuming an internal rate of return of 10% and a debt to equity ratio of 80%/20% for a reactor cost of $2000/kWt and $2.41/kg of hydrogen for a reactor cost of $1400/kWt.