1. Nuclear Hydrogen Production Program in the U.S.
Carl Sink
Nuclear Hydrogen Program Manager
U.S. Department of Energy
Presentation to
Fourth NEA Information Exchange Meeting on
Nuclear Production of Hydrogen
April 14, 2009

2. Nuclear Hydrogen Production
The Nuclear Hydrogen Production Program is focused on demonstrating the economic, commercial-scale production of hydrogen using process heat derived from nuclear energy.
Thermochemical
Hybrid Cycles
Low Temperature
Electrolysis
Cycles
High Temperature
Heat
Elec. H2
Nuclear
Reactor
100%
electricity
100% heat
Existing commercial hydrogen production from natural gas reforming generates greenhouse gases, negating the environmental benefits of hydrogen technologies. Large quantities of hydrogen can be produced by splitting water through reliable clean power sources, e.g., heat and electricity, generated from nuclear energy.
April 14, 2009
NEA 4th Information Exchange Meeting on Nuclear Production of Hydrogen

3. NEA 4th Information Exchange Meeting on Nuclear Production of Hydrogen
R&D Approach
CATHODE
ANODE
Advanced technologies compatible with Next Generation Nuclear Plant characteristics:
High Temperature Electrolysis
Single and multi-cell stack development
and experiments
Integrated Laboratory-Scale Experiment
(ILS) ~15 kW
Thermochemical Cycles
Validate thermochemical cycles performance potentials and resolve engineering issues
ILS Experiments ~5-10 kW
April 14, 2009
NEA 4th Information Exchange Meeting on Nuclear Production of Hydrogen

4. High Temperature Electrolysis
Process is analogous to running a fuel cell in reverse.
Electrolysis of steam requires less energy than electrolysis of water.
Process is very efficient at high temperatures available from advanced reactors (> 750 C).
Major issue: Need to determine causes of cell degradation and improve longevity.
Here you see the progression of the size of the HTE tests performed to date. The full scale ILS is on schedule to run in September 2008 with 3 of the same type of modules installed as we used in the single-module test last year. This year’s test will also incorporate
hydrogen recycle
and heat recuperation
to examine how efficiency of the apparatus can be improved.
At the same time, larger cells (20 x 20cm) are being tested at Ceramatec.
HTE Integrated Laboratory Scale Experiment
(September 2008)
720 cells, 3 modules, 15 kWe, ~5,600 liters/hour hydrogen
April 14, 2009
NEA 4th Information Exchange Meeting on Nuclear Production of Hydrogen 4

5. Sulfur–Iodine Thermochemical Cycle
Three-step process to thermochemically split water:
1. Chemical reaction of sulfur-dioxide, iodine and water to form hydriodic acid (HI) and sulfuric acid (H2SO4).
2. High-temperature (450 C) process heat from advanced reactor decomposes of HI to release hydrogen and recover iodine
3. High-temperature (850 C) process heat from advanced reactor decomposes of H2SO4 to release oxygen and recover SO2
Six-year cooperative development effort between U.S. and France.
Laboratory experiment provided limited results after setbacks due to equipment failures.
Major issue: Harsh chemical operating environment is very corrosive to materials of construction.
Sulfur-Iodine Integrated Laboratory-Scale Experiment
April 14, 2009
NEA 4th Information Exchange Meeting on Nuclear Production of Hydrogen

6. Hybrid Sulfur Thermochemical Cycle
Hybrid: Combines a sulfur dioxide (SO2) electrolyzer with a
high-temperature sulfuric acid decomposer
Addition of SO2 reduces the voltage required for electrolysis, and produces hydrogen and sulfuric acid as products.
Cycle uses same high-temperature sulfuric acid decomposer already demonstrated for Sulfur-Iodine cycle to regenerate SO2.
A multi-cell electrolyzer has been tested successfully to demonstrate the ability to scale-up this technology.
Major issue: Need to identify an electrolyzer membrane and optimum operating regime to prevent sulfur from building up in the cells.
Here you see the progression of the size of the HTE tests performed to date. The full scale ILS is on schedule to run in September 2008 with 3 of the same type of modules installed as we used in the single-module test last year. This year’s test will also incorporate
hydrogen recycle
and heat recuperation
to examine how efficiency of the apparatus can be improved.
At the same time, larger cells (20 x 20cm) are being tested at Ceramatec.
2008: 3-Cell Electrolyzer Testing ~75 liters/hour hydrogen
April 14, 2009
NEA 4th Information Exchange Meeting on Nuclear Production of Hydrogen 6

7. NEA 4th Information Exchange Meeting on Nuclear Production of Hydrogen
FY 2008 Accomplishments
Conducted HTE integrated laboratory-scale experiment operation consisting of three 240-cell modules at 5 kWe power level each and 15 kWe total.
Conducted integrated laboratory-scale experiments on Sulfur-Iodine (SI) thermochemical system to confirm the technical viability of the integrated system.
Conducted tests of multi-cell electrolyzers for the Hybrid Sulfur thermochemical cycle.
April 14, 2009
NEA 4th Information Exchange Meeting on Nuclear Production of Hydrogen

8. NEA 4th Information Exchange Meeting on Nuclear Production of Hydrogen
FY 2009 Planned Activities
Completing HTE experiments begun in FY 2008 to investigate long-term cell operability and thermal cycling issues.
Completing operation and testing of the SI integrated laboratory-scale thermochemical experiment to assess long-term process stability and component durability.
Investigating improved electrolyzer membranes for the Hybrid Sulfur thermochemical cycle.
Selecting a single nuclear hydrogen production technology.
Continuing international collaborations through the Generation IV International Forum VHTR Hydrogen Production Project Arrangement. (The U.S. chairs this collaboration.)
April 14, 2009
NEA 4th Information Exchange Meeting on Nuclear Production of Hydrogen

9. NEA 4th Information Exchange Meeting on Nuclear Production of Hydrogen
Program Interfaces
Nuclear hydrogen technology development mandated by Energy Policy Act of 2005
Estimated 50 researchers employed in national laboratories and industry on nuclear hydrogen production research
Established substantial cooperation through Generation IV International Forum
Closely coordinated with Offices of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Fossil Energy, and Science within the Department
April 14, 2009
NEA 4th Information Exchange Meeting on Nuclear Production of Hydrogen

10. Potential uses for hydrogen produced from nuclear energy
Upgrading of current heavy crude oils for the production of gasoline*
Upgrading of the Athabasca Oil Sands for the production of diesel and gasoline*
Fischer-Tropsch synthesis of diesel, jet fuel, and gasoline using CO from coal gasification*
Utilization of bulk-stored H2 and O2 for peak power generation
Co-electrolysis of CO2 from biomass and steam to produce CO and H2 for synthetic, GHG-neutral, gasoline, diesel and jet fuels
Nuclear production of H2 for use in fuel-cell-powered vehicles as well as stationary fuel cells.
* Replacement of hydrogen currently produced by steam methane reforming.
April 14, 2009
NEA 4th Information Exchange Meeting on Nuclear Production of Hydrogen