Nuclear Production of Hydrogen

Dr. Charles ForsbergOak Ridge National Laboratory

P.O. Box 2008; Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6179Tel: (865) 574-6783; E-mail: forsbergcw@ornl.gov

Technical WorkshopLarge Scale Production of Hydrogen from Nuclear Power—Fission and Fusion

General AtomicsSan Diego, California

Tuesday, May 14, 2002

The submitted manuscript has been authored by a contractor of the U.S. Government under contract DE-AC05-00OR22725. Accordingly, the U.S. Government retains a nonexclusive, royalty-free license to publish or reproduce the published form of this contribution, or allow others to do so, for U.S. Government purposes. File name: Hydrogen.GA.2002

Outline

• Hydrogen (H2) Demand• Incentives for H2 Production Using

Nuclear Energy• Compatibility of Nuclear Energy for H2

Production• Generation of H2 from Nuclear Energy• Conclusions

Hydrogen Demand

Current and Future Demand Is Sufficient To Support Nuclear-Generated Hydrogen—If

the Technology Can Be Developed

Hydrogen Demand Is Large and Growing Rapidly

• World consumes 50 million tons of H2/year− ~80% intentionally produced; remainder, by-product H2− 200 GW(th) if the H2 is burned− 4 to 10% growth per year− Applications: fertilizer, chemical industry, liquid fuels

• Within 10 to 20 years, the energy to produce H2 in the U.S. may exceed current energy production from nuclear power

• Rapid hydrogen-demand growth to produce clean fuels from lower-grade crude oils

Liquid Fuels Production Is Rapidly Becoming the Major Market for Hydrogen

LightSweet

Crude Oil

Input Refinery Transport Fuel

Past Dirty (sulfur, etc.):(CH )1.5+ n

Hydrogen PlantNatural Gas

Nonfossil Hydrogen

CurrentTransition

NearFuture

Future

(CH )1.5+ n

HeavySour

Crude Oil(CH )0.8 n Clean: (CH )2+ n

Clean: (CH )2 nHeavySour

Crude Oil(CH )0.8 n

ORNL DWG 2001-107R2

Hydrogen Can Increase Liquid Fuel Yield per Barrel of Oil by ~15%(Massive potential demand for hydrogen)

• Refineries add H2 to crude oil to produce clean (gasoline, diesel, jet) fuels

• Variable quantities of H2 can be added• If economic nonfossil H2 were available, the

energy value (and volume) of the fuel could be increased by 15% with addition of more H2(carbon-saver fuels)− Equivalent reduction in crude oil demand− Equivalent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions− Smoother transition to a future H2 economy

Refinery Demand for Hydrogen Provides A Transition To A Larger Hydrogen Economy

• Refineries receive H2 by pipeline• World-class H2 production facilities

equivalent to 1600 MW(th) reactor• Experience in handling H2 on a large scale• Nuclear facility cost is not a large

investment for companies with sales that exceed $100 billion per year

The Growing Hydrogen Demand Creates a Bridge to the Hydrogen Economy—With a Future Hydrogen Energy

Demand That May Exceed That for Electricity

Economics of Scale

Experience

Today Hydrogen FueledFuture

TechnologyDevelopment

Inf

sr

t

t

a

r

r

u

ue

c

DistributedPowerTransport

FuelRefinery andChemical Demand

ORNL DWG 2001-108

Hydrogen Could Exceed Electricity As An Energy Carrier By 2050

• Auto companies and Presidential initiate to develop fuel cells for cars within 10 y

• Technological transitions typically take several decades− 40 years from whale oil lamps to electricity− 30 years from horses to cars

• If H2 replaces liquid fuels, H2 demand may exceed electricity demand− Y in energy projections− One future: electricity, other future H2 and electricity− No solid basis to predict which future will occur

Incentives for HydrogenUsing Nuclear Energy

Strategic Incentives Include National Security, Potential Climatic Impacts,

and the Problem of the Commons

Oil Dependence Is a National Security Issue

Dushanbe

Islamabad

Chitral

Srinagar Landi Kotal

Parachinar Rawalpindi Kohat

Thai

Bannu

Tank Sargodha

Jammu

Chaman

Quetta Khost

Dalbandin Nok Kundi

Zahedan

Mary

Chardzhou Karshi

Kulyab Kurgan Tyube

Termez Nizhniy Pyandzh Khorog

Peshawar

Faisalabad

Dera Ghazi Khan

Dera Ghazi Khan Mutlan

Zabol

Zhob (Fort Sandeman)

