System Evaluation and Life-Cycle Cost Analysis of a Commercial-Scale High-Temperature Electrolysis Hydrogen Production Plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Edwin A. Harvego; James E. O' Brien; Michael G. McKellar

2012-11-01

Results of a system evaluation and lifecycle cost analysis are presented for a commercial-scale high-temperature electrolysis (HTE) central hydrogen production plant. The plant design relies on grid electricity to power the electrolysis process and system components, and industrial natural gas to provide process heat. The HYSYS process analysis software was used to evaluate the reference central plant design capable of producing 50,000 kg/day of hydrogen. The HYSYS software performs mass and energy balances across all components to allow optimization of the design using a detailed process flow sheet and realistic operating conditions specified by the analyst. The lifecycle cost analysis was performed using the H2A analysis methodology developed by the Department of Energy (DOE) Hydrogen Program. This methodology utilizes Microsoft Excel spreadsheet analysis tools that require detailed plant performance information (obtained from HYSYS), along with financial and cost information to calculate lifecycle costs. The results of the lifecycle analyses indicate that for a 10% internal rate of return, a large central commercial-scale hydrogen production plant can produce 50,000 kg/day of hydrogen at an average cost of $2.68/kg. When the cost of carbon sequestration is taken into account, the average cost of hydrogen production increases by $0.40/kg to $3.08/kg.

Hydrogen Production System with High Temperature Electrolysis for Nuclear Power Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kentaro, Matsunaga; Eiji, Hoashi; Seiji, Fujiwara; Masato, Yoshino; Taka, Ogawa; Shigeo, Kasai

2006-01-01

Steam electrolysis with solid oxide cells is one of the most promising methods for hydrogen production, which has the potential to be high efficiency. Its most parts consist of environmentally sound and common materials. Recent development of ceramics with high ionic conductivity suggests the possibility of widening the range of operating temperature with maintaining the high efficiency. Toshiba is constructing a hydrogen production system with solid oxide electrolysis cells for nuclear power plants. Tubular-type cells using YSZ (Yttria-Stabilized- Zirconia) as electrolyte showed good performance of steam electrolysis at 800 to 900 deg C. Larger electrolysis cells with present configuration are to be combined with High Temperature Reactors. The hydrogen production efficiency on the present designed system is expected around 50% at 800 to 900 deg C of operating temperature. For the Fast Reactors, 'advanced cell' with higher efficiency at lower temperature are to be introduced. (authors)

The assesment on safety distance determination of hydrogen production plant with RGTT200K reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siti Alimah; Sriyono

2013-01-01

The one of the hydrogen production process method coupled to RGTT200K is the utilization of steam reforming with (methane) natural gas as the feedstock. The integration between RGTT200K and hydrogen plant must consider many safety aspects and one of it is separation distance between these two systems. The purpose of this assessment is to study the sources of fires/explosion and to determine the safety distance between the steam reforming hydrogen production plant and RGTT200K reactor. The used methodology was literature assessment and safety distance calculation with equation R = k.W 1/3 . In this studi, safety distance determination in integration between RGTT200K and hydrogen plant was using equation based on reference of the USNRC Regulatory Guide 1.91 and mass on the equation was mass equivalent of TNT (kg). The results of the study show the hydrogen plant produces 160.000 m 3 /day, if requires storage tanks of 400.000 m 3 (based USNRC equal to 1.859 million tons of TNT equivalent) with factor k is 8, based on the equation R = k.W 1/3 , so the requirement for safety distance is 1 km. This distance may be shortened by adding a fire proof wall barrier and requires further assessment. (author)

System design study of a membrane reforming hydrogen production plant using a small sized sodium cooled reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chikazawa, Y.; Konomura, M.; Hori, T.; Sato, H.; Uchida, S.

2004-01-01

In this study, a membrane reforming hydrogen production plant using a small sized sodium cooled reactor was designed as one of promising concepts. In the membrane reformer, methane and steam are reformed into carbon dioxide and hydrogen with sodium heat at a temperature 500 deg-C. In the equilibrium condition, steam reforming proceeds with catalyst at a temperature more than 800 deg-C. Using membrane reformers, the steam reforming temperature can be decreased from 800 to 500 deg-C because the hydrogen separation membrane removes hydrogen selectively from catalyst area and the partial pressure of hydrogen is kept much lower than equilibrium condition. In this study, a hydrogen and electric co-production plant has been designed. The reactor thermal output is 375 MW and 25% of the thermal output is used for hydrogen production (70000 Nm 3 /h). The hydrogen production cost is estimated to 21 yen/Nm 3 but it is still higher than the economical goal (17 yen/Nm 3 ). The major reason of the high cost comes from the large size of hydrogen separation reformers because of the limit of hydrogen separation efficiency of palladium membrane. A new highly efficient hydrogen separation membrane is needed to reduce the cost of hydrogen production using membrane reformers. There is possibility of multi-tube failure in the membrane reformers. In future study, a design of measures against tube failure and elemental experiments of reaction between sodium and reforming gas will be needed. (authors)

A comparative economic assessment of hydrogen production from large central versus smaller distributed plant in a carbon constrained world

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nguyen, Y.V.; Ngo, Y.A.; Tinkler, M.J.; Cowan, N.

2003-01-01

This paper compares the economics of producing hydrogen at large central plants versus smaller distributed plants at user sites. The economics of two types of central plant, each at 100 million standard cubic feet per day of hydrogen, based on electrolysis and natural gas steam reforming technologies, will be discussed. The additional cost of controlling CO 2 emissions from the natural gas steam reforming plant will be included in the analysis in order to satisfy the need to live in a future carbon constrained world. The cost of delivery of hydrogen from the large central plant to the user sites in a large metropolitan area will be highlighted, and the delivered cost will be compared to the cost from on-site distributed generation plants. Five types of distributed generation plants, based on proton exchange membrane, alkaline electrolysis and advanced steam reforming, will be analysed and discussed. Two criteria were used to rank various hydrogen production options, the cost of production and the price of hydrogen to achieve an acceptable return of investment. (author)

Thermo-economic analysis of integrated membrane-SMR ITM-oxy-combustion hydrogen and power production plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanusi, Yinka S.; Mokheimer, Esmail M.A.; Habib, Mohamed A.

2017-01-01

Highlights: •A methane reforming reactor integrated to an oxy-combustion plant is proposed. •Co-production of power and hydrogen was investigated and presented. •Optimal thermo-economic operating conditions of the system were identified and presented. •The ion transport membrane oxygen separation unit has the highest capital cost. •The combustor has the highest exergy destruction. -- Abstract: The demand for hydrogen has greatly increased in the last decade due to the stringent regulations enacted to address environmental pollution concerns. Natural gas reforming is currently the most mature technology for large-scale hydrogen production. However, it is usually associated with greenhouse gas emissions. As part of the strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, new designs need to be developed to integrate hydrogen production facilities that are based on natural gas reforming with carbon capture facilities. In this study, we carried out energy, exergy and economic analysis of hydrogen production in a steam methane reforming reactor integrated with an oxy-combustion plant for co-production of power and hydrogen. The results show that the overall system efficiency and hydrogen production efficiency monotonically increase with increasing the combustor exit temperature (CET), increasing the amount of hydrogen extracted and decreasing the auxiliary fuel added to the system. The optimal thermo-economic operating conditions of the system were obtained as reformer pressure of 15 bar, auxiliary fuel factor of 0.8 and hydrogen extraction factor of 0.6. The production cost of hydrogen using the proposed system, under these optimal operating conditions, is within the range suggested by the International Energy Agency (IEA). Further analysis shows that the capital cost of the membrane-air separation unit (ITM) has the major share in the total investment cost of the system and constitutes 37% of the total capital cost of the system at the CET of 1500 K. The exergy

Texaco, carbide form hydrogen plant venture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1992-01-01

This paper reports that Texaco Inc. and Union Carbide Industrial Gases Inc. (UCIG) have formed a joint venture to develop and operate hydrogen plants. The venture, named HydroGEN Supply Co., is owned by Texaco Hydrogen Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Texaco, and UCIG Hydrogen Services Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of UCIG. Plants built by HydroGEN will combine Texaco's HyTEX technology for hydrogen production with UCIG's position in cryogenic and advanced air separation technology. Texaco the U.S. demand for hydrogen is expected to increase sharply during the next decade, while refinery hydrogen supply is expected to drop. The Clean Air Act amendments of 1990 require U.S. refiners to lower aromatics in gasoline, resulting in less hydrogen recovered by refiners from catalytic reforming units. Meanwhile, requirements to reduce sulfur in diesel fuel will require more hydrogen capacity

Catalytic production of hydrogen from methanol for mobile, stationary and portable fuel-cell power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lukyanov, Boris N

2008-01-01

Main catalytic processes for hydrogen production from methanol are considered. Various schemes of fuel processors for hydrogen production in stationary, mobile and portable power plants based on fuel cells are analysed. The attention is focussed on the design of catalytic reactors of fuel processors and on the state-of-the-art in the design of catalysts for methanol conversion, carbon monoxide steam conversion and carbon monoxide selective oxidation. Prospects for the use of methanol in on-board fuel processors are discussed.

HyPEP-FY 07 Annual Report: A Hydrogen Production Plant Efficiency Calculation Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chang Oh

2007-09-01

The Very High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (VHTR) coupled to the High Temperature Steam Electrolysis (HTSE) process is one of two reference integrated systems being investigated by the U.S. Department of Energy and Idaho National Laboratory for the production of hydrogen. In this concept the VHTR outlet temperature of 900 °C provides thermal energy and high efficiency electricity for the electrolysis of steam in the HTSE process. In the second reference system the Sulfur Iodine (SI) process is coupled to the VHTR to produce hydrogen thermochemically. In the HyPEP project we are investigating and characterizing these two reference systems with respect to production, operability, and safety performance criteria. Under production, plant configuration and working fluids are being studied for their effect on efficiency. Under operability, control strategies are being developed with the goal of maintaining equipment within operating limits while meeting changes in demand. Safety studies are to investigate plant response for equipment failures. Specific objectives in FY07 were (1) to develop HyPEP Beta and verification and validation (V&V) plan, (2) to perform steady state system integration, (3) to perform parametric studies with various working fluids and power conversion unit (PCU) configurations, (4) the study of design options such as pressure, temperature, etc. (5) to develop a control strategy and (6) to perform transient analyses for plant upsets, control strategy, etc for hydrogen plant with PCU. This report describes the progress made in FY07 in each of the above areas. (1) The HyPEP code numeric scheme and Graphic User Interface have been tested and refined since the release of the alpha version a year ago. (2) The optimal size and design condition for the intermediate heat exchanger, one of the most important components for integration of the VHTR and HTSE plants, was estimated. (3) Efficiency calculations were performed for a variety of working fluids for

Co-production of hydrogen and electricity with CO{sub 2} capture

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arienti, S.; Cotone, P.; Davison, J. [Foster Wheeler Italiana (Italy)

2007-07-01

This paper summarizes the results of a study carried out by Foster Wheeler for the IEA Greenhouse Gas R & D Programme that focused on different IGCC configurations with CO{sub 2} capture and H{sub 2} production. The three following main cases are compared: production of hydrogen, with minimum amount of electricity for a stand-alone plant production; co-production of the optimum hydrogen/electricity ratio; and co-production of hydrogen and electricity in a flexible plant that varies the hydrogen/electricity ratio. The paper reviews three available gasification technologies and presents the results of a more detailed evaluation of the selected one. The scope of this paper is to underline possible advantages of hydrogen and electricity co-production from coal, that is likely going to replace natural gas and petroleum as a source of hydrogen in the long term. Expected advantage of co-production will be the ability to vary the hydrogen/electricity ratio to meet market demands. A natural gas, diesel and gasoline demand market analysis has been performed for the Netherlands and the USA to determine the expected future hydrogen demand. Plant performance and costs are established and electric power production costs are evaluated. Electricity and hydrogen co-production plants are compared to plants that produce electricity only, with and without CO{sub 2} capture, to evaluate the costs of CO{sub 2} avoidance. 4 refs., 8 figs., 4 tabs.

Status of the Korean nuclear hydrogen production project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jonghwa, Chang; Won-Jae, Lee

2010-01-01

The rapid climate changes and the heavy reliance on imported fuel in Korea have motivated interest in the hydrogen economy. The Korean government has set up a long-term vision for transition to the hydrogen economy. To meet the expected demand of hydrogen as a fuel, hydrogen production using nuclear energy was also discussed. Recently the Korean Atomic Energy Committee has approved nuclear hydrogen production development and demonstration which will lead to commercialisation in late 2030's. An extensive research and development programme for the production of hydrogen using nuclear power has been underway since 2004 in Korea. During the first three years, a technological area was identified for the economic and efficient production of hydrogen using a VHTR. A pre-conceptual design of the commercial nuclear hydrogen production plant was also performed. As a result, the key technology area in the core design, the hydrogen production process, the coupling between reactor and chemical side, and the coated fuel were identified. During last three years, research activities have been focused on the key technology areas. A nuclear hydrogen production demonstration plant (NHDD) consisting of a 200 MWth capacity VHTR and five trains of water-splitting plants was proposed for demonstration of the performance and the economics of nuclear hydrogen. The computer tools for the VHTR and the water-splitting process were created and validated to some extent. The TRISO-coated particle fuel was fabricated and qualified. The properties of high temperature materials, including nuclear graphite, were studied. The sulphur-iodine thermochemical process was proved on a 3 litre/ hour scale. A small gas loop with practical pressure and temperature with the secondary sulphur acid loop was successfully built and commissioned. The results of the first phase research increased the confidence in the nuclear hydrogen technology. From 2009, the government decided to support further key technology

Production of hydrogen from hydrocarbons

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lohmueller, R

1984-03-01

Hydrocarbons are the preferred starting materials for the industrial production of hydrogen. Most hydrogen is produced by steam reforming of light hydrocarbons. Partial oxidation of heavy oil and residue is used for the production of H/sub 2/ and synthesis gas in large plants. In both cases gas purification was improved. Hydrogen-rich gases like coke oven gas, refinery-offgas, and offgases from the chemical and petrochemical industry have high potential for becoming a major source of hydrogen. Processes for recovering H/sub 2/ (and by-products) are condensation and rectification at low temperatures and, most attractive and versatile for the production of very pure H/sub 2/, adsorption (PSA). The environmental impact of H/sub 2/ production lies mainly in the emission of CO/sub 2/ and heat. Other forms of pollution can be considerably reduced by conventional methods. The economy of H/sub 2/ production depends essentially on price and availability of the raw materials.

