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Title: An Assessment of Reactor Types for Thermochemical Hydrogen Production

Abstract

Nuclear energy has been proposed as a heat source for producing hydrogen from water using a sulfur-iodine thermochemical cycle. This document presents an assessment of the suitability of various reactor types for this application. The basic requirement for the reactor is the delivery of 900 C heat to a process interface heat exchanger. Ideally, the reactor heat source should not in itself present any significant design, safety, operational, or economic issues. This study found that Pressurized and Boiling Water Reactors, Organic-Cooled Reactors, and Gas-Core Reactors were unsuitable for the intended application. Although Alkali Metal-Cooled and Liquid-Core Reactors are possible candidates, they present significant development risks for the required conditions. Heavy Metal-Cooled Reactors and Molten Salt-Cooled Reactors have the potential to meet requirements, however, the cost and time required for their development may be appreciable. Gas-Cooled Reactors (GCRs) have been successfully operated in the required 900 C coolant temperature range, and do not present any obvious design, safety, operational, or economic issues. Altogether, the GCRs approach appears to be very well suited as a heat source for the intended application, and no major development work is identified. This study recommends using the Gas-Cooled Reactor as the baseline reactor concept for amore » sulfur-iodine cycle for hydrogen generation.« less

Authors:
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
US Department of Energy (US)
OSTI Identifier:
793338
Report Number(s):
SAND2002-0513
TRN: US0200971
DOE Contract Number:  
AC04-94AL85000
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: 1 Feb 2002
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
08 HYDROGEN; 21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS; 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY AND ECONOMY; BOILING; COOLANTS; DESIGN; ECONOMICS; GAS COOLED REACTORS; HEAT EXCHANGERS; HEAT SOURCES; HYDROGEN; HYDROGEN PRODUCTION; HYDROXIDES; NUCLEAR ENERGY; SAFETY; WATER

Citation Formats

MARSHALL, ALBERT C. An Assessment of Reactor Types for Thermochemical Hydrogen Production. United States: N. p., 2002. Web. doi:10.2172/793338.
MARSHALL, ALBERT C. An Assessment of Reactor Types for Thermochemical Hydrogen Production. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/793338
MARSHALL, ALBERT C. 2002. "An Assessment of Reactor Types for Thermochemical Hydrogen Production". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/793338. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/793338.
@article{osti_793338,
title = {An Assessment of Reactor Types for Thermochemical Hydrogen Production},
author = {MARSHALL, ALBERT C},
abstractNote = {Nuclear energy has been proposed as a heat source for producing hydrogen from water using a sulfur-iodine thermochemical cycle. This document presents an assessment of the suitability of various reactor types for this application. The basic requirement for the reactor is the delivery of 900 C heat to a process interface heat exchanger. Ideally, the reactor heat source should not in itself present any significant design, safety, operational, or economic issues. This study found that Pressurized and Boiling Water Reactors, Organic-Cooled Reactors, and Gas-Core Reactors were unsuitable for the intended application. Although Alkali Metal-Cooled and Liquid-Core Reactors are possible candidates, they present significant development risks for the required conditions. Heavy Metal-Cooled Reactors and Molten Salt-Cooled Reactors have the potential to meet requirements, however, the cost and time required for their development may be appreciable. Gas-Cooled Reactors (GCRs) have been successfully operated in the required 900 C coolant temperature range, and do not present any obvious design, safety, operational, or economic issues. Altogether, the GCRs approach appears to be very well suited as a heat source for the intended application, and no major development work is identified. This study recommends using the Gas-Cooled Reactor as the baseline reactor concept for a sulfur-iodine cycle for hydrogen generation.},
doi = {10.2172/793338},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/793338}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 2002},
month = {Fri Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 2002}
}