Kerki

Lahore

Lasht

Delaram

Anar Darreh

Pulalak

Lash-e-Joveyn

Khash

Qal'eh-ye Fath Deshu

Shorawak

Badam Mazar

Sinjiri

Khannan

Hauz Qala

Jaldak Darwazgai

Mushaki

Shab Juy

Garghareh

Dowlat Yar

Shahrak

Teywarah

Koshkekohneh

Rowzanak

Bala Morghab Qeysar

Andkhvoy

Belcheragh Tokzar

Kholm

Sayghan

Panjab

Dowshi

Warsaj

Bahárak

Langar

Skazar

Balkh Aqcheh

Khyber Pass

Kushka Towraghondi

Shindand

Gilgit

Taxkorgan

Karokh

Kabul

Zaranj

Farah

Herat

Qal'eh-ye Now Chaghcharan

Mazar-e Sharif

Samangan

Konduz

Taloqan

Meymaneh

Sheberghan

Feyzabad

Baghlan

Raqi Bamian

Charikar

Baraki

Ghazni Gardeyz

Zareh Sharan Tarin Kowt

Qandahar

Qalat

Lashkar Gah

Kowt-e Ashrow Mehtarlam

Jalalabad

Asadabad

Nimruz

Farah

Herat

Badghis Jowzjan

Balkh

Samangan Baghlan

Kondoz

Takhar Badakhshan

Konar

Nangarhar

Laghman Kapisa

Parvan

Lowgar Vardak

Bamian

Ghowr

Oruzgan

Zabol Paktika

Ghazni Paktia

Helmand Kandahar

Faryab

Gowd-e-Zereh

Hamun-i-Mashkel

Khash

Farah

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Jhelum

Chenab

RaviIndu

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Indus

dmH

Iran

Pakistan

Turkmenistan

Uzbekistan Tajikistan China

India

Afghanistan

01-030

A Hydrogen/Nuclear Economy May Better Internalize Costs

• External costs, defined by economists as the problem of the commons, are costs of a product imposed on third parties (not the producer or consumer)

• External costs of energy (greenhouse impacts, health impacts, building corrosion, national defense, etc.) are large

• Hydrogen minimizes external costs generated by the user (vehicle, building)

• Nuclear externality costs are easier to control

Hydrogen from Nuclear Energy May Reducethe Problem of the Commons (Third-Party Costs)

ClimateChange

Air PollutionHealth Effects

ImportedOil

AtmosphericCorrosion

02-003

Compatibility of Nuclear Energy for Hydrogen Production

Intrinsic Characteristics of Different Technologies Determine the Viability of

Combining Technologies

Nuclear Facilities Have Remote Siting

• Pipelines are used today to deliver H2• Hydrogen plants are often not colocated

with H2 customers• Pipelines have large capacities compared

with nuclear plant output• Remote siting is acceptable

For Hydrogen from Nuclear Energy, the Scale Of the Technologies Must Match

• The economics of nuclear reactors implies energy outputs of 600 to 4500 MW(th)

• New world-class H2 plants (natural gas fuel) produce 200 million ft3/day

• Equivalent to 1600 MW(th) reactor (Assuming 50% thermal to H2 conversion efficiency)

• Comparable sized facilities

Economics Demands Nuclear Reactors Operating at Full Load

• Economic characteristics of nuclear reactors− High capital costs− Low operating costs

• Hydrogen consumption− Current applications: steady demand− Future applications: variable demand

• Pipelines allow storage—separate demand from production− Pipeline packing (variable pressure)− Cavern storage (used for natural gas)

The Intrinsic Characteristics of Nuclear PowerAre Compatible with Hydrogen Production

(Remote Siting, Scale of Operations, and Full-Load Operations)

Oxygen

High CapacityPipeline (Existing)

Hydrogen FueledFuture

Oil Refinery

Time of Day/MonthH Storage2

Nuclear Reactor(Remote Siting)

2H O22H + O2 2

Heat

DistributedPower

Transport Fuel

02-002

If Fuel Cells Are Successful, Hydrogen Will Exceed Electricity As An Energy Carrier• Energy consumption for transport and electricity

are about equal• Peak electricity demand met by using stored H2

and fuel cells• Other H2 applications exist

− Heat and electricity fuel cells for high-heat load users− Chemical and metallurgical applications− Second H2 era (first era was town gas)