Training for power plant personnel on hydrogen production and control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dickelman, G.J.

1982-01-01

It is the purpose of this paper to address the issue of training for power plant personnel in the area of hydrogen control. The authors experience in the training business indicates that most of the operations and engineering personnel have a very limited awareness of this phenomenon. Topics discussed in this paper include: 1) theory of hydrogen combustion kinetics; 2) incidents involving hydrogen combustion events; 3) normal operations interfacing with hydrogen; 4) accident conditions; and 5) mitigation schemes

A lignite-geothermal hybrid power and hydrogen production plant for green cities and sustainable buildings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kilkis, B. [Baskent University, Ankara (Turkey). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering

2011-02-15

Turkey is rich in both geothermal energy and lignite reserves, which in many cases, are co-located. This condition makes it feasible to utilize both lignite and geothermal energy in a hybrid form for combined power heat, and cold generation, which may lead to optimally energy and exergy efficient, environmentally benign, and economically sound applications. This paper presents a novel concept of hybrid lignite-geothermal plant for a district energy system and hydrogen production facility in Aydin with special emphasis on high performance, green buildings and green districts. In this concept, lignite is first introduced to a partially fluidized-bed gasifier and then to a fluidized-bed gas cleaning unit, which produces synthetic gas and finally hydrogen. The by-products, namely char and ash are used in a fluidized-bed combustor to produce power. Waste heat from all these steps are utilized in a district heating system along with heat received from geothermal production wells after power is generated there. H{sub 2}S gas obtained from the separator system is coupled with hydrogen production process at the lignite plant. Absorption cooling systems and thermal storage tanks complement the hybrid system for the tri-generation district energy system. On the demand side, the new, green OSTIM OSB administration building in Ankara is exemplified for greener, low-exergy buildings that will compound the environmental benefits.

Hydrogen production in early generation fusion power plant and its socio-economic implication

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Konishi, S.; Yamamoto, Y.

2007-01-01

Full text: This paper describes technical possibility of high temperature blanket for the early generation of fusion power plant and its application to hydrogen production. Its anticipated implication and strategy from the socio-economic aspects will be also discussed. Material and energy balances, such as fuel supply and delivery of product energy from fusion plants, as well as waste discharge and accident scenario that lead to environmental impact, are characterized by blanket concepts. Thus blankets are considered to dominate the feature of fusion energy that should respond to the requirements of the sponsors, i.e., public and future market. Fusion blanket concept based on the combinations of LiPb and SiC materials are regarded as a candidate for ITER/TBM, and at the same time, applied in various DEMO designs encompassing high temperature output. Recent developments of SiC-LiPb blanket in Japan, EU, US or China suggests staged development paths starting from TBMs and targeting high temperature blanket and efficient energy output from early generation plants. These strategies are strongly affected by the views of these parties on fusion energy, from the aspects of socio-economics. Hydrogen production process with the high temperature blanket is one of the most important issues, because temperature range much higher than is possible with current or near future fission plants are needed, suggesting market possibility different from that of fission. Fuel cycles, particularly lithium supply and TBR control will be also important. Self-sustained fusion fuel cycle requires technical capability to maintain the lithium contents. Liquid blanket has an advantage in continuous and real-time control TBR in a plant, but large amount of lithium-6 and initial tritium supply remains as issues. As for the environmental effect, normal operation release, assumed accidental scenario, and rad-waste will be the key issue to dominate social acceptance of fusion. (author)

Hydrogen production in early generation fusion power plant and its socio-economic implication

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Konishi, Satoshi; Yamamoto, Yasushi

2008-01-01

This paper describes technical possibility of high temperature blanket for the early generation of fusion power plant and its application to hydrogen production. Its anticipated implication and strategy from the socio-economic aspects will be also discussed. Material and energy balances, such as fuel supply and delivery of product energy from fusion plants, as well as waste discharge and accident scenario that lead to environmental impact, are characterized by blanket concepts. Thus blankets are considered to dominate the feature of fusion energy that should respond to the requirements of the sponsors, i.e., public and future market. Fusion blanket concept based on the combinations of LiPb and SiC materials are regarded as a candidate for ITER/TBM, and at the same time, applied in various DEMO designs encompassing high temperature output. Recent developments of SiC-LiPb blanket in Japan, EU, US or China suggests staged development paths starting from TBMs and targeting high temperature blanket and efficient energy output from early generation plants. These strategies are strongly affected by the views of these parties on fusion energy, from the aspects of socio-economics. Hydrogen production process with the high temperature blanket is one of the most important issues, because temperature range much higher than is possible with current or near future fission plants are needed, suggesting market possibility different from that of fission. Fuel cycles, particularly lithium supply and TBR control will be also important. Self-sustained fusion fuel cycle requires technical capability to maintain the lithium contents. Liquid blanket has an advantage in continuous and real-time control TBR in a plant, but large amount of lithium-6 and initial tritium supply remains as issues. As for the environmental effect, normal operation release, assumed accidental scenario, and rad-waste will be the key issue to dominate social acceptance of fusion. (author)

Conversion of Claus plants of Kirkuk-Iraq to produce hydrogen and sulfur

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naman, S.A.; Veziroglu, A.

2009-01-01

'Full text': Hydrogen production from rich sub-quality natural gas (SQNG) is visible technically with assessment of cost, safety and environmental toxicology analysis of hydrogen sulfide, is summarized. There are two Claus plants in Kirkuk-Iraq, converting hydrogen sulfide to elemental sulfur capacity of 2200 ton/day. One of these plants is working with only 400 ton/day and it is an old Claus process. The other is a modified Claus sulfur recovery process with a capacity of 1800 ton/day. Both of these plants operate with low efficiency due to lack of maintenance and the present situation in Iraq. Therefore, the agricultural area around Kirkuk is very polluted by this gas. Two pilot plants have been constructed inside the modified Claus plant in Kirkuk The first one is based on the flow system tube furnace reactor containing mixed Titanium oxide/sulfide with a cold trap for sulfur separation and a bath of 30% dithanolamine to separate and recycle H 2 S from hydrogen. The second pilot plant consists of a thermal diffusion ceramic rod inside a silica column containing Zeolit 5A as a catalyst. This pilot plant also consists of a trap for continuous separation of sulfur and a system for separation of hydrogen from unreacted H 2 S to recycle. The efficiency of conversion of H 2 S to hydrogen and sulfur has been optimized as a function of catalyst type and mixture, temperature of furnace, flow rate of gas and reactor materials until the efficiency reaches more than 97%. The Kirkuk natural gas consists of a mixture of CO 2 10% and H 2 S 12%. We found that these pilot plants were suitable with Cadmium chalcogens catalysts to produce hydrogen, methane, ethane and sulphur, but with lower efficiency than H 2 S decomposition only. Our aim in the second pilot plant, which consists of a silica column, was to supply the heat by solar energy concentrator instead of electricity as our catalyst needs 450 o C. and the solar intensity is about 1000 w/m 2 during the summer. The idea of

Appraisal of bio-hydrogen production schemes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bent Sorensen

2006-01-01

Work is ongoing on several schemes of biological hydrogen production. At one end is the genetic modification of biological systems (such as algae or cyanobacteria) to produce hydrogen from photosynthesis, instead of the energy-rich compounds (such as NADPH 2 ) normally constituting the endpoint of the transformations through the photo-systems. A second route is to collect and use the biomass produced by normal plant growth processes in a separate step that produces hydrogen. This may be done similar to biogas production by fermentation, where the endpoint is methane (plus CO 2 and minor constituents). Hydrogen could be the outcome of a secondary process starting from methane, involving any of the conventional methods of hydrogen production from natural gas. An alternative to fermentation is gasification of the biomass, followed by a shift-reaction leading to hydrogen. I compare advantages and disadvantages of these three routes, notably factors such as system efficiency, cost and environmental impacts, and also compare them to liquid biofuels. (author)

Thermochemical hydrogen production based on magnetic fusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krikorian, O.H.; Brown, L.C.

1982-01-01

Conceptual design studies have been carried out on an integrated fusion/chemical plant system using a Tandem Mirror Reactor fusion energy source to drive the General Atomic Sulfur-Iodine Water-Splitting Cycle and produce hydrogen as a future feedstock for synthetic fuels. Blanket design studies for the Tandem Mirror Reactor show that several design alternatives are available for providing heat at sufficiently high temperatures to drive the General Atomic Cycle. The concept of a Joule-boosted decomposer is introduced in one of the systems investigated to provide heat electrically for the highest temperature step in the cycle (the SO 3 decomposition step), and thus lower blanket design requirements and costs. Flowsheeting and conceptual process designs have been developed for a complete fusion-driven hydrogen plant, and the information has been used to develop a plot plan for the plant and to estimate hydrogen production costs. Both public and private utility financing approaches have been used to obtain hydrogen production costs of $12-14/GJ based on July 1980 dollars

Economical analysis of biofuel products and nuclear plant hydrogen

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Edwaren Liun

2011-01-01

The increasing in oil prices over the last six years is unprecedented that should be seen as a spur to increased efficiency. The surge in oil prices on the world market today is driven by strong demand factors in the depletion of world oil reserves. To replace the fuel oil from the bowels of the earth the various alternatives should be considered, including other crops or vegetable oil production of bio-fuels and hydrogen are produced by high temperature nuclear reactors. Biofuels in the form of ethanol made from corn or sugar cane and biodiesel made from palm oil or jatropha. With the latest world oil prices, future fuel vegetable oil and nuclear hydrogen-based energy technologies become popular in various parts of the world. Economics of biodiesel will be changed in accordance with world oil prices and subsidy regulations which apply to fuel products. On the other hand the role of nuclear energy in hydrogen production with the most potential in the techno-economics is a form of high temperature steam electrolysis, using heat and electricity from nuclear reactors. The production cost of biodiesel fuel on the basis of ADO type subsidy is 10.49 US$/MMBTU, while the production cost of hydrogen as an energy carrier of high temperature reactor is 15.30 US$/MMBTU. Thus, both types seem to have strong competitiveness. (author)

Development of valuation method for location planning and dimensioning of hydrogen plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guenther, Thomas

2014-01-01

Common decisions for locations of production plants are based on criteria such as availability of commodities, energy, infrastructure and costs related with these. Sizing of product capacities depends on other things such as production quantities to be sold and profits to be obtained. The condition is an permanent availability of the required energy. For concepts of using surplus renewable energies especially wind energy for hydrogen production common methods are only partly suitable. Thus in this work an evaluation methodology was developed which integrated duration and amount of available energy for decisions of locations and dimensioning of the plant. Initially the hydrogen plant is modularised and segmented to the sub processed energy supply, water supply, water electrolyses, cooling, storing and compression for transport. After the specification of technological and economical parameters, the material and energy streams as well as the costs are calculated for every individual plant. Based on the given conditions, the configuration of plant and also the investigation of site-specific production costs is done. By variation of technology and costs parameters, feasibility studies and different operating scenarios can be demonstrated. The application of this evaluation methodology is demonstrated by case studies. A hydrogen plant situated at an industry park serves as a reference plant for the continuous operation with grid energy. Using a wind energy propelled hydrogen plant as an example, the effects of amount and duration of the usable energy are shown. Based on predefined hydrogen prices, the correlation between optimal plant capacity and plant utilization is described and the difference between the predefined price and the operation costs is calculated. This difference can be used to finance the wind farm operation. The results serves among others for the development of optimal operation concepts and also for first cost estimations, prior to a detailed plant

Design Configurations and Coupling High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor and Hydrogen Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang H. Oh; Eung Soo Kim; Steven Sherman

2008-01-01

The US Department of Energy is investigating the use of high-temperature nuclear reactors to produce hydrogen using either thermochemical cycles or high-temperature electrolysis. Although the hydrogen production processes are in an early stage of development, coupling either of these processes to the high-temperature reactor requires both efficient heat transfer and adequate separation of the facilities to assure that off-normal events in the production facility do not impact the nuclear power plant. An intermediate heat transport loop will be required to separate the operations and safety functions of the nuclear and hydrogen plants. A next generation high-temperature reactor could be envisioned as a single-purpose facility that produces hydrogen or a dual-purpose facility that produces hydrogen and electricity. Early plants, such as the proposed Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP), may be dual-purpose facilities that demonstrate both hydrogen and efficient electrical generation. Later plants could be single-purpose facilities. At this stage of development, both single- and dual-purpose facilities need to be understood

Economic Analysis for Nuclear Hydrogen Production System Based on HyS Process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Kyeong Jin; Lee, Ki Young; Lee, Tae Hoon; Chang, Jong Hwa

2009-01-01

The current promising base for massive hydrogen production on high temperature environment derives primarily from three sources: the commercial production of chemicals for the sulfur-iodine (SI) process, the development of solid-oxide fuel cells (SOFC), and the hybrid method of chemicals and fuel cells. The three kinds of process requires high temperature heat energy over 850∼950 .deg. C for the efficient and economic hydrogen production. One of the clean, economic, and moreover promising heat sources supplied to the process is nuclear plants. The nuclear plants producing high temperature heat energy over 950 .deg. C are well known as Very High Temperature Reactors (VHTR) which could have two types of prismatic and pebble-bed cores along reactor core shape. In this paper, we report on the Hybrid Sulfur Process (HyS), and the estimated costs for the system which composes of VHTR of prismatic core type and HyS plant. Nuclear hydrogen production system based on HyS process has been configured to optimally use the thermal energy from VHTR and electric energy to produce hydrogen and oxygen from clean water. High temperature thermal energy is transferred to the HyS process by way of intermediate heat exchanger (IHX) with associated piping. In this paper, the hydrogen production costs for a system composed of a VHTR with six 600MWth module, a power conversion unit (PCU) and a HyS plant are presented, where the thermal energy produced in two module was converted to electric energy in PCU and then transferred to the electrolysis cells for hydrogen production and circulating units on HyS plant, and the remaining thermal energy was supplied to chemical process on HyS plants. As a preliminary study of cost estimates for nuclear hydrogen systems, the hydrogen production costs of the nuclear energy sources benchmarking GT-MHR are estimated in the necessary input data on a Korean specific basis. G4- ECONS was appropriately modified to calculate the cost for hydrogen production

New concepts in hydrogen production in Iceland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arnason, B.; Sigfusson, T.I.; Jonsson, V.K.

