Development of the Hybrid Sulfur Thermochemical Cycle

Conference · Fri Sep 23 04:00:00 EDT 2005

OSTI ID:881472

Summers, William A; Steimke, John L

The production of hydrogen via the thermochemical splitting of water is being considered as a primary means for utilizing the heat from advanced nuclear reactors to provide fuel for a hydrogen economy. The Hybrid Sulfur (HyS) Process is one of the baseline candidates identified by the U.S. Department of Energy [1] for this purpose. The HyS Process is a two-step hybrid thermochemical cycle that only involves sulfur, oxygen and hydrogen compounds. Recent work has resulted in an improved process design with a calculated overall thermal efficiency (nuclear heat to hydrogen, higher heating value basis) approaching 50%. Economic analyses indicate that a nuclear hydrogen plant employing the HyS Process in conjunction with an advanced gas-cooled nuclear reactor system can produce hydrogen at competitive prices. Experimental work has begun on the sulfur dioxide depolarized electrolyzer, the major developmental component in the cycle. Proof-of-concept tests have established proton-exchange-membrane cells (a state-of-the-art technology) as a viable approach for conducting this reaction. This is expected to lead to more efficient and economical cell designs than were previously available. Considerable development and scale-up issues remain to be resolved, but the development of a viable commercial-scale HyS Process should be feasible in time to meet the commercialization schedule for Generation IV gas-cooled nuclear reactors.

• Research Organization: Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC09-96SR18500
• OSTI ID: 881472
• Report Number(s): WSRC-MS-2005-00582
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

08 HYDROGEN
COMMERCIALIZATION
DESIGN
ECONOMICS
HEATING
HYDROGEN
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
OXYGEN
PRICES
PRODUCTION
REACTORS
SCHEDULES
SULFUR
SULFUR DIOXIDE
THERMAL EFFICIENCY
WATER