Maintaining a Technology-Neutral Approach to Hydrogen Production Process Development through Conceptual Design of the Next Generation Nuclear Plant
Abstract
The Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) project was authorized in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct), tasking the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) with demonstrating High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (HTGR) technology. The demonstration is to include the technical, licensing, operational, and commercial viability of HTGR technology for the production of electricity and hydrogen. The Nuclear Hydrogen Initiative (NHI), a component of the DOE Hydrogen Program managed by the Office of Nuclear Energy, is also investigating multiple approaches to cost effective hydrogen production from nuclear energy. The objective of NHI is development of the technology and information basis for a future decision on commercial viability. The initiatives are clearly intertwined. While the objectives of NGNP and NHI are generally consistent, NGNP has progressed to the project definition phase and the project plan has matured. Multiple process applications for the NGNP require process heat, electricity and hydrogen in varied combinations and sizes. Coupling these processes to the reactor in multiple configurations adds complexity to the design, licensing and demonstration of both the reactor and the hydrogen production process. Commercial viability of hydrogen production may depend on the specific application and heat transport configuration. A component test facility (CTF) is planned bymore »
- Authors:
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- DOE - NE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 935453
- Report Number(s):
- INL/EXT-08-14193
TRN: US0804655
- DOE Contract Number:
- DE-AC07-99ID-13727
- Resource Type:
- Technical Report
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 08 HYDROGEN; 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; CONFIGURATION; CONSTRUCTION; DECISION MAKING; DESIGN; ELECTRICITY; ENERGY POLICY; GAS COOLED REACTORS; HYDROGEN; HYDROGEN PRODUCTION; LICENSING; MITIGATION; NUCLEAR ENERGY; PROCESS HEAT; PRODUCTION; SCHEDULES; TESTING; TRANSPORT; VIABILITY; HTGR; Hydrogen; NGNP; VHTR
Citation Formats
Patterson, Michael W. Maintaining a Technology-Neutral Approach to Hydrogen Production Process Development through Conceptual Design of the Next Generation Nuclear Plant. United States: N. p., 2008.
Web. doi:10.2172/935453.
Patterson, Michael W. Maintaining a Technology-Neutral Approach to Hydrogen Production Process Development through Conceptual Design of the Next Generation Nuclear Plant. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/935453
Patterson, Michael W. 2008.
"Maintaining a Technology-Neutral Approach to Hydrogen Production Process Development through Conceptual Design of the Next Generation Nuclear Plant". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/935453. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/935453.
@article{osti_935453,
title = {Maintaining a Technology-Neutral Approach to Hydrogen Production Process Development through Conceptual Design of the Next Generation Nuclear Plant},
author = {Patterson, Michael W},
abstractNote = {The Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) project was authorized in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct), tasking the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) with demonstrating High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (HTGR) technology. The demonstration is to include the technical, licensing, operational, and commercial viability of HTGR technology for the production of electricity and hydrogen. The Nuclear Hydrogen Initiative (NHI), a component of the DOE Hydrogen Program managed by the Office of Nuclear Energy, is also investigating multiple approaches to cost effective hydrogen production from nuclear energy. The objective of NHI is development of the technology and information basis for a future decision on commercial viability. The initiatives are clearly intertwined. While the objectives of NGNP and NHI are generally consistent, NGNP has progressed to the project definition phase and the project plan has matured. Multiple process applications for the NGNP require process heat, electricity and hydrogen in varied combinations and sizes. Coupling these processes to the reactor in multiple configurations adds complexity to the design, licensing and demonstration of both the reactor and the hydrogen production process. Commercial viability of hydrogen production may depend on the specific application and heat transport configuration. A component test facility (CTF) is planned by the NGNP to support testing and demonstration of NGNP systems, including those for hydrogen production, in multiple configurations. Engineering-scale demonstrations in the CTF are expected to start in 2012 to support scheduled design and licensing activities leading to subsequent construction and operation. Engineering-scale demonstrations planned by NHI are expected to start at least two years later. Reconciliation of these schedules is recommended to successfully complete both initiatives. Hence, closer and earlier integration of hydrogen process development and heat transport systems is sensible. For integration purposes, an analysis comparing the design, cost and schedule impact of maintaining a technology neutral approach through conceptual design or making an early hydrogen process technology selection was performed. Early selection does not specifically eliminate a technology, but rather selects the first hydrogen technology for demonstration. A systems-engineering approach was taken to define decision-making criteria for selecting a hydrogen technology. The relative technical, cost and schedule risks of each approach were analyzed and risk mitigation strategies were recommended, including provisions to maintain close collaboration with the NHI. The results of these analyses are presented here.},
doi = {10.2172/935453},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/935453},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu May 01 00:00:00 EDT 2008},
month = {Thu May 01 00:00:00 EDT 2008}
}