1993-01-01

The paper presents some new concepts of hydrogen production in Iceland for domestic use and export. A brief overview of the Icelandic energy consumption and available resources is given. The cost of producing hydrogen by electrolysis is calculated for various alternatives such as plant size, load factors and electricity cost. Comparison is made between the total cost of liquid hydrogen delivered to Europe from Iceland and from Northern America, showing that liquid hydrogen delivered to Europe from Iceland would be 9% less expensive. This assumes conventional technology. New technologies are suggested in the paper and different scenarios for geothermally assisted hydrogen production and liquefaction are discussed. It is estimated that the use of geothermal steam would lead to 19% lower hydrogen gas production costs. By analysing the Icelandic fishing fleet, a very large consumer of imported fuel, it is argued that a transition of fuel technology from oil to hydrogen may be a feasible future option for Iceland and a testing ground for changing fuel technology. (Author)

Nuclear energy for hydrogen production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verfondern, K.

2007-01-01

In the long term, H 2 production technologies will be strongly focusing on CO 2 -neutral or CO 2 -free methods. Nuclear with its virtually no air-borne pollutants emissions appears to be an ideal option for large-scale centralized H 2 production. It will be driven by major factors such as production rates of fossil fuels, political decisions on greenhouse gas emissions, energy security and independence of foreign oil uncertainties, or the economics of large-scale hydrogen production and transmission. A nuclear reactor operated in the heat and power cogeneration mode must be located in close vicinity to the consumer's site, i.e., it must have a convincing safety concept of the combined nuclear/ chemical production plant. A near-term option of nuclear hydrogen production which is readily available is conventional low temperature electrolysis using cheap off-peak electricity from present nuclear power plants. This, however, is available only if the share of nuclear in power production is large. But as fossil fuel prices will increase, the use of nuclear outside base-load becomes more attractive. Nuclear steam reforming is another important near-term option for both the industrial and the transportation sector, since principal technologies were developed, with a saving potential of some 35 % of methane feedstock. Competitiveness will benefit from increasing cost level of natural gas. The HTGR heated steam reforming process which was simulated in pilot plants both in Germany and Japan, appears to be feasible for industrial application around 2015. A CO 2 emission free option is high temperature electrolysis which reduces the electricity needs up to about 30 % and could make use of high temperature heat and steam from an HTGR. With respect to thermochemical water splitting cycles, the processes which are receiving presently most attention are the sulfur-iodine, the Westinghouse hybrid, and the calcium-bromine (UT-3) cycles. Efficiencies of the S-I process are in the

Removal of hydrogen fluoride from uranium plant emissions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramani, M.P.S.

1997-01-01

Uranium production technology involves the use of hydrogen fluoride at various stages. It is used in the production of uranium tetrafluoride as well as for the production of fluorine for the conversion of tetrafluoride to hexafluoride in isotopic enrichment plants. The sources of HF pollution in the industry, besides accidental spillages and leakages, are the final off-gases from the UF 4 production process or from the hydrogen reduction of hexafluoride (where such process is adopted), venting of tanks and reactors containing HF, safety pressure rupture discs as well as dust collection and ventilation systems

Safety study of the coupling of a VHTR with a hydrogen production plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bertrand, F.; Germain, T.; Bentivoglio, F.; Bonnet, F.; Moyart, Q.; Aujollet, P.

2011-01-01

Highlights: → The paper deals with safety issues of the coupling of a VHTR with a H 2 production plant. → Internal incidents/accidents in the coupling system have been studied with the CATHARE2 code. → Transient studies have indicated a substantial grace delay when the VHTR faces the H 2 plant disturbances. → Hydrogen release and combustion leads to safety distances of about 100 m. → No showstopper has been put in evidence regarding the feasibility of the VHTR/H 2 plant coupling. - Abstract: The present paper deals with specific safety issues resulting from the coupling of a nuclear reactor (very high temperature reactor, VHTR) with a hydrogen production plant (HYPP). The first part is devoted to the safety approach consisting in taking into account the safety standards and rules dedicated to the nuclear facility as well as those dedicated to the process industry. This approach enabled two main families of events to be distinguished: the so-called internal events taking place in the coupling circuit (transients, breaks in pipes and in heat exchangers) and the external events able to threat the integrity of the various equipments (in particular the VHTR containment and emergency cooling system) that could result from accidents in the HYPP. By considering a hydrogen production by means of the iodine/sulfur (IS) process, the consequences of the both families of events aforementioned have been assessed in order to provide an order of magnitude of the effects of the incidents and accidents and also in order to propose safety provisions to mitigate these effects when it is necessary. The study of transients induced by a failure of a part of the HYPP has shown the possibility to keep the part of the HYPP unaffected by the transient under operation by means of an adapted regulation set. Moreover, the time to react in case of transfer of corrosive products in the VHTR containment has been assessed as well as the thermohydraulic loading that would experience the

Process flow sheet evaluation of a nuclear hydrogen steelmaking plant applying very high temperature reactors for efficient steel production with less CO{sub 2} emissions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kasahara, Seiji, E-mail: kasahara.seiji@jaea.go.jp; Inagaki, Yoshiyuki; Ogawa, Masuro

2014-05-01

Highlights: • CO{sub 2} emissions from a nuclear hydrogen steelmaking system was 13–21% of that from a blast furnace steelmaking system. • Heat input to shaft furnace in hydrogen steelmaking was large with much H{sub 2} consumption in the part. • Though hydrogen production thermal efficiency had influence on total heat input to hydrogen steelmaking, the effect on the CO{sub 2} emissions was small. • Steelmaking scale of a nuclear hydrogen steelamking plant with 2 VHTRs was a little smaller than that of the largest Midrex{sup ®} steelmaking plants. - Abstract: Recently, CO{sub 2} reduction is an important problem for steelmaking. Substitution of coal, presently used as a reducing agent of iron ore in blast furnaces, to hydrogen produced by non-fossil energy is a way to reduce CO{sub 2} emissions. In this study, the idea of nuclear hydrogen steelmaking (NHS) system was investigated using very high temperature reactor (VHTR) and thermochemical hydrogen production iodine–sulfur (IS) process. Heat input and CO{sub 2} emissions including material production, material transportation, and electricity generation were evaluation criteria. Results of the NHS system were compared with those of a conventional blast furnace steelmaking (BFS) system. Influence of heat input options to the steelmaking process and hydrogen production thermal efficiency of IS process were investigated for the NHS system. Though heat input to the NHS system was 130–142% of that to the BFS system, CO{sub 2} emissions of the system were 13–21%. Pre-heating of hydrogen by coal combustion before blowing to a shaft furnace was effective to decrease heat input, although CO{sub 2} emissions increased. Direct pre-heating by nuclear heat was also effective without increase of CO{sub 2} emissions if close location of the nuclear reactor to the steelmaking plant was publicly accepted. Hydrogen production thermal efficiency had a significant influence on the heat input. Conceptual design of a

Safe production and application of hydrogen at Munich airport

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Szamer, R.

2005-07-01

At Munich International Airport the world's first public filling station for liquid and gaseous hydrogen with on-site hydrogen gas production has been installed. In order to prove the safety, liability and economic feasibility of hydrogen this pilot project examined the complete sequence of hydrogen production and application: on-site production with pressurized electrolyser and steam reformer, storage and filling of gaseous and liquid hydrogen, application of hydrogen for propelling several vehicles, e.g. airport busses in day to day operation, cars, fork lifter. TUV SUD Group, one of the largest service provider for technical safety and quality, was involved in the safety evaluation of the hydrogen project from the very beginning with the following services: safety consultancy throughout all project phases, e.g. for licensing procedures, plant design and operation safety analysis of the overall plant and of subsystems (electrolyser, filling stations, storage tanks, control systems etc.) safety assessment and acceptance testing of CH2 busses, CH2 fork lifter and LH2 passenger cars inspections and tests The challenges of this complex project relating to safety will be presented in the lecture, e.g. identification of potential hazards, safety requirements for the design and operation of the hydrogen plant as wells as for the various applications. Project description The hydrogen plant (cf. Figure 1) comprises two supply paths, one for compressed gaseous hydrogen (CH2) and one for cryogenic liquid hydrogen. Gaseous hydrogen is produced via high-pressure electrolysis at an operating pressure of 3 MPa (30 bar) and/or steam reforming process. The hydrogen will be led into a compressor, compressed to 35 MPa (350 bar) and stored in high pressure cylinders with a total geometrical storage volume of 10 m. The cylinders supply the high-pressure filling stations which refuels the 3 hydrogen buses and the fork lifter. Liquid hydrogen (LH2) is delivered in tank trucks and

Hydrogen production by high temperature electrolysis of water vapour and nuclear reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jean-Pierre Py; Alain Capitaine

2006-01-01

This paper presents hydrogen production by a nuclear reactor (High Temperature Reactor, HTR or Pressurized Water Reactor, PWR) coupled to a High Temperature Electrolyser (HTE) plant. With respect to the coupling of a HTR with a HTE plant, EDF and AREVA NP had previously selected a combined cycle HTR scheme to convert the reactor heat into electricity. In that case, the steam required for the electrolyser plant is provided either directly from the steam turbine cycle or from a heat exchanger connected with such cycle. Hydrogen efficiency production is valued using high temperature electrolysis. Electrolysis production of hydrogen can be performed with significantly higher thermal efficiencies by operating in the steam phase than in the water phase. The electrolysis performance is assessed with solid oxide and solid proton electrolysis cells. The efficiency from the three operating conditions (endo-thermal, auto-thermal and thermo-neutral) of a high temperature electrolysis process is evaluated. The technical difficulties to use the gases enthalpy to heat the water are analyzed, taking into account efficiency and technological challenges. EDF and AREVA NP have performed an analysis to select an optimized process giving consideration to plant efficiency, plant operation, investment and production costs. The paper provides pathways and identifies R and D actions to reach hydrogen production costs competitive with those of other hydrogen production processes. (authors)

Efficient hydrogen production using heat in neutron shield of fusion reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okano, Kunihiko; Asaoka, Yoshiyuki; Hiwatari, Ryouji; Yoshida, Tomoaki

2001-01-01

In future perspective of energy supply, a hydrogen energy cycle is expected to play an important role as a CO 2 free fuel for mobile or co-generation systems. Fusion power plants should offer advantages, compatibilities and/or synergistic effects with or in such future energy systems. In this paper, a comprehensive power station, in which a fusion plant is integrated with a hydrogen production plant, is proposed. A tenuous heat source in the outboard shield, which is unsuitable to produce high-pressure and high-temperature steam for efficient electric power generation, is used for the hydrogen production. This integrated system provides some synergistic effects and it would be advantageous over any independent use of each plant. (author)

Containment hydrogen removal system for a nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Callaghan, V.M.; Flynn, E.P.; Pokora, B.M.

1984-01-01

A hydrogen removal system (10) separates hydrogen from the containment atmosphere of a nuclear power plant using a hydrogen permeable membrane separator (30). Water vapor is removed by condenser (14) from a gas stream withdrawn from the containment atmosphere. The gas stream is then compressed by compressor (24) and cooled (28,34) to the operating temperature of the hydrogen permeable membrane separator (30). The separator (30) separates the gas stream into a first stream, rich in hydrogen permeate, and a second stream that is hydrogen depleted. The separated hydrogen is passed through a charcoal adsorber (48) to adsorb radioactive particles that have passed through the hydrogen permeable membrane (44). The hydrogen is then flared in gas burner (52) with atmospheric air and the combustion products vented to the plant vent. The hydrogen depleted stream is returned to containment through a regenerative heat exchanger (28) and expander (60). Energy is extracted from the expander (60) to drive the compressor (24) thereby reducing the energy input necessary to drive the compressor (24) and thus reducing the hydrogen removal system (10) power requirements

Multi-unit Inertial Fusion Energy (IFE) plants producing hydrogen fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Logan, B.G.

1993-12-01

A quantitative energy pathway comparison is made between a modern oil refinery and genetic fusion hydrogen plant supporting hybrid-electric cars powered by gasoline and hydrogen-optimized internal combustion engines, respectively, both meeting President Clinton's goal for advanced car goal of 80 mpg gasoline equivalent. The comparison shows that a fusion electric plant producing hydrogen by water electrolysis at 80% efficiency must have an electric capacity of 10 GWe to support as many hydrogen-powered hybrid cars as one modern 200,000 bbl/day-capacity oil refinery could support in gasoline-powered hybrid cars. A 10 GWe fusion electric plant capital cost is limited to 12.5 B$ to produce electricity at 2.3 cents/kWehr, and hydrogen production by electrolysis at 8 $/GJ, for equal consumer fuel cost per passenger mile as in the oil-gasoline-hybrid pathway

Conceptual design of the HTTR-IS hydrogen production system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakaba, Nariaki; Sato, Hiroyuki; Hara, Teruo; Kato, Ryoma; Ohashi, Kazutaka; Nishihara, Tetsuo; Kunitomi, Kazuhiko

2007-08-01

Since hydrogen produced by nuclear should be economically competitive compared with other methods in a hydrogen society, it is important to build hydrogen production system to be coupled with the reactor as a conventional chemical plant. Japan Atomic Energy Agency started the safety study to establish a new safety philosophy to meet safety requirements for non-nuclear grade hydrogen production system. Also, structural concepts with integrating functions for the Bunsen reactor and sulphuric acid decomposer were proposed to reduce construction cost of the IS process hydrogen production system. In addition, HI decomposer which enables the process condition to be eased consisting of conventional materials and technologies was studied. Moreover, technical feasibility of the HTTR-IS system in which the hydrogen production rate of 1,000 Nm 3 /h by using the supplied heat of 10 MW from the intermediate heat exchanger of the HTTR was confirmed. This paper describes the conceptual design of the HTTR-IS hydrogen production system. (author)

System Evaluations and Life-Cycle Cost Analyses for High-Temperature Electrolysis Hydrogen Production Facilities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Edwin A. Harvego; James E. O' Brien; Michael G. McKellar

2012-05-01

This report presents results of system evaluations and lifecycle cost analyses performed for several different commercial-scale high-temperature electrolysis (HTE) hydrogen production concepts. The concepts presented in this report rely on grid electricity and non-nuclear high-temperature process heat sources for the required energy inputs. The HYSYS process analysis software was used to evaluate both central plant designs for large-scale hydrogen production (50,000 kg/day or larger) and forecourt plant designs for distributed production and delivery at about 1,500 kg/day. The HYSYS software inherently ensures mass and energy balances across all components and it includes thermodynamic data for all chemical species. The optimized designs described in this report are based on analyses of process flow diagrams that included realistic representations of fluid conditions and component efficiencies and operating parameters for each of the HTE hydrogen production configurations analyzed. As with previous HTE system analyses performed at the INL, a custom electrolyzer model was incorporated into the overall process flow sheet. This electrolyzer model allows for the determination of the average Nernst potential, cell operating voltage, gas outlet temperatures, and electrolyzer efficiency for any specified inlet steam, hydrogen, and sweep-gas flow rates, current density, cell active area, and external heat loss or gain. The lifecycle cost analyses were performed using the H2A analysis methodology developed by the Department of Energy (DOE) Hydrogen Program. This methodology utilizes spreadsheet analysis tools that require detailed plant performance information (obtained from HYSYS), along with financial and cost information to calculate lifecycle costs. There are standard default sets of assumptions that the methodology uses to ensure consistency when comparing the cost of different production or plant design options. However, these assumptions may also be varied within the

The value of product flexibility in nuclear hydrogen technologies: A real options analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Botterud, Audun; Yildiz, Bilge; Conzelmann, Guenter; Petri, Mark C.

