Producing hydrogen and oxygen by decomposition of water via the thermochemical iron--chlorine system

Patent · Tue May 17 04:00:00 EDT 1977

OSTI ID:7214094

Knoche, K F; Cremer, H; Steinborn, G

The process comprises decomposition of water to hydrogen and oxygen with the aid of a thermochemical cyclic process based upon the iron/chlorine system by reduction of FeCl/sub 2/ in the presence of H/sub 2/ to Fe, oxidation of the Fe with steam to Fe/sub 3/O/sub 4/, treatment of the hot Fe/sub 3/O/sub 4/ with steam and chlorine to obtain oxygen, conversion of the mixture of iron oxides so obtained with hydrogen chloride to FeCl/sub 2/ and recycling of the FeCl/sub 2/ to the reduction stage, where a part of the heat required for the process is supplied by heating the hydrogen and steam in indirect heat exchange with a hot coolant from a high temperature nuclear reactor. The conversion of the iron oxides to FeCl/sub 2/ is carried out via the intermediate stage of dimeric FeCl/sub 3/ and it is thus possible to convey the solid reaction products by free fall through the reaction zones.

• Assignee: TIC; ERA-02-047848; EDB-77-105320
• Patent Number(s): US 4024230
• OSTI ID: 7214094
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

08 HYDROGEN
080102* -- Hydrogen-- Production-- Thermochemical Processes
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
CRYOGENIC FLUIDS
ELEMENTS
FLUIDS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN PRODUCTION
IRON CHLORIDES
IRON COMPOUNDS
NONMETALS
OXYGEN
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PRODUCTION
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
WATER