nuclear production of hydrogen
TRANSCRIPT
Nuclear Production of Hydrogen
Dr. Charles ForsbergOak Ridge National Laboratory
P.O. Box 2008; Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6179Tel: (865) 574-6783; E-mail: [email protected]
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
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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