2009-01-01

Previous economic studies of nuclear hydrogen technologies focused on levelized costs without accounting for risks and uncertainties faced by potential investors. To address some of these risks and uncertainties, we used real options theory to assess the profitability of three nuclear hydrogen production technologies in evolving electricity and hydrogen markets. Monte-Carlo simulations are used to represent the uncertainty in hydrogen and electricity prices. The model computes both the expected value and the distribution of discounted profits from the production plant. It also quantifies the value of the option to switch between hydrogen and electricity production. Under these assumptions, we conclude that investors will find significant value in the capability to switch plant output between electricity and hydrogen. (author)

Development program of hydrogen production by thermo-chemical water splitting is process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ryutaro Hino

2005-01-01

The Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) has been conducting R and D on the HTGR and also on thermo-chemical water splitting hydrogen production by using a iodine-sulfur cycle (IS process) in the HTTR project. The continuous hydrogen production for one week was demonstrated with a bench-scale test apparatus made of glass, and the hydrogen production rare was about 31 NL/h. Based on the test results and know-how obtained through the bench-scale test, a pilot test plant, which has a hydrogen production performance of 30 Nm 3 /h and will be operated under the high pressure up to 2 MPa, is being designed conceptually as the next step of the IS process development aiming to realize a future nuclear hydrogen production coupled with the HTGR. In this paper, we will introduce one-week continuous hydrogen production conducted with the bench-scale test apparatus and the pilot test program including R and D and an analytical system necessary for designing the pilot test plant. MW. Figure 1 shows an overview of the HTTR-IS plant. In this paper, we will introduce latest test results obtained with the bench-scale test apparatus and concepts of key components of the IS process, a sulfuric acid (H 2 SO 4 ) and a sulfur trioxide (SO 3 ) decomposers working under high-temperature corrosive circumstance, are also introduced as well as relating R and D and an analytical system for the pilot plant design. (authors)

Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions of By-product Hydrogen from Chlor-Alkali Plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Dong-Yeon [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Systems Assessment Group, Energy Systems Division; Elgowainy, Amgad A. [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Systems Assessment Group, Energy Systems Division; Dai, Qiang [Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Systems Assessment Group, Energy Systems Division

2017-12-01

Current hydrogen production capacity in the U.S. is about 15.8 million tonne (or metric ton) per year (Brown 2016). Some of the hydrogen (2 million tonne) is combusted for its heating energy value, which makes total annual net production 13.8 million tonne (Table 1). If captive by-product hydrogen (3.3 million tonne) from catalytic reforming at oil refineries is excluded (Brown 2016; EIA 2008), approximately 11 million tonne is available from the conventional captive and merchant hydrogen market (DOE 2013). Captive hydrogen (owned by the refiner) is produced and consumed on site (e.g., process input at refineries), whereas merchant hydrogen is produced and sold as a commodity to external consumers. Whether it is merchant or captive, most hydrogen produced in the U.S. is on-purpose (not by-product)— around 10 million tonne/year.

Hydrogen production from water: Recent advances in photosynthesis research

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Greenbaum, E.; Lee, J.W. [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States). Chemical Technology Div.

1997-12-31

The great potential of hydrogen production by microalgal water splitting is predicated on quantitative measurement of the algae`s hydrogen-producing capability, which is based on the following: (1) the photosynthetic unit size of hydrogen production; (2) the turnover time of photosynthetic hydrogen production; (3) thermodynamic efficiencies of conversion of light energy into the Gibbs free energy of molecular hydrogen; (4) photosynthetic hydrogen production from sea water using marine algae; (5) the potential for research advances using modern methods of molecular biology and genetic engineering to maximize hydrogen production. ORNL has shown that sustained simultaneous photoevolution of molecular hydrogen and oxygen can be performed with mutants of the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii that lack a detectable level of the Photosystem I light reaction. This result is surprising in view of the standard two-light reaction model of photosynthesis and has interesting scientific and technological implications. This ORNL discovery also has potentially important implications for maximum thermodynamic conversion efficiency of light energy into chemical energy by green plant photosynthesis. Hydrogen production performed by a single light reaction, as opposed to two, implies a doubling of the theoretically maximum thermodynamic conversion efficiency from {approx}10% to {approx}20%.

Analysis of economic and infrastructure issues associated with hydrogen production from nuclear energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Summers, W.A.; Gorensek, M.B.; Danko, E.; Schultz, K.R.; Richards, M.B.; Brown, L.C.

2004-01-01

Consideration is being given to the large-scale transition of the world's energy system from one based on carbon fuels to one based on the use of hydrogen as the carrier. This transition is necessitated by the declining resource base of conventional oil and gas, air quality concerns, and the threat of global climate change linked to greenhouse gas emissions. Since hydrogen can be produced from water using non-carbon primary energy sources, it is the ideal sustainable fuel. The options for producing the hydrogen include renewables (e.g. solar and wind), fossil fuels with carbon sequestration, and nuclear energy. A comprehensive study has been initiated to define economically feasible concepts and to determine estimates of efficiency and cost for hydrogen production using next generation nuclear reactors. A unique aspect of the study is the assessment of the integration of a nuclear plant, a hydrogen production process and the broader infrastructure requirements. Hydrogen infrastructure issues directly related to nuclear hydrogen production are being addressed, and the projected cost, value and end-use market for hydrogen will be determined. The infrastructure issues are critical, since the combined cost of storing, transporting, distributing, and retailing the hydrogen product could well exceed the cost of hydrogen production measured at the plant gate. The results are expected to be useful in establishing the potential role that nuclear hydrogen can play in the future hydrogen economy. Approximately half of the three-year study has been completed. Results to date indicate that nuclear produced hydrogen can be competitive with hydrogen produced from natural gas for use at oil refineries or ammonia plants, indicating a potential early market opportunity for large-scale centralized hydrogen production. Extension of the hydrogen infrastructure from these large industrial users to distributed hydrogen users such as refueling stations and fuel cell generators could

Coupling of copper-chloride hybrid thermochemical water splitting cycle with a desalination plant for hydrogen production from nuclear energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Orhan, Mehmet F.; Dincer, Ibrahim; Naterer, Greg F.; Rosen, Marc A.

2010-01-01

Energy and environmental concerns have motivated research on clean energy resources. Nuclear energy has the potential to provide a significant share of energy supply without contributing to environmental emissions and climate change. Nuclear energy has been used mainly for electric power generation, but hydrogen production via thermochemical water decomposition provides another pathway for the utilization of nuclear thermal energy. One option for nuclear-based hydrogen production via thermochemical water decomposition uses a copper-chloride (Cu-Cl) cycle. Another societal concern relates to supplies of fresh water. Thus, to avoid causing one problem while solving another, hydrogen could be produced from seawater rather than limited fresh water sources. In this study we analyze a coupling of the Cu-Cl cycle with a desalination plant for hydrogen production from nuclear energy and seawater. Desalination technologies are reviewed comprehensively to determine the most appropriate option for the Cu-Cl cycle and a thermodynamic analysis and several parametric studies of this coupled system are presented for various configurations. (author)

Hydrogen production as a promising nuclear energy application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vanek, V.

2003-01-01

Hydrogen production from nuclear is a field of application which eventually can outweigh power production by nuclear power plants. There are two feasible routes of hydrogen production. The one uses heat to obtain hydrogen from natural gas through steam reforming of methane. This is an highly energy-consuming process requiring temperatures up to 900 deg C and producing carbon dioxide as a by-product. The other method includes direct thermochemical processes to obtain hydrogen, using sulfuric acid for instance. Sulfuric acid is decomposed thermally by the reaction: H 2 SO 4 -> H 2 O = SO 2 + (1/2) O 2 , followed by the processes I 2 + SO 2 + 2H O -> 2HI + H 2 SO 4 and 2HI -> H 2 + I 2 . The use of nuclear for this purpose is currently examined in Japan and in the US. (P.A.)

Safety assessment of VHTR hydrogen production system against fire, explosion and acute toxicity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murakami, Tomoyuki; Nishihara, Tetsuo; Kunitomi, Kazuhiko

2008-01-01

The Japan Atomic Energy Agency has been developing a nuclear hydrogen production system by using heat from the Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR). This system will handle a large amount of combustible gas and toxic gas. The risk from fire, explosion and acute toxic exposure caused by an accident involving chemical material release in a hydrogen production system is assessed. It is important to ensure the safety of the nuclear plant, and the risks for public health should be sufficiently small. This report provides the basic policy for the safety evaluation in cases of accident involving fire, explosion and toxic material release in a hydrogen production system. Preliminary safety analysis of a commercial-sized VHTR hydrogen production system, GTHTR300C, is performed. This analysis provides us with useful information on the separation distance between a nuclear plant and a hydrogen production system and a prospect that an accident in a hydrogen production system does not significantly increase the risks of the public. (author)

The safe production of hydrogen by nuclear power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verfondern, Karl

2009-01-01

One of the most promising 'GEN-IV' nuclear reactor concepts is the Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR). It is characterized by a helium-cooled, graphite moderated, thermal neutron spectrum reactor core of 400-600 MW(th). Coolant outlet temperatures of 900-1000 .deg. C ideally suited for a wide spectrum of high temperature process heat or process steam applications, which allow to deliver, besides the classical electricity, also non-electrical products such as hydrogen or other fuels. In a future energy economy, hydrogen as a storable medium could adjust a variable demand for electricity by means of fuel cell power plants providing much more flexibility in optimized energy structures. The mass production of hydrogen is a major goal for Gen-IV systems. In a nuclear hydrogen production facility, the coupling between the nuclear plant and the process heat/steam application side is given by an intermediate heat exchanger (IHX), a component which provides a clear separation preventing the primary coolant from accessing the heat application plant and, vice versa, any process gases from being routed through the reactor containment. The physical separation has the advantage that the heat application facility can be conventionally designed, and repair works can be conducted under non-nuclear conditions. With regard to the safety of combined nuclear and chemical facilities, apart from their own specific categories of hazards, a qualitatively new class of events will have to be taken into account characterized by interacting influences. Arising problems to be covered by a decent overall safety concept are the questions of safety of the nuclear plant in case of fire and explosion hazards resulting from the leakage of flammable substances, the tolerable tritium contamination of the product hydrogen, or the situations of thermo-dynamic feedback in case of a loss of heat source (nuclear) or heat sink (chemical) resulting in thermal turbulences. A safety-related issue is the

Dynamic Simulation and Optimization of Nuclear Hydrogen Production Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Paul I. Barton; Mujid S. Kaximi; Georgios Bollas; Patricio Ramirez Munoz

2009-07-31

This project is part of a research effort to design a hydrogen plant and its interface with a nuclear reactor. This project developed a dynamic modeling, simulation and optimization environment for nuclear hydrogen production systems. A hybrid discrete/continuous model captures both the continuous dynamics of the nuclear plant, the hydrogen plant, and their interface, along with discrete events such as major upsets. This hybrid model makes us of accurate thermodynamic sub-models for the description of phase and reaction equilibria in the thermochemical reactor. Use of the detailed thermodynamic models will allow researchers to examine the process in detail and have confidence in the accurary of the property package they use.

Sustainable hydrogen production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Block, D.L.; Linkous, C.; Muradov, N.

1996-01-01

This report describes the Sustainable Hydrogen Production research conducted at the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) for the past year. The report presents the work done on the following four tasks: Task 1--production of hydrogen by photovoltaic-powered electrolysis; Task 2--solar photocatalytic hydrogen production from water using a dual-bed photosystem; Task 3--development of solid electrolytes for water electrolysis at intermediate temperatures; and Task 4--production of hydrogen by thermocatalytic cracking of natural gas. For each task, this report presents a summary, introduction/description of project, and results.

Renewable energy for hydrogen production and sustainable urban mobility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Briguglio, N.; Andaloro, L.; Ferraro, M.; Di Blasi, A.; Dispenza, G.; Antonucci, V.; Matteucci, F.; Breedveld, L.

2010-01-01

In recent years, the number of power plants based on renewable energy (RWE) has been increasing and hydrogen as an energy carrier has become a suitable medium-to-long term storage solution as well as a ''fuel'' for FCEV's because of its CO 2 -free potential. In this context, the aim of the present study is to carry out both an economic and environmental analysis of a start-up RWE plant using a simulation code developed in previous work and a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The plant will be located in the South of Italy (Puglia) and will consist of different RWE sources (Wind Power, Photovoltaic, Biomass). RWE will be used to produce hydrogen from an electrolyzer, which will feed a fleet of buses using different fuels (methane, hydrogen, or a mixture of these). In particular, a wind turbine of 850 kW will feed a hydrogen production plant and a biomass plant will produce methane. Preliminary studies have shown that it is possible to obtain hydrogen at a competitive cost (DOE target) and that components (wind turbine, electrolyzer, vessel, etc.) influence the final price. In addition, LCA results have permitted a comparison of different minibuses using either fossil fuels or renewable energy sources. (author)

Renewable energy for hydrogen production and sustainable urban mobility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Briguglio, N.; Andaloro, L.; Ferraro, M.; Di Blasi, A.; Dispenza, G.; Antonucci, V. [Istituto di Tecnologie avanzate per l' Energia ' ' Nicola Giordano' ' Salita S, Lucia sopra Contesse, 5, 98126 Messina (Italy); Matteucci, F. [TRE SpA Tozzi Renewable Energy, Via Zuccherificio, 10, 48100 Mezzano (RA) (Italy); Breedveld, L. [2B Via della Chiesa Campocroce, 4, 31021 Mogliano Veneto (TV) (Italy)

2010-09-15

In recent years, the number of power plants based on renewable energy (RWE) has been increasing and hydrogen as an energy carrier has become a suitable medium-to-long term storage solution as well as a ''fuel'' for FCEV's because of its CO{sub 2}-free potential. In this context, the aim of the present study is to carry out both an economic and environmental analysis of a start-up RWE plant using a simulation code developed in previous work and a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The plant will be located in the South of Italy (Puglia) and will consist of different RWE sources (Wind Power, Photovoltaic, Biomass). RWE will be used to produce hydrogen from an electrolyzer, which will feed a fleet of buses using different fuels (methane, hydrogen, or a mixture of these). In particular, a wind turbine of 850 kW will feed a hydrogen production plant and a biomass plant will produce methane. Preliminary studies have shown that it is possible to obtain hydrogen at a competitive cost (DOE target) and that components (wind turbine, electrolyzer, vessel, etc.) influence the final price. In addition, LCA results have permitted a comparison of different minibuses using either fossil fuels or renewable energy sources. (author)

Nuclear hydrogen: An assessment of product flexibility and market viability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Botterud, Audun; Yildiz, Bilge; Conzelmann, Guenter; Petri, Mark C.