• Combination creates a world with base-load electricity and H2 production plants

• Base load facilities favorable for nuclear energy with high capital and low operating costs

By 2050, Hydrogen Production May Be the Primary Application of Nuclear Energy

(Assuming Fuel Cells Power Vehicles)Production Options

(Competition)

Many

Few

~2 GW

~25 GW

Long-DistanceTransmission

(Remote Siting)

ProductionRequirement vs Time

(High Capital,Low Operating)

EnergySource

Elec

tric

ityH

ydro

gen

Wind

Solar

NaturalGas

Time

Time

Fuel Cell(Hydrogen toElectricity)

Prod

uctio

nPr

oduc

tion

(With

Sto

rage

)

Nuclear Energy

02-012

Generation of Hydrogen from Nuclear Power

Several Technologies Available To Produce Hydrogen Using Nuclear Energy—All Impose

Serious Requirements on the Reactor

Characteristics of Current HydrogenProduction Techniques

• Most H2 is made from natural gas− Heat + methane (CH4) + water (H2O) ⇒

hydrogen (H2) + carbon dioxide (CO2)− Endothermic process with heat input to 900°C

• Water electrolysis is used to produce small quantities of H2− Inefficient: heat to electricity to chemical

energy (H2)− Viable where electricity is cheap (night time)

Hydrogen from Steam Reforming

• Heat + methane (CH4) + water (H2O) ⇒hydrogen (H2) + carbon dioxide (CO2)

• Endothermic process− Natural gas option (current practice) uses CH4

to provide heat (combustion) and reduced H2− Nuclear option (future) replaces some of the

natural-gas heat source but not the reduced H2from CH4

• Heat input to 900°C

Nuclear-Assisted Hydrogen Production Uses High Temperature Heat (to 900oC) To Reduce Energy

Requirements For Steam Reforming of Natural Gas(Development Program in Japan)

Carbon Dioxide

HydrogenPipeline

Nuclear Reactor

HighTemperature

Heat

CH + 24 H O2CO2 + 4H4

02-004

Hydrogen from Hot Electrolysis

• Heat + water (H2O) + electricity ⇒hydrogen (H2) + oxygen (O2)

• Heat replaces some of the electric demand• Heat input at 700 to 900°C

Hydrogen Production Using Hot Electrolysis Requires High-Temperature Heat (700-900°C) and Electricity

(Current Technology Expensive)

Electricity

Oxygen

HydrogenPipeline

Nuclear Reactor 2H O22H + O2 2

Heat700-900 Co

02-001

Thermochemical Production of H2 Is The Leading Technology

• Heat + water ⇒ hydrogen (H2) + oxygen (O2)• Heat input >750°C• Low pressure

− Drive chemical reactions− Minimize materials requirements

• Lowest potential costs− Projected efficiencies of >50%− Projected best long-term economics (60% of cold

electrolysis)

Thermochemical Processes Convert High-Temperature Heat and Water to H2 and Oxygen

(Example [leading candidate]: Iodine–Sulfur Process)

I + SO2 2 2 + 2H OH SO 2 4

Heat

Oxygen Hydrogen

Water

800-1000 Co

2H O2H2

2HI + H2 4SOH2 2 2O + SO + ½OH2 2 + I

I2SO2

O2

2HI

H2 4SO HI

ORNL DWG 2001-102

High-Temperature, Low-Pressure Heat Required For Nuclear Hydrogen Production

Production Method Temperature (°C)

Hot Electrolysis 700-900

Assisted Steam Reforming To 900

Thermochemical >750

Possible High-Temperature Reactors for Hydrogen Production

• High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (HTGR)− Japan High-Temperature Engineering Test Reactor

(HTTR)• Advanced High-Temperature Reactor

− Coated-particle fuel similar to HTGR fuel− Liquid molten-salt coolant

• Lead-Cooled Fast Reactor

Conclusions• The demand for H2 is large and growing• The intrinsic characteristics of nuclear

energy and H2 production match− Scale of operations− Demand versus time (better than electricity)− Siting

• H2 production requires high temperatures• Several nuclear reactor concepts have to

potential to match H2 requirements• Major R&D is required