Membranes for H2 generation from nuclear powered thermochemical cycles.

Technical Report · Wed Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 2006

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/899362· OSTI ID:899362

Nenoff, Tina Maria; Ambrosini, Andrea; Garino, Terry J; Gelbard, Fred; Leung, Kevin; Navrotsky, Alexandra ^[1]; Iyer, Ratnasabapathy G ^[1]; Axness, Marlene

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1. University of California, Davis, CA

In an effort to produce hydrogen without the unwanted greenhouse gas byproducts, high-temperature thermochemical cycles driven by heat from solar energy or next-generation nuclear power plants are being explored. The process being developed is the thermochemical production of Hydrogen. The Sulfur-Iodide (SI) cycle was deemed to be one of the most promising cycles to explore. The first step of the SI cycle involves the decomposition of H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} into O{sub 2}, SO{sub 2}, and H{sub 2}O at temperatures around 850 C. In-situ removal of O{sub 2} from this reaction pushes the equilibrium towards dissociation, thus increasing the overall efficiency of the decomposition reaction. A membrane is required for this oxygen separation step that is capable of withstanding the high temperatures and corrosive conditions inherent in this process. Mixed ionic-electronic perovskites and perovskite-related structures are potential materials for oxygen separation membranes owing to their robustness, ability to form dense ceramics, capacity to stabilize oxygen nonstoichiometry, and mixed ionic/electronic conductivity. Two oxide families with promising results were studied: the double-substituted perovskite A{sub x}Sr{sub 1-x}Co{sub 1-y}B{sub y}O{sub 3-{delta}} (A=La, Y; B=Cr-Ni), in particular the family La{sub x}Sr{sub 1-x}Co{sub 1-y}Mn{sub y}O{sub 3-{delta}} (LSCM), and doped La{sub 2}Ni{sub 1-x}M{sub x}O{sub 4} (M = Cu, Zn). Materials and membranes were synthesized by solid state methods and characterized by X-ray and neutron diffraction, SEM, thermal analyses, calorimetry and conductivity. Furthermore, we were able to leverage our program with a DOE/NE sponsored H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} decomposition reactor study (at Sandia), in which our membranes were tested in the actual H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} decomposition step.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Albuquerque, NM, and Livermore, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-94AL85000
• OSTI ID: 899362
• Report Number(s): SAND2006-7081; TRN: US0702004
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

08 HYDROGEN
14 SOLAR ENERGY
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
CALORIMETRY
CAPACITY
CERAMICS
DISSOCIATION
EFFICIENCY
GREENHOUSE GASES
HYDROGEN
MEMBRANES
NEUTRON DIFFRACTION
NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
OXIDES
OXYGEN
PEROVSKITE
PEROVSKITES
REMOVAL
SOLAR ENERGY
Nuclear reactors-Materials-Thermochemical properties.
Hydrogen-Research.
Thermochemical properties.
Hydrogen-Thermal properties.