2008-01-01

Nuclear energy has the potential to play an important role in the future energy system as a large-scale source of hydrogen without greenhouse gas emissions. Thus far, economic studies of nuclear hydrogen tend to focus on the levelized cost of hydrogen without accounting for the risks and uncertainties that potential investors would face. We present a financial model based on real options theory to assess the profitability of different nuclear hydrogen production technologies in evolving electricity and hydrogen markets. The model uses Monte Carlo simulations to represent uncertainty in future hydrogen and electricity prices. It computes the expected value and the distribution of discounted profits from nuclear hydrogen production plants. Moreover, the model quantifies the value of the option to switch between hydrogen and electricity production, depending on what is more profitable to sell. We use the model to analyze the market viability of four potential nuclear hydrogen technologies and conclude that flexibility in output product is likely to add significant economic value for an investor in nuclear hydrogen. This should be taken into account in the development phase of nuclear hydrogen technologies

Basic principles on the safety evaluation of the HTGR hydrogen production system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohashi, Kazutaka; Nishihara, Tetsuo; Tazawa, Yujiro; Tachibana, Yukio; Kunitomi, Kazuhiko

2009-03-01

As HTGR hydrogen production systems, such as HTTR-IS system or GTHTR300C currently being developed by Japan Atomic Energy Agency, consists of nuclear reactor and chemical plant, which are without a precedent in the world, safety design philosophy and regulatory framework should be newly developed. In this report, phenomena to be considered and events to be postulated in the safety evaluation of the HTGR hydrogen production systems were investigated and basic principles to establish acceptance criteria for the explosion and toxic gas release accidents were provided. Especially for the explosion accident, quantitative criteria to the reactor building are proposed with relating sample calculation results. It is necessary to treat abnormal events occurred in the hydrogen production system as an 'external events to the nuclear plant' in order to classify the hydrogen production system as no-nuclear facility' and basic policy to meet such requirement was also provided. (author)

Future hydrogen markets for large-scale hydrogen production systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Forsberg, Charles W.

2007-01-01

The cost of delivered hydrogen includes production, storage, and distribution. For equal production costs, large users (>10 6 m 3 /day) will favor high-volume centralized hydrogen production technologies to avoid collection costs for hydrogen from widely distributed sources. Potential hydrogen markets were examined to identify and characterize those markets that will favor large-scale hydrogen production technologies. The two high-volume centralized hydrogen production technologies are nuclear energy and fossil energy with carbon dioxide sequestration. The potential markets for these technologies are: (1) production of liquid fuels (gasoline, diesel and jet) including liquid fuels with no net greenhouse gas emissions and (2) peak electricity production. The development of high-volume centralized hydrogen production technologies requires an understanding of the markets to (1) define hydrogen production requirements (purity, pressure, volumes, need for co-product oxygen, etc.); (2) define and develop technologies to use the hydrogen, and (3) create the industrial partnerships to commercialize such technologies. (author)

Hydrogen production by Cyanobacteria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chaudhuri Surabhi

2005-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract The limited fossil fuel prompts the prospecting of various unconventional energy sources to take over the traditional fossil fuel energy source. In this respect the use of hydrogen gas is an attractive alternate source. Attributed by its numerous advantages including those of environmentally clean, efficiency and renew ability, hydrogen gas is considered to be one of the most desired alternate. Cyanobacteria are highly promising microorganism for hydrogen production. In comparison to the traditional ways of hydrogen production (chemical, photoelectrical, Cyanobacterial hydrogen production is commercially viable. This review highlights the basic biology of cynobacterial hydrogen production, strains involved, large-scale hydrogen production and its future prospects. While integrating the existing knowledge and technology, much future improvement and progress is to be done before hydrogen is accepted as a commercial primary energy source.

Efficient STEP (solar thermal electrochemical photo) production of hydrogen - an economic assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Licht, Stuart [Department of Chemistry, George Washington University, Ashburn, VA 20147 (United States); Solar Institute, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052 (United States); Chitayat, Olivia; Bergmann, Harry; Dick, Andrew; Ayub, Hina [Solar Institute, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052 (United States); Ghosh, Susanta [Department of Chemistry, George Washington University, Ashburn, VA 20147 (United States); Department of Chemistry, Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan (India)

2010-10-15

A consideration of the economic viability of hydrogen fuel production is important in the STEP (Solar Thermal Electrochemical Photo) production of hydrogen fuel. STEP is an innovative way to decrease costs and increase the efficiency of hydrogen fuel production, which is a synergistic process that can use concentrating photovoltaics (CPV) and solar thermal energy to drive a high temperature, low voltage, electrolysis (water-splitting), resulting in H{sub 2} at decreased energy and higher solar efficiency. This study provides evidence that the STEP system is an economically viable solution for the production of hydrogen. STEP occurs at both higher electrolysis and solar conversion efficiencies than conventional room temperature photovoltaic (PV) generation of hydrogen. This paper probes the economic viability of this process, by comparing four different systems: (1) 10% or (2) 14% flat plate PV driven aqueous alkaline electrolysis H{sub 2} production, (3) 25% CPV driven molten electrolysis H{sub 2} production, and (4) 35% CPV driven solid oxide electrolysis H{sub 2} production. The molten and solid oxide electrolysers are high temperature systems that can make use of light, normally discarded, for heating. This significantly increases system efficiency. Using levelized cost analysis, this study shows significant cost reduction using the STEP system. The total price per kg of hydrogen is shown to decrease from 5.74 to 4.96 to 3.01 to 2.61 with the four alternative systems. The advanced STEP plant requires less than one seventh of the land area of the 10% flat cell plant. To generate the 216 million kg H{sub 2}/year required by 1 million fuel cell vehicles, the 35% CPV driven solid oxide electrolysis requires a plant only 9.6 mi{sup 2} in area. While PV and electrolysis components dominate the cost of conventional PV generated hydrogen, they do not dominate the cost of the STEP-generated hydrogen. The lower cost of STEP hydrogen is driven by residual distribution and

CO-PRODUCTION OF HYDROGEN AND ELECTRICITY USING PRESSURIZED CIRCULATING FLUIDIZED BED GASIFICATION TECHNOLOGY

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhen Fan

2006-05-30

Foster Wheeler has completed work under a U.S. Department of Energy cooperative agreement to develop a gasification equipment module that can serve as a building block for a variety of advanced, coal-fueled plants. When linked with other equipment blocks also under development, studies have shown that Foster Wheeler's gasification module can enable an electric generating plant to operate with an efficiency exceeding 60 percent (coal higher heating value basis) while producing near zero emissions of traditional stack gas pollutants. The heart of the equipment module is a pressurized circulating fluidized bed (PCFB) that is used to gasify the coal; it can operate with either air or oxygen and produces a coal-derived syngas without the formation of corrosive slag or sticky ash that can reduce plant availabilities. Rather than fuel a gas turbine for combined cycle power generation, the syngas can alternatively be processed to produce clean fuels and or chemicals. As a result, the study described herein was conducted to determine the performance and economics of using the syngas to produce hydrogen for sale to a nearby refinery in a hydrogen-electricity co-production plant setting. The plant is fueled with Pittsburgh No. 8 coal, produces 99.95 percent pure hydrogen at a rate of 260 tons per day and generates 255 MWe of power for sale. Based on an electricity sell price of $45/MWhr, the hydrogen has a 10-year levelized production cost of $6.75 per million Btu; this price is competitive with hydrogen produced by steam methane reforming at a natural gas price of $4/MMBtu. Hence, coal-fueled, PCFB gasifier-based plants appear to be a viable means for either high efficiency power generation or co-production of hydrogen and electricity. This report describes the PCFB gasifier-based plant, presents its performance and economics, and compares it to other coal-based and natural gas based hydrogen production technologies.

NGNP Process Heat Applications: Hydrogen Production Accomplishments for FY2010

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Charles V Park

2011-01-01

This report summarizes FY10 accomplishments of the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) Engineering Process Heat Applications group in support of hydrogen production technology development. This organization is responsible for systems needed to transfer high temperature heat from a high temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) reactor (being developed by the INL NGNP Project) to electric power generation and to potential industrial applications including the production of hydrogen.

Hydrogen risk reduction in Nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Movahed, M.A.; Travis, J.R.

1999-01-01

In case of a severe accident in a nuclear power plant with core melt and hydrogen production, the hydrogen risk is one of the main concerns. It may jeopardize the containment integrity due to violent deflagration that can lead to DDT (Deflagration Detonation Transient) or even detonation of proper hydrogen mitigation means are not available. The design of the EPR (European Pressurized water Reactor) Hydrogen mitigation and control system is based on the lumped parameter code WAVCO and the 3D code GASFLOW. The concept consists of recombiners and igniters to cope with all scenarios including those without steam. The system has been checked to avoid DDT by the 7λ criteria that's implemented in GASFLOW. Future analysis could deal with determining dynamic pressure loads, if appropriate, and some sensitivity studies to check the hydrogen control measures with respect to different source locations and mass flow rates. Also a conditional criterion for determining the likelihood of fast deflagration should be developed. (author)

Biomimetic hydrogen production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Krassen, Henning

2009-05-15

Hydrogenases catalyze the reduction of protons to molecular hydrogen with outstanding efficiency. An electrode surface which is covered with active hydrogenase molecules becomes a promising alternative to platinum for electrochemical hydrogen production. To immobilize the hydrogenase on the electrode, the gold surface was modified by heterobifunctional molecules. A thiol headgroup on one side allowed the binding to the gold surface and the formation of a self-assembled monolayer. The other side of the molecules provided a surface with a high affinity for the hydrogenase CrHydA1 from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. With methylviologen as a soluble energy carrier, electrons were transferred from carboxy-terminated electrodes to CrHydA1 and conducted to the active site (H-cluster), where they reduce protons to molecular hydrogen. A combined approach of surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy, gas chromatography, and surface plasmon resonance allowed quantifying the hydrogen production on a molecular level. Hydrogen was produced with a rate of 85 mol H{sub 2} min{sup -1} mol{sup -1}. On a 1'- benzyl-4,4'-bipyridinum (BBP)-terminated surface, the electrons were mediated by the monolayer and no soluble electron carrier was necessary to achieve a comparable hydrogen production rate (approximately 50% of the former system). The hydrogen evolution potential was determined to be -335 mV for the BBP-bound hydrogenase and -290 mV for the hydrogenase which was immobilized on a carboxy-terminated mercaptopropionic acid SAM. Therefore, both systems significantly reduce the hydrogen production overpotential and allow electrochemical hydrogen production at an energy level which is close to the commercially applied platinum electrodes (hydrogen evolution potential of -270 mV). In order to couple hydrogen production and photosynthesis, photosystem I (PS1) from Synechocystis PCC 6803 and membrane-bound hydrogenase (MBH) from Ralstonia eutropha were bound to each other

Thermo-electrochemical production of compressed hydrogen from methane with near-zero energy loss

Science.gov (United States)

Malerød-Fjeld, Harald; Clark, Daniel; Yuste-Tirados, Irene; Zanón, Raquel; Catalán-Martinez, David; Beeaff, Dustin; Morejudo, Selene H.; Vestre, Per K.; Norby, Truls; Haugsrud, Reidar; Serra, José M.; Kjølseth, Christian

2017-11-01

Conventional production of hydrogen requires large industrial plants to minimize energy losses and capital costs associated with steam reforming, water-gas shift, product separation and compression. Here we present a protonic membrane reformer (PMR) that produces high-purity hydrogen from steam methane reforming in a single-stage process with near-zero energy loss. We use a BaZrO3-based proton-conducting electrolyte deposited as a dense film on a porous Ni composite electrode with dual function as a reforming catalyst. At 800 °C, we achieve full methane conversion by removing 99% of the formed hydrogen, which is simultaneously compressed electrochemically up to 50 bar. A thermally balanced operation regime is achieved by coupling several thermo-chemical processes. Modelling of a small-scale (10 kg H2 day-1) hydrogen plant reveals an overall energy efficiency of >87%. The results suggest that future declining electricity prices could make PMRs a competitive alternative for industrial-scale hydrogen plants integrating CO2 capture.

High-temperature nuclear reactor power plant cycle for hydrogen and electricity production – numerical analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dudek Michał

2016-01-01

Full Text Available High temperature gas-cooled nuclear reactor (called HTR or HTGR for both electricity generation and hydrogen production is analysed. The HTR reactor because of the relatively high temperature of coolant could be combined with a steam or gas turbine, as well as with the system for heat delivery for high-temperature hydrogen production. However, the current development of HTR’s allows us to consider achievable working temperature up to 750°C. Due to this fact, industrial-scale hydrogen production using copper-chlorine (Cu-Cl thermochemical cycle is considered and compared with high-temperature electrolysis. Presented calculations show and confirm the potential of HTR’s as a future solution for hydrogen production without CO2 emission. Furthermore, integration of a hightemperature nuclear reactor with a combined cycle for electricity and hydrogen production may reach very high efficiency and could possibly lead to a significant decrease of hydrogen production costs.

An evaluation of reactor cooling and coupled hydrogen production processes using the modular helium reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harvego, E.A.; Reza, S.M.M.; Richards, M.; Shenoy, A.

