Hydrogen production using fusion energy and thermochemical cycles. [Fe/sub 3/O/sub 4/-FeO, CrCl/sub 3/-CrCl/sub 2/, and UCl/sub 4/-UCl/sub 3/]
Thermochemical cycles for the production of synthetic fuels would be especially suited for operation in conjunction with controlled thermonuclear fusion reactors because of the very high temperature energy which such reactors could supply. Furthermore, fusion energy when developed is considered to be an inexhaustable supply of energy. Several high-temperature two-step thermochemical cycles for the production of hydrogen are examined. A thermodynamic analysis of the Fe/sub 3/O/sub 4/--FeO, CrCl/sub 3/--CrCl/sub 2/, and UCl/sub 4/--UCl/sub 3/ pairs reveals the feasibility of the process. A more detailed process analysis is given for the Fe/sub 3/O/sub 4/--FeO system using steam as the heat transfer medium for decomposing the higher valent metal oxide for oxygen production, and hydrolysing the lower oxide for hydrogen production. The steam could be heated to high temperatures by refractory materials absorbing the 14-MeV neutrons in the blanket region of a fusion reactor. Process heat transfer and recovery could be accomplished by regenerative reactors. Proposed operating conditions, the energy balance and the efficiency of the water decomposition process are presented. With a fusion blanket temperature of 2500/sup 0/K, thermal efficiencies for hydrogen production of 74.4% may be obtained.
- Research Organization:
- Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- EY-76-C-02-0016
- OSTI ID:
- 6723315
- Report Number(s):
- BNL-24209; CONF-780807-2; TRN: 78-015595
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 2. world hydrogen energy conference, Zurich, Switzerland, 21 Aug 1978
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
HYDROGEN PRODUCTION
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
CHROMIUM CHLORIDES
EFFICIENCY
IRON OXIDES
STEAM
THERMONUCLEAR REACTORS
URANIUM CHLORIDES
USES
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
CHALCOGENIDES
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
CHROMIUM COMPOUNDS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
IRON COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
080102* - Hydrogen- Production- Thermochemical Processes
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