Catalyst Needs for Thermochemical Hydrogen Production Cycles
Conference
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OSTI ID:20979747
- Idaho National Laboratory, Chemical Sciences, P.O. Box 1625, Idaho Falls, ID 83415-2208 (United States)
Thermochemical cycles can be used to split water through a series of chemical reactions where the net result is the production of hydrogen and oxygen at much lower temperatures than direct thermal decomposition. All chemicals within the cycle are fully recycled and the heat to drive the reactions, which tend to be endothermic, must be provided by a primary energy source. When the primary energy driver is nuclear heat, hydrogen can be generated without producing green-house gases, and can provide independence from our dwindling supplies of fossil fuels. A number of thermochemical cycles can be driven by the primary heat of nuclear reactors, especially a very high temperature reactor (VHTR). The sulfur-based family of thermochemical cycles, including the Sulfur- Iodine cycle (S-I), the Hybrid Sulfur cycle, and the Sulfur-Bromine Hybrid cycle, appears promising for producing hydrogen using nuclear heat. These cycles employ a high-temperature sulfuric acid decomposition reaction step. The reaction produces oxygen and generates SO{sub 2}, which is used in other reaction steps of the cycles. The reaction takes place from 750 to 900 deg. C, or higher, and is facilitated by heterogeneous catalysts. The S-I cycle produces hydrogen by the catalytic decomposition of HI. The calcium-bromine cycle is also being considered as a nuclear powered thermochemical cycle. The various cycles all present requirements of high temperatures and harsh chemical reaction conditions which present significantly challenging environments for catalytic materials. This work will focus on the catalyst needs of thermochemical cycles that are candidates for being powered by nuclear reactors. Specific catalyst activity and stability testing results will be provided for the decomposition of sulfuric acid for the production of oxygen in the sulfur-based family of cycles and for the catalytic decomposition of hydro-iodic acid for the production of hydrogen in the S-I process. Sulfuric acid decomposition results will focus primarily on platinum group metal catalyst while HI decomposition results will be presented mainly on activated carbon catalysts. (authors)
- Research Organization:
- American Nuclear Society, 555 North Kensington Avenue, La Grange Park, IL 60526 (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 20979747
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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