2006-01-01

The high-temperature characteristics of the modular helium reactor (MHR) make it a strong candidate for producing hydrogen using either thermochemical or high-temperature electrolysis (HTE) processes. Using heat from the MHR to drive a sulfur-iodine (SI) thermochemical hydrogen production process has been the subject of a U.S. Department of Energy sponsored Nuclear Engineering Research Initiative (NERI) project led by General Atomics, with participation from the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) and Texas A and M University. While the focus of much of the initial work was on the SI thermochemical production of hydrogen, recent activities included development of a preconceptual design for an integral HTE hydrogen production plant driven by the process heat and electricity produced by a 600 MW MHR. This paper describes ATHENA analyses performed to evaluate alternative primary system cooling configurations for the MHR to minimize peak reactor vessel and core temperatures while achieving core helium outlet temperatures in the range of 900-1000 deg. C that are needed for the efficient production of hydrogen using either the SI or HTE process. The cooling schemes investigated are intended to ensure peak fuel temperatures do not exceed specified limits under normal or transient upset conditions, and that reactor vessel temperatures do not exceed American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) code limits for steady-state or transient conditions using standard light water reactor vessel materials. Preconceptual designs for SI and HTE hydrogen production plants driven by one or more 600 MW MHRs at helium outlet temperatures in the range of 900-1000 deg. C are described and compared. An initial SAPHIRE model to evaluate the reliability, maintainability, and availability of the SI hydrogen production plant is also described. Finally, a preliminary flowsheet for a conceptual design of an HTE hydrogen production plant coupled to a 600 MW modular helium reactor is presented and

Hydrogen production in fusion reactors

Science.gov (United States)

Sudo, S.; Tomita, Y.; Yamaguchi, S.; Iiyoshi, A.; Momota, H.; Motojima, O.; Okamoto, M.; Ohnishi, M.; Onozuka, M.; Uenosono, C.

1993-11-01

As one of the methods of innovative energy production in fusion reactors (that do not include a conventional turbine-type generator), the efficient use of fusion-reactor radiation and semiconductors to supply clean fuel in the form of hydrogen gas is studied. Taking the reactor candidates such as a toroidal system and an open system for application of the new concepts, the expected efficiency and a plant system concept are investigated.

Maintaining a Technology-Neutral Approach to Hydrogen Production Process Development through Conceptual Design of the Next Generation Nuclear Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Michael W. Patterson

2008-01-01

The Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) project was authorized in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct), tasking the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) with demonstrating High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (HTGR) technology. The demonstration is to include the technical, licensing, operational, and commercial viability of HTGR technology for the production of electricity and hydrogen. The Nuclear Hydrogen Initiative (NHI), a component of the DOE Hydrogen Program managed by the Office of Nuclear Energy, is also investigating multiple approaches to cost effective hydrogen production from nuclear energy. The objective of NHI is development of the technology and information basis for a future decision on commercial viability. The initiatives are clearly intertwined. While the objectives of NGNP and NHI are generally consistent, NGNP has progressed to the project definition phase and the project plan has matured. Multiple process applications for the NGNP require process heat, electricity and hydrogen in varied combinations and sizes. Coupling these processes to the reactor in multiple configurations adds complexity to the design, licensing and demonstration of both the reactor and the hydrogen production process. Commercial viability of hydrogen production may depend on the specific application and heat transport configuration. A component test facility (CTF) is planned by the NGNP to support testing and demonstration of NGNP systems, including those for hydrogen production, in multiple configurations. Engineering-scale demonstrations in the CTF are expected to start in 2012 to support scheduled design and licensing activities leading to subsequent construction and operation. Engineering-scale demonstrations planned by NHI are expected to start at least two years later. Reconciliation of these schedules is recommended to successfully complete both initiatives. Hence, closer and earlier integration of hydrogen process development and heat transport systems is sensible

Utilization of solar and nuclear energy for hydrogen production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fischer, M.

1987-01-01

Although the world-wide energy supply situation appears to have eased at present, non-fossil primary energy sources and hydrogen as a secondary energy carrier will have to take over a long-term and increasing portion of the energy supply system. The only non-fossil energy sources which are available in relevant quantities, are nuclear energy, solar energy and hydropower. The potential of H 2 for the extensive utilization of solar energy is of particular importance. Status, progress and development potential of the electrolytic H 2 production with photovoltaic generators, solar-thermal power plants and nuclear power plants are studied and discussed. The joint German-Saudi Arabian Research, Development and Demonstration Program HYSOLAR for the solar hydrogen production and utilization is summarized. (orig.)

Hydrogen production by several cyanobacteria

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kumar, Dhruv; Kumar, H.D. (Banaras Hindu Univ., Varanasi (India). Dept. of Botany)

1992-11-01

Twenty species belonging to eleven genera of nitrogen-fixing and non-nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria were screened for production of hydrogen. Only one species each of Nostoc and Anabaena showed light-and nitrogenase-dependent aerobic hydrogen production. The highest rate of aerobic hydrogen production was recorded in Anabaena sp. strain CA. When incubated anaerobically under 99% Ar + 1% CO[sub 2], all the tested strains produced hydrogen. Nickel supplementation completely abolished hydrogen production both under aerobic and anaerobic conditions, except in Anabaena sp. strain CA, where only the rate of production was decreased. Species of Plectonema, Oscillatoria and Spirulina showed methyl viologen-dependent (hydrogenase-dependent) hydrogen production. Other physiological activities were also studied with a view to selecting a suitable organism for large-scale production of hydrogen. (author)

Hydrogen production from electrolysis in LHD-type helical reactor FFHR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamada, S.; Sagara, A.; Imagawa, S.; Mito, T.; Motojima, O.

2007-01-01

The LHD-type helical power reactor, FFHR, is proposed by the National Institute for Fusion Science on the basis of the engineering achievements and confinement properties of the LHD. The output of the thermal power and electric power of the FFHR2m2 are optimized to 3 GW and 1 GW, respectively. To assess the technical potential of the FFHR2m2 operation style, hydrogen production from electrolysis is investigated in this report. Gaseous hydrogen of 700 tons per day can be produced by the electric power of 1 GW. The steam of 6,354 tons per day at 150 degree C is necessary in this case. Required heating power to produce the stem from the water at 20 degree C is 198 MW. In FFHR2m2, about 450 MW of thermal power is delivered via the scrape-off layer plasma to the divertors with double-null structure. The divertor may be one of the potential heat sources to produce the steam for the electrolysis. Hydrogen has to be packaged by compression or liquefaction, transported by trailer or pipeline, stored, and transferred to the end users. The four different styles of plant outputs were estimated: (A) 1 GW of power generation, (B) pressurized hydrogen gas of 625 tons per day, (C) liquid hydrogen of 574 tons per day, and (D) 0.824 GW of electricity plus 100 tons per day of liquid hydrogen. Case (A) is suitable for a largely constant level of power demand as well as a nuclear fission power plant. Case (B) and case (C) are dedicated hydrogen production and these cases are desirable as the infrastructure for the future fuel cell society. Case (D) has the flexibility in plant operation. Electrical power to the grid can be modulated if the excess electricity were used for the hydrogen production, at the constant power generation. This fraction rate of case (D) is appropriate for the levelization between on-peak and off-peak demand. Energy conversion efficiencies of these four cases are also discussed in this paper. (authors)

Natural gas usage as a heat source for integrated SMR and thermochemical hydrogen production technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jaber, O.; Naterer, G.F.; Dincer, I.

2010-01-01

This paper investigates various usages of natural gas (NG) as an energy source for different hydrogen production technologies. A comparison is made between the different methods of hydrogen production, based on the total amount of natural gas needed to produce a specific quantity of hydrogen, carbon dioxide emissions per mole of hydrogen produced, water requirements per mole of hydrogen produced, and a cost sensitivity analysis that takes into account the fuel cost, carbon dioxide capture cost and a carbon tax. The methods examined are the copper-chlorine (Cu-Cl) thermochemical cycle, steam methane reforming (SMR) and a modified sulfur-iodine (S-I) thermochemical cycle. Also, an integrated Cu-Cl/SMR plant is examined to show the unique advantages of modifying existing SMR plants with new hydrogen production technology. The analysis shows that the thermochemical Cu-Cl cycle out-performs the other conventional methods with respect to fuel requirements, carbon dioxide emissions and total cost of production. (author)

Hydrogen production in fusion reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sudo, S.; Tomita, Y.; Yamaguchi, S.; Iiyoshi, A.; Momota, H.; Motojima, O.; Okamoto, M.; Ohnishi, M.; Onozuka, M.; Uenosono, C.

1993-11-01

As one of methods of innovative energy production in fusion reactors without having a conventional turbine-type generator, an efficient use of radiation produced in a fusion reactor with utilizing semiconductor and supplying clean fuel in a form of hydrogen gas are studied. Taking the candidates of reactors such as a toroidal system and an open system for application of the new concepts, the expected efficiency and a concept of plant system are investigated. (author)

Hydrogen production in fusion reactors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sudo, S.; Tomita, Y.; Yamaguchi, S.; Iiyoshi, A.; Momota, H.; Motojima, O.; Okamoto, M.; Ohnishi, M.; Onozuka, M.; Uenosono, C.

1993-11-01

As one of methods of innovative energy production in fusion reactors without having a conventional turbine-type generator, an efficient use of radiation produced in a fusion reactor with utilizing semiconductor and supplying clean fuel in a form of hydrogen gas are studied. Taking the candidates of reactors such as a toroidal system and an open system for application of the new concepts, the expected efficiency and a concept of plant system are investigated. (author).

Life cycle assessment of hydrogen production from S-I thermochemical process coupled to a high temperature gas reactor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Giraldi, M. R.; Francois, J. L.; Castro-Uriegas, D. [Departamento de Sistemas Energeticos, Facultad de Ingenieria, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Paseo Cuauhnahuac No. 8532, Col. Progreso, C.P. 62550, Jiutepec, Morelos (Mexico)

2012-07-01

The purpose of this paper is to quantify the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated to the hydrogen produced by the sulfur-iodine thermochemical process, coupled to a high temperature nuclear reactor, and to compare the results with other life cycle analysis (LCA) studies on hydrogen production technologies, both conventional and emerging. The LCA tool was used to quantify the impacts associated with climate change. The product system was defined by the following steps: (i) extraction and manufacturing of raw materials (upstream flows), (U) external energy supplied to the system, (iii) nuclear power plant, and (iv) hydrogen production plant. Particular attention was focused to those processes where there was limited information from literature about inventory data, as the TRISO fuel manufacture, and the production of iodine. The results show that the electric power, supplied to the hydrogen plant, is a sensitive parameter for GHG emissions. When the nuclear power plant supplied the electrical power, low GHG emissions were obtained. These results improve those reported by conventional hydrogen production methods, such as steam reforming. (authors)

Hydrogen and methane generation from large hydraulic plant: Thermo-economic multi-level time-dependent optimization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rivarolo, M.; Magistri, L.; Massardo, A.F.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • We investigate H 2 and CH 4 production from very large hydraulic plant (14 GW). • We employ only “spilled energy”, not used by hydraulic plant, for H 2 production. • We consider the integration with energy taken from the grid at different prices. • We consider hydrogen conversion in chemical reactors to produce methane. • We find plants optimal size using a time-dependent thermo-economic approach. - Abstract: This paper investigates hydrogen and methane generation from large hydraulic plant, using an original multilevel thermo-economic optimization approach developed by the authors. Hydrogen is produced by water electrolysis employing time-dependent hydraulic energy related to the water which is not normally used by the plant, known as “spilled water electricity”. Both the demand for spilled energy and the electrical grid load vary widely by time of year, therefore a time-dependent hour-by-hour one complete year analysis has been carried out, in order to define the optimal plant size. This time period analysis is necessary to take into account spilled energy and electrical load profiles variability during the year. The hydrogen generation plant is based on 1 MWe water electrolysers fuelled with the “spilled water electricity”, when available; in the remaining periods, in order to assure a regular H 2 production, the energy is taken from the electrical grid, at higher cost. To perform the production plant size optimization, two hierarchical levels have been considered over a one year time period, in order to minimize capital and variable costs. After the optimization of the hydrogen production plant size, a further analysis is carried out, with a view to converting the produced H 2 into methane in a chemical reactor, starting from H 2 and CO 2 which is obtained with CCS plants and/or carried by ships. For this plant, the optimal electrolysers and chemical reactors system size is defined. For both of the two solutions, thermo

Photochemical Production of Hydrogen from Water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Broda, E.

1978-01-01

The energy flux in sunlight is 40 000 kW per head of the world population. Theoretically much of this energy can be used to photolyze water, in presence of a sensitizer, to H2 (and 02) for a hydrogen economy. The main difficulty in a homogeneous medium is the back-reaction of the primary products. According to the 'membrane principle', the reducing and the oxidizing primary products are released on opposite sides of asymmetric membranes, and so prevented from back-reacting. In essence, this is the mechanism of the photosynthetic machinery in plants and bacteria. This therefore serves as an example in the artificial construction of suitable asymmetric, 'vectorial', membranes. Relatively small areas of photolytic collectors, e.g. in tropical deserts, could cover the energy needs of large populations through hydrogen. (author)

ENHANCED HYDROGEN ECONOMICS VIA COPRODUCTION OF FUELS AND CARBON PRODUCTS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kennel, Elliot B; Bhagavatula, Abhijit; Dadyburjor, Dady; Dixit, Santhoshi; Garlapalli, Ravinder; Magean, Liviu; Mukkha, Mayuri; Olajide, Olufemi A; Stiller, Alfred H; Yurchick, Christopher L

2011-03-31

This Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory sponsored research effort to develop environmentally cleaner projects as a spin-off of the FutureGen project, which seeks to reduce or eliminate emissions from plants that utilize coal for power or hydrogen production. New clean coal conversion processes were designed and tested for coproducing clean pitches and cokes used in the metals industry as well as a heavy crude oil. These new processes were based on direct liquefaction and pyrolysis techniques that liberate volatile liquids from coal without the need for high pressure or on-site gaseous hydrogen. As a result of the research, a commercial scale plant for the production of synthetic foundry coke has broken ground near Wise, Virginia under the auspices of Carbonite Inc. This plant will produce foundry coke by pyrolyzing a blend of steam coal feedstocks. A second plant is planned by Quantex Energy Inc (in Texas) which will use solvent extraction to coproduce a coke residue as well as crude oil. A third plant is being actively considered for Kingsport, Tennessee, pending a favorable resolution of regulatory issues.

Accident sequences and causes analysis in a hydrogen production process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jae, Moo Sung; Hwang, Seok Won; Kang, Kyong Min; Ryu, Jung Hyun; Kim, Min Soo; Cho, Nam Chul; Jeon, Ho Jun; Jung, Gun Hyo; Han, Kyu Min; Lee, Seng Woo [Hanyang Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2006-03-15

Since hydrogen production facility using IS process requires high temperature of nuclear power plant, safety assessment should be performed to guarantee the safety of facility. First of all, accident cases of hydrogen production and utilization has been surveyed. Based on the results, risk factors which can be derived from hydrogen production facility were identified. Besides the correlation between risk factors are schematized using influence diagram. Also initiating events of hydrogen production facility were identified and accident scenario development and quantification were performed. PSA methodology was used for identification of initiating event and master logic diagram was used for selection method of initiating event. Event tree analysis was used for quantification of accident scenario. The sum of all the leakage frequencies is 1.22x10{sup -4} which is similar value (1.0x10{sup -4}) for core damage frequency that International Nuclear Safety Advisory Group of IAEA suggested as a criteria.

