Nuclear heat for hydrogen production: Coupling a very high/high temperature reactor to a hydrogen production plant

Elder, Rachael H.; Allen, Ray

doi:10.1016/j.pnucene.2008.11.001

Cited by 169 publications

(51 citation statements)

References 78 publications

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“…This may be particularly challenging in the case of hydrogen production [151][152][153][154]. The first experience on this was gained in Germany with the THTR that did not provide process heat but was erected in an industrial complex to learn about potential challenges for future HTGR process heat licensing procedures.…”

Section: Identified Challengesmentioning

confidence: 99%

On the Sustainability and Progress of Energy Neutral Mineral Processing

et al. 2018

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A number of primary ores such as phosphate rock, gold-, copper-and rare earth ores contain considerable amounts of accompanying uranium and other critical materials. Energy neutral mineral processing is the extraction of unconventional uranium during primary ore processing to use it, after enrichment and fuel production, to generate greenhouse gas lean energy in a nuclear reactor. Energy neutrality is reached if the energy produced from the extracted uranium is equal to or larger than the energy required for primary ore processing, uranium extraction, -conversion, -enrichment and -fuel production. This work discusses the sustainability of energy neutral mineral processing and provides an overview of the current progress of a multinational research project on that topic conducted under the umbrella of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

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Section: Identified Challengesmentioning

confidence: 99%

On the Sustainability and Progress of Energy Neutral Mineral Processing

et al. 2018

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“…This puts the UKs knowledge base in a good position to develop their own HTR. The U-Battery also opens a different type of market to that of the SMR competition, with the capacity only being 10 MWth, this reactor aims for remote location deployment, with the versatility to produce high temperature steam for chemical processes of desalination [12]. Due to the desired function of remote location, the current design suffers from excess reactivity to reach the maximum fuel lifecycle possible.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Variable Reactivity Control in Small Modular High Temperature Reactors Using Moderation Manipulation Techniques

2018

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Abstract:With extensive research being undertaken into small modular reactor design concepts, this has brought new challenges to the industry. One key challenge is to be able to compete with large scale nuclear power plants economically. In this article, a novel approach is applied to reduce the overall dependence on fixed burnable poisons during high reactivity periods within a high temperature graphite moderated reactor. To reduce the excess activity, we aim to harden the flux spectrum across the core by removing part of the central moderation column, thus breeding more plutonium, in a later period the flux spectrum is softened again to utilise this plutonium again. This provides a neutron storage effect within the 238 U and the resulting breeding of Plutonium. Due to the small size and the annular design of the high temperature reactor, the central reflector is key to the thermalization process. By removing a large proportion of the central reflector, the fuel within the proximity of the central reflector are less likely to receive neutrons within the thermal energy range. In addition to this, the fuel at the extremities of the core have a higher chance of fission due to the higher number of neutrons reaching them. This works as a method of balancing the power distribution between the central and outside fuel pins. During points of low reactivity, such as the end of the fuel cycle, the central reflector can be reinserted and the additionally bred plutonium and U 235 at the centre of the core will encounter a higher probability of fission due to more thermal neutrons within this region. By removing the central reflector, this provided a 320 pcm reactivity drop for the duration of the fuel cycle. The plutonium buildup provided additional fissile material up until the central reflector was reinserted. The described method created a two-fold benefit. The overall full power days within the core was increased bỹ 31 days due to the additional fissile material within the core and secondly the highest loaded power pins saw a 30% power reduction during the removal of the central reflector column.

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“…A combination of favourable thermodynamics and kinetics at high temperatures (500-1000°C) offers reduced electrical energy consumption per unit of hydrogen compared to low temperature water electrolysis, and thus may provide a cost-effective route to hydrogen production. This approach is particularly advantageous if a high temperature electrolyser may be simply and efficiently coupled to a source of renewable solar [3,4], geothermal [5,6], wind [4] or nuclear [7] electrical energies, to produce carbon-free hydrogen.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modelling the dynamic response of a solid oxide steam electrolyser to transient inputs during renewable hydrogen production

Cai

Brandon

Adjiman

2010

Front. Energy Power Eng. China

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Hydrogen is regarded as a leading candidate for alternative future fuels. Solid oxide electrolyser cells (SOEC) may provide a cost-effective and green route to hydrogen production especially when coupled to a source of renewable electrical energy. Developing an understanding of the response of the SOEC stack to transient events that may occur during its operation with intermittent electricity input is essential before the realisation of this technology. In this paper, a one-dimensional (1D) dynamic model of a planar SOEC stack has been employed to study the dynamic behaviour of such an SOEC and the prospect for stack temperature control through variation of the air flow rate.Step changes in the average current density from 1.0 to 0.75, 0.5 and 0.2 A/cm 2 have been imposed on the stacks, replicating the situation in which changes in the supply of input electrical energy are experienced, or the sudden switch-off of the stack. Such simulations have been performed both for open-loop and closed-loop cases. The stack temperature and cell voltage are decreased by step changes in the average current density. Without temperature control via variation of the air flow rate, a sudden fall of the temperature and the cell potential occurs during all the step changes in average current density. The temperature excursions between the initial and final steady states are observed to be reduced by the manipulation of the air flow rate. Provided that the change in the average current density does not result in a transition from exothermic to endothermic operation of the SOEC, the use of the air flow rate to maintain a constant steady-state temperature is found to be successful.

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Nuclear heat for hydrogen production: Coupling a very high/high temperature reactor to a hydrogen production plant

Cited by 169 publications

References 78 publications

On the Sustainability and Progress of Energy Neutral Mineral Processing

On the Sustainability and Progress of Energy Neutral Mineral Processing

Variable Reactivity Control in Small Modular High Temperature Reactors Using Moderation Manipulation Techniques

Modelling the dynamic response of a solid oxide steam electrolyser to transient inputs during renewable hydrogen production

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