Decentralized production of hydrogen from hydrocarbons with reduced CO2 emission

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nazim Muradov; Franklyn Smith; Cunping Huang; Ali T-Raissi

2006-01-01

Currently, most of the industrial hydrogen production is based on steam methane reforming process that releases significant amount of CO 2 into the atmosphere. CO 2 sequestration is one approach to solving the CO 2 emission problem for large centralized hydrogen plants, but it would be impractical for decentralized H 2 production units. The objective of this paper is to explore new routes to hydrogen production from natural gas without (or drastically reduced) CO 2 emissions. One approach analyzed in this paper is based on thermo-catalytic decomposition (TCD) of hydrocarbons (e.g., methane) to hydrogen gas and elemental carbon. The paper discusses some technological aspects of the TCD process development: (1) thermodynamic analysis of TCD using AspenPlus chemical process simulator, (2) heat input options to the endothermic process, (3) catalyst activity issues, etc. Production of hydrogen and carbon via TCD of methane was experimentally verified using carbon-based catalysts. (authors)

Economic analysis of the hydrogen production by means of the thermo-chemistry process iodine-sulfur with nuclear energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Solorzano S, C.; Francois L, J. L.

2011-11-01

In this work an economic study was realized about a centralized plant of hydrogen production that works by means of a thermo-chemistry cycle of sulfur-iodine and uses heat coming from a nuclear power plant of IV generation, with base in the software -Hydrogen Economic Evaluation Programme- obtained through the IAEA. The sustainable technology that is glimpsed next for the generation of hydrogen is to great scale and based on processes of high temperature coupled to nuclear power plants, being the most important the cycle S-I and the electrolysis to high temperature, for what objective references are presented that can serve as base for the taking of decisions for its introduction in Mexico. After detailing the economic models that uses the software for the calculation of the even cost of hydrogen production and the characteristics, so much of the nuclear plant constituted by fourth generation reactors, as of the plant of hydrogen production, is proposed a -base- case, obtaining a preliminary even cost of hydrogen production with this process; subsequently different cases are studied starting from which are carried out sensibility analysis in several parameters that could rebound in this cost, taking into account that these reactors are still in design and planning stages. (Author)

Production of Plant Phthalate and its Hydrogenated Derivative from Bio-Based Platform Chemicals.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Rui; Lu, Fang; Si, Xiaoqin; Jiang, Huifang; Huang, Qianqian; Yu, Weiqiang; Kong, Xiangtao; Xu, Jie

2018-04-06

Direct transformation of bio-based platform chemicals into aromatic dicarboxylic acids and their derivatives, which are widely used for the manufacture of polymers, is of significant importance for the sustainable development of the plastics industry. However, limited successful chemical processes have been reported. This study concerns a sustainable route for the production of phthalate and its hydrogenated derivative from bio-based malic acid and erythritol. The key Diels-Alder reaction is applied to build a substituted cyclohexene structure. The dehydration reaction of malic acid affords fumaric acid with 96.6 % yield, which could be used as the dienophile, and 1,3-butadiene generated in situ through erythritol deoxydehydration serves as the diene. Starting from erythritol and dibutyl fumarate, a 74.3 % yield of dibutyl trans-4-cyclohexene-1,2-dicarboxylate is obtained. The palladium-catalyzed dehydrogenation of the cycloadduct gives a 77.8 % yield of dibutyl phthalate. Dibutyl trans-cyclohexane-1,2-dicarboxylate could be formed in nearly 100 % yield under mild conditions by hydrogenation of the cycloadduct. Furthermore, fumaric acid and fumarate, with trans configurations, were found to be better dienophiles for this Diels-Alder reaction than maleic acid and maleate, with cis configuration, based on the experimental and computational results. This new route will pave the way for the production of environmental friendly plastic materials from plants. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Hydrogen storage for mixed wind-nuclear power plants in the context of a hydrogen economy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taljan, Gregor; Fowler, Michael; Canizares, Claudio; Verbic, Gregor

2008-01-01

A novel methodology for the economic evaluation of hydrogen production and storage for a mixed wind-nuclear power plant considering some new aspects such as residual heat and oxygen utilization is applied in this work. This analysis is completed in the context of a hydrogen economy and competitive electricity markets. The simulation of the operation of a combined nuclear-wind-hydrogen system is discussed first, where the selling and buying of electricity, the selling of excess hydrogen and oxygen, and the selling of heat are optimized to maximize profit to the energy producer. The simulation is performed in two phases: in a pre-dispatch phase, the system model is optimized to obtain optimal hydrogen charge levels for the given operational horizons. In the second phase, a real-time dispatch is carried out on an hourly basis to optimize the operation of the system as to maximize profits, following the hydrogen storage levels of the pre-dispatch phase. Based on the operation planning and dispatch results, an economic evaluation is performed to determine the feasibility of the proposed scheme for investment purposes; this evaluation is based on calculations of modified internal rates of return and net present values for a realistic scenario. The results of the present studies demonstrate the feasibility of a hydrogen storage and production system with oxygen and heat utilization for existent nuclear and wind power generation facilities. (author)

Hanford Waste Vitrification Plant hydrogen generation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

King, R.B.; King, A.D. Jr.; Bhattacharyya, N.K.

1996-02-01

The most promising method for the disposal of highly radioactive nuclear wastes is a vitrification process in which the wastes are incorporated into borosilicate glass logs, the logs are sealed into welded stainless steel canisters, and the canisters are buried in suitably protected burial sites for disposal. The purpose of the research supported by the Hanford Waste Vitrification Plant (HWVP) project of the Department of Energy through Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) and summarized in this report was to gain a basic understanding of the hydrogen generation process and to predict the rate and amount of hydrogen generation during the treatment of HWVP feed simulants with formic acid. The objectives of the study were to determine the key feed components and process variables which enhance or inhibit the.production of hydrogen. Information on the kinetics and stoichiometry of relevant formic acid reactions were sought to provide a basis for viable mechanistic proposals. The chemical reactions were characterized through the production and consumption of the key gaseous products such as H 2 . CO 2 , N 2 0, NO, and NH 3 . For this mason this research program relied heavily on analyses of the gases produced and consumed during reactions of the HWVP feed simulants with formic acid under various conditions. Such analyses, used gas chromatographic equipment and expertise at the University of Georgia for the separation and determination of H 2 , CO, CO 2 , N 2 , N 2 O and NO

Economic analysis of a combined production of hydrogen-energy from empty fruit bunches

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Langè, Stefano; Pellegrini, Laura A.

2013-01-01

This work relates to an economic analysis and a comparison between different process solutions for the production of hydrogen and the co-production of hydrogen and energy by means of a zero emission biomass integrated supercritical water gasification (SCWG) and combined cycle power plant. The case study will be located in Malaysia. Energy will be produced in agreement with the Small Renewable Energy Power Plant (SREP) Program, promoted by the Government of Malaysia. Hydrogen is obtained by supercritical water gasification (SCWG) of empty fruit bunches (EFB), a technology of interest for the processing of biomass with high moisture content. The economic analysis has been carried out to demonstrate the feasibility of the process solutions and to compare their convenience. The feedstock is 35 Mg h −1 of empty fruit bunches (EFB), a biomass obtained in the Palm Oil Industry. The location of the site is Teluk Intak District in the State of Perak (Malaysia). The study is performed with Aspen Plus ® V7.2. The aim of this work is to investigate the economic convenience of supercritical water gasification technology applied to a potential industrial case study in order to state the possibilities and the trade-off for the production of hydrogen and the co-production of hydrogen and energy from biomass, using an innovative technology (SCWG) instead of a typical unit for syngas and energy production. The processes have been developed to reach zero emissions and zero wastes. CO 2 and solid residuals are recycled inside palm oil lifecycle. -- Highlights: • Supercritical water gasification of empty fruit bunches has been used for hydrogen production. • Malaysia Small Renewable Energy Power Plant Program is aiming to reduce by 40% its greenhouse gases emissions by 2020. • An economic analysis has been performed to assess the sustainability of hydrogen and energy production from palm oil biomass. • Carbon dioxide and solid residuals are recycled back into biomass

Hydrogen/oxygen injection stopping method for nuclear power plant and emergent hydrogen/oxygen injection device

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ishida, Ryoichi; Ota, Masamoto; Takagi, Jun-ichi; Hirose, Yuki

1998-01-01

The present invention provides a device for suppressing increase of electroconductivity of reactor water during operation of a BWR type reactor, upon occurrence of reactor scram of the plant or upon stopping of hydrogen/oxygen injection due to emergent stoppage of an injection device so as not to deteriorate the integrity of a gas waste processing system upon occurrence of scram. Namely, when injection of hydrogen/oxygen is stopped during plant operation, the injection amount of hydrogen is reduced gradually. Subsequently, injection of hydrogen is stopped. With such procedures, the increase of electroconductivity of reactor water can be suppressed upon stoppage of hydrogen injection. When injection of hydrogen/oxygen is stopped upon shut down of the plant, the amount of hydrogen injection is changed depending on the change of the feedwater flow rate, and then the plant is shut down while keeping hydrogen concentration of feedwater to a predetermined value. With such procedures, increase of the reactor water electroconductivity can be suppressed upon stoppage of hydrogen injection. Upon emergent stoppage of the hydrogen/oxygen injection device, an emergent hydrogen/oxygen injection device is actuated to continue the injection of hydrogen/oxygen. With such procedures, elevation of reactor water electroconductivity can be suppressed. (I.S.)

Use of nuclear energy for hydrogen production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Axente, Damian

2006-01-01

Full text: The potentials of three hydrogen production processes under development for the industrial production of hydrogen using nuclear energy, namely the advanced electrolysis the steam reforming, the sulfur-iodine water splitting cycle, are compared and evaluated in this paper. Water electrolysis and steam reforming of methane are proven and used extensively today for the production of hydrogen. The overall thermal efficiency of the electrolysis includes the efficiency of the electrical power generation and of the electrolysis itself. The electrolysis process efficiency is about 75 % and of electrical power generation is only about 30 %, the overall thermal efficiency for H 2 generation being about 25 %. Steam reforming process consists of reacting methane (or natural gas) and steam in a chemical reactor at 800-900 deg. C, with a thermal efficiency of about 70 %. In a reforming process, with heat supplied by nuclear reactor, the heat must be supplied by a secondary loop from the nuclear side and be transferred to the methane/steam mixture, via a heat exchanger type reactor. The sulfur-iodine cycle, a thermochemical water splitting, is of particular interest because it produces hydrogen efficiently with no CO 2 as byproduct. If heated with a nuclear source it could prove to be an ideal environmental solution to hydrogen production. Steam reforming remains the cheapest hydrogen production method based on the latest estimates, even when implemented with nuclear reactor. The S-I cycle offers a close second solution and the electrolysis is the most expensive of the options for industrial H 2 production. The nuclear plant could power electrolysis operations right away; steam reforming with nuclear power is a little bit further off into the future, the first operation with nuclear facility is expected to have place in Japan in 2008. The S-I cycle implementation is still over the horizon, it will be more than 10 years until we will see that cycle in full scale

Hydrogen production methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hammerli, M.

1982-07-01

Old, present and new proceses for producing hydrogen are assessed critically. The emphasis throughout is placed on those processes which could be commercially viable before the turn of the century for large-scale hydrogen manufacture. Electrolysis of water is the only industrial process not dependent on fossil resources for large-scale hydrogen production and is likely to remain so for the next two or three decades. While many new processes, including those utilizing sunlight directly or indirectly, are presently not considered to be commercially viable for large-scale hydrogen production, research and development effort is needed to enhance our understanding of the nature of these processes. Water vapour electrolysis is compared with thermochemical processes: the former has the potential for displacing all other processes for producing hydrogen and oxygen from water

Nuclear hydrogen production programme in the United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sink, C.

2010-01-01

The Nuclear Hydrogen Initiative (NHI) is focused on demonstrating the economic, commercial-scale production of hydrogen using process heat derived from nuclear energy. NHI-supported research has concentrated to date on three technologies compatible with the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP): high temperature steam electrolysis (HTE); sulphur-iodine (S-I) thermochemical; and hybrid sulphur (HyS) thermochemical. In 2009 NHI will down select to a single technology on which to focus its future development efforts, for which the next step will be a pilot-scale experiment. (author)

Renewable hydrogen utilisation for the production of methanol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Galindo Cifre, P.; Badr, O.

2007-01-01

Electrolytic hydrogen production is an efficient way of storing renewable energy generated electricity and securing the contribution of renewables in the future electricity supply. The use of this hydrogen for the production of methanol results in a liquid fuel that can be utilised directly with minor changes in the existing infrastructure. To utilise the renewable generated hydrogen for production of renewable methanol, a sustainable carbon source is needed. This carbon can be provided by biomass or CO 2 in the flue gases of fossil fuel-fired power stations, cement factories, fermentation processes and water purification plants. Methanol production pathways via biomass gasification and CO 2 recovery from the flue gasses of a fossil fuel-fired power station have been reviewed in this study. The cost of methanol production from biomass was found to lie in the range of 300-400 EUR/tonne of methanol, and the production cost of CO 2 based methanol was between 500 and 600 EUR/tonne. Despite the higher production costs compared with methanol produced by conventional natural gas reforming (i.e. 100-200 EUR/tonne, aided by the low current price of natural gas), these new processes incorporate environmentally beneficial aspects that have to be taken into account. (author)

Microalgal hydrogen production - A review.

Science.gov (United States)

Khetkorn, Wanthanee; Rastogi, Rajesh P; Incharoensakdi, Aran; Lindblad, Peter; Madamwar, Datta; Pandey, Ashok; Larroche, Christian

2017-11-01

Bio-hydrogen from microalgae including cyanobacteria has attracted commercial awareness due to its potential as an alternative, reliable and renewable energy source. Photosynthetic hydrogen production from microalgae can be interesting and promising options for clean energy. Advances in hydrogen-fuel-cell technology may attest an eco-friendly way of biofuel production, since, the use of H 2 to generate electricity releases only water as a by-product. Progress in genetic/metabolic engineering may significantly enhance the photobiological hydrogen production from microalgae. Manipulation of competing metabolic pathways by modulating the certain key enzymes such as hydrogenase and nitrogenase may enhance the evolution of H 2 from photoautotrophic cells. Moreover, biological H 2 production at low operating costs is requisite for economic viability. Several photobioreactors have been developed for large-scale biomass and hydrogen production. This review highlights the recent technological progress, enzymes involved and genetic as well as metabolic engineering approaches towards sustainable hydrogen production from microalgae. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of hydrogen fluoride on plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yamazoe, F

1970-07-15

Symptoms of fluorosis in plants are chlorotic markings around the tip or edges of young leaves. Examples of damage to plants and livestock by fluorides are listed, including the retarded growth of silkworms fed on mulberry leaves polluted by more than 30 ppm fluorides. Plants can be classified into six groups according to their resistance to hydrogen fluoride. Threshold values of the fluoride concentration range from 5-10 ppb for the plants. Gladiolus is normally employed as a plant indicator for hydrogen fluoride and silkworms as indicator insects. The relationship between plant damage by fluorides and exposure time, density, soil, fertilizer, meteorology and location are examined. Several preventive measures are listed, including the spraying of water or lime on plant leaves. It is concluded that the establishment of an environmental standard is difficult because of the extremely high sensitivity of the plants to the gas. 8 references.

Dynamic flowgraph modeling of process and control systems of a nuclear-based hydrogen production plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Al-Dabbagh, Ahmad W. [Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, 2000 Simcoe Street North, Oshawa, Ontario (Canada); Lu, Lixuan [Faculty of Energy Systems and Nuclear Science, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, 2000 Simcoe Street North, Oshawa, Ontario (Canada)

2010-09-15

Modeling and analysis of system reliability facilitate the identification of areas of potential improvement. The Dynamic Flowgraph Methodology (DFM) is an emerging discrete modeling framework that allows for capturing time dependent behaviour, switching logic and multi-state representation of system components. The objective of this research is to demonstrate the process of dynamic flowgraph modeling of a nuclear-based hydrogen production plant with the copper-chlorine (Cu-Cl) cycle. Modeling of the thermochemical process of the Cu-Cl cycle in conjunction with a networked control system proposed for monitoring and control of the process is provided. This forms the basis for future component selection. (author)

Maintaining a technology-neutral approach to hydrogen production process development through conceptual design of the next generation nuclear plant - HTR2008-58191

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patterson, M. W.; Park, C. V.

2008-01-01

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct) charges the Dept. of Energy (DOE) with developing and demonstrating the technical and economic feasibility of using high temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) technology for the production of electricity and/or hydrogen. The design, construction and demonstration of this technology in an HTGR proto-type reactor are termed the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) Project. Currently, parallel development of three hydrogen production processes will continue until a single process technology is recommended for final demonstration in the NGNP - a technology neutral approach. This analysis compares the technology neutral approach to acceleration of the hydrogen process down-selection at the completion of the NGNP conceptual design to improve integration of the hydrogen process development and NGNP Project schedule. The accelerated schedule activities are based on completing evaluations and achieving technology readiness levels (TRLs) identified in NGNP systems engineering and technology road-maps. The cost impact of accelerating the schedule and risk reduction strategies was also evaluated. The NGNP Project intends to design and construct a component test facility (CTF) to support testing and demonstration of HTGR technologies, including those for hydrogen production. The demonstrations will support scheduled design and licensing activities, leading to subsequent construction and operation of the NGNP. Demonstrations in the CTF are expected to start about two years earlier than similarly scaled hydrogen demonstrations planned in the technology neutral baseline. The schedule evaluation assumed that hydrogen process testing would be performed in the CTF and synchronized the progression of hydrogen process development with CTF availability. (authors)

Requirements for low-cost electricity and hydrogen fuel production from multiunit inertial fusion energy plants with a shared driver and target factory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Logan, G.B.; Moir, R.W.; Hoffmman, M.A.

1995-01-01

The economy of scale for multiunit inertial fusion energy (IFE) power plants is explored based on the molten salt HYLIFE-II fusion chamber concept, for the purpose of producing lower cost electricity and hydrogen fuel. The cost of electricity (CoE) is minimized with a new IFE systems code IFEFUEL5 for a matrix of plant cases with one to eight fusion chambers of 250 to 2000-MW (electric) net output each, sharing a common heavy-ion driver and target factory. Improvements to previous HYLIFE-II models include a recirculating induction linac driver optimized as a function of driver energy and rep-rate (average driver power), inclusion of beam switchyard costs, a fusion chamber cost scaling dependence on both thermal power and fusion yield, and a more accurate bypass pump power scaling with chamber rep-rate. A CoE less than 3 cents/kW(electric)-h is found for plant outputs greater than 2 GW(electric), allowing hydrogen fuel production by wafer electrolysis to provide lower fuel cost per mile for higher efficiency hydrogen engines compared with gasoline engines. These multiunit, multi-GW(electric) IFE plants allow staged utility plant deployment, lower optimum chamber rep-rates, less sensitivity to driver and target fabrication costs, and a CoE possibly lower than future fission, fossil, and solar competitors. 37 refs., 12 figs., 4 tabs

Comparison of pulp-mill-integrated hydrogen production from gasified black liquor with stand-alone production from gasified biomass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andersson, E.; Harvey, S.

2007-01-01

When gasified black liquor is used for hydrogen production, significant amounts of biomass must be imported. This paper compares two alternative options for producing hydrogen from biomass: (A) pulp-mill-integrated hydrogen production from gasified back liquor; and (B) stand-alone production of hydrogen from gasified biomass. The comparison assumes that the same amount of biomass that is imported in Alternative A is supplied to a stand-alone hydrogen production plant and that the gasified black liquor in Alternative B is used in a black liquor gasification combined cycle (BLGCC) CHP unit. The comparison is based upon equal amounts of black liquor fed to the gasifier, and identical steam and power requirements for the pulp mill. The two systems are compared on the basis of total CO 2 emission consequences, based upon different assumptions for the reference energy system that reflect different societal CO 2 emissions reduction target levels. Ambitions targets are expected to lead to a more CO 2 -lean reference energy system, in which case hydrogen production from gasified black liquor (Alternative A) is best from a CO 2 emissions' perspective, whereas with high CO 2 emissions associated with electricity production, hydrogen from gasified biomass and electricity from gasified black liquor (Alternative B) is preferable. (author)

Liquid hydrogen production and commercial demand in the United States

Science.gov (United States)

Heydorn, Barbara

1990-01-01

Kennedy Space Center, the single largest purchaser of liquid hydrogen (LH2) in the United States, evaluated current and anticipated hydrogen production and consumption in the government and commercial sectors. Specific objectives of the study are as follows: (1) identify LH2 producers in the United States and Canada during 1980-1989 period; (2) compile information in expected changes in LH2 production capabilities over the 1990-2000 period; (3) describe how hydrogen is used in each consuming industry and estimate U.S. LH2 consumption for the chemicals, metals, electronics, fats and oil, and glass industries, and report data on a regional basis; (4) estimate historical and future consumption; and (5) assess the influence of international demands on U.S. plants.

Technoeconomical analysis of the co-production of hydrogen energy and carbon materials

Science.gov (United States)

Guerra, Zuimdie

HECAM (Hydrogen Energy and Carbon Materials) is a new energy production strategy. The main paradigm of HECAM is that energy extracted from the carbon in hydrocarbon fuels is not worth the production of carbon dioxide. The hydrocarbon fuel is heated in an oxygen free environment and it is chemically decomposed by the heat into gases (mostly hydrogen and methane), small quantities of liquid (light oil and tar), and a solid residue containing carbon and ash (char or coke). More quantities of hydrocarbons will need to be used, but less carbon dioxide will be produced. HECAM is going to compete with steam methane reforming (SMR) to produce hydrogen. HECAM with thermocatalytic decomposition of methane and efficient sensible heat recovery has a production cost per gigajoule of hydrogen about 9% higher than SMR, but will produce about half the carbon dioxide emissions that SMR produces. If HECAM with efficient sensible heat recovery is used to produce electricity in a power plant, it will have a comparable electricity production cost and carbon dioxide emissions to a natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) power plant. The byproduct coke is not a waste residue, but a valuable co-product. Uses for the byproduct coke material may be carbon sequestration, mine land restoration, additive to enhance agricultural soils, low sulfur and mercury content heating fuel for power plants, new construction materials, or carbon-base industrial materials. This study investigated the use of byproduct coke for new construction materials. HECAM concrete substitute (HCS) materials will have a comparable cost with concrete when the cost of the raw materials is $65 per metric ton of HCS produced. HECAM brick substitute (HBS) materials will have 20% higher cost per brick than clay bricks. If the HECAM byproduct coke can be formed into bricks as a product of the HECAM process, the manufacture of HBS bricks will be cheaper and may be cost competitive with clay bricks. The results of this analysis are

Theoretical Design of a Thermosyphon for Efficient Process Heat Removal from Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) for Production of Hydrogen

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Piyush Sabharwall; Fred Gunnerson; Akira Tokuhiro; Vivek Utgiker; Kevan Weaver; Steven Sherman

2007-01-01

The work reported here is the preliminary analysis of two-phase Thermosyphon heat transfer performance with various alkali metals. Thermosyphon is a device for transporting heat from one point to another with quite extraordinary properties. Heat transport occurs via evaporation and condensation, and the heat transport fluid is re-circulated by gravitational force. With this mode of heat transfer, the thermosyphon has the capability to transport heat at high rates over appreciable distances, virtually isothermally and without any requirement for external pumping devices. For process heat, intermediate heat exchangers (IHX) are required to transfer heat from the NGNP to the hydrogen plant in the most efficient way possible. The production of power at higher efficiency using Brayton Cycle, and hydrogen production requires both heat at higher temperatures (up to 1000 C) and high effectiveness compact heat exchangers to transfer heat to either the power or process cycle. The purpose for selecting a compact heat exchanger is to maximize the heat transfer surface area per volume of heat exchanger; this has the benefit of reducing heat exchanger size and heat losses. The IHX design requirements are governed by the allowable temperature drop between the outlet of the NGNP (900 C, based on the current capabilities of NGNP), and the temperatures in the hydrogen production plant. Spiral Heat Exchangers (SHE's) have superior heat transfer characteristics, and are less susceptible to fouling. Further, heat losses to surroundings are minimized because of its compact configuration. SHEs have never been examined for phase-change heat transfer applications. The research presented provides useful information for thermosyphon design and Spiral Heat Exchanger

Exergy and thermoeconomic evaluation of hydrogen production from natural gas; Avaliacao exergetica e termo-economica da producao de hidrogenio a partir do gas natural

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cruz, Flavio Eduardo da [PROMON Engenharia Ltda., Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); Oliveira Junior, Silvio de [Universidade de Sao Paulo (USP), SP (Brazil). Escola Politecnica

2008-07-01

Some specific processes are required to obtain pure hydrogen and the most usual one is the natural gas reforming, where natural gas reacts with superheated steam producing H{sub 2}, CO, CO{sub 2} and H{sub 2}O. This paper presents exergy and thermoeconomic analysis of a complete hydrogen production unit of a petroleum refinery. The hydrogen production unit analysed in this paper has to supply 550,000 Nm{sup 3} of hydrogen per day to purify diesel oil. Based on a synthesis plant of the hydrogen production unit, the exergy efficiency of each component and of the overall plant are calculated. The hydrogen production cost is determined by means of a thermoeconomic analysis in which the equality cost partition method is employed, including capital and operational costs, in order to determine the production cost of hydrogen and other products of the plant.(author)

Advanced Intermediate Heat Transport Loop Design Configurations for Hydrogen Production Using High Temperature Nuclear Reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang Oh; Cliff Davis; Rober Barner; Paul Pickard

2005-01-01

The US Department of Energy is investigating the use of high-temperature nuclear reactors to produce hydrogen using either thermochemical cycles or high-temperature electrolysis. Although the hydrogen production processes are in an early stage of development, coupling either of these processes to the high-temperature reactor requires both efficient heat transfer and adequate separation of the facilities to assure that off-normal events in the production facility do not impact the nuclear power plant. An intermediate heat transport loop will be required to separate the operations and safety functions of the nuclear and hydrogen plants. A next generation high-temperature reactor could be envisioned as a single-purpose facility that produces hydrogen or a dual-purpose facility that produces hydrogen and electricity. Early plants, such as the proposed Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP), may be dual-purpose facilities that demonstrate both hydrogen and efficient electrical generation. Later plants could be single-purpose facilities. At this stage of development, both single- and dual-purpose facilities need to be understood. A number of possible configurations for a system that transfers heat between the nuclear reactor and the hydrogen and/or electrical generation plants were identified. These configurations included both direct and indirect cycles for the production of electricity. Both helium and liquid salts were considered as the working fluid in the intermediate heat transport loop. Methods were developed to perform thermal-hydraulic evaluations and cycle-efficiency evaluations of the different configurations and coolants. The thermal-hydraulic evaluations estimated the sizes of various components in the intermediate heat transport loop for the different configurations. The relative sizes of components provide a relative indication of the capital cost associated with the various configurations. Estimates of the overall cycle efficiency of the various

Analysis of Production and Delivery Center Hydrogen Applied to the Southern Patagonian Circuit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maximiliano Fernando Medina

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The Desire department of the province of Santa Cruz, Argentina, presents the greatest potential electrolytic Hydrogen Production Country, From Three primary sources of sustainable energy: wind, solar, biomass. There, the Hydrogen Plant of Pico Truncado has capacity central production of hydrogen 100m3 of H2 / day, enough to supply 353 vehicles with hybrid fuel called HGNC, made by cutting 12% V / V of hydrogen in CNG (in situ at each station. Puerto Deseado, Fitz Roy, Caleta Olivia, Las Heras, Comodoro Rivadavia, Sarmiento and the Ancients: From the production cost, the cost of delivering hydrogen to the Southern Patagonian circuit comprised analyzed. Considering various local parameters are determined as a way of delivering more profitable virtual pipeline, with total cost of hydrogen estimated 6.5 USD / kg H2 and HGNC shipped in the station at 0.50 USD / Nm3.

Development of valuation method for location planning and dimensioning of hydrogen plants; Entwicklung einer Bewertungsmethodik zur Standortplanung und Dimensionierung von Wasserstoffanlagen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guenther, Thomas

2014-02-04

Common decisions for locations of production plants are based on criteria such as availability of commodities, energy, infrastructure and costs related with these. Sizing of product capacities depends on other things such as production quantities to be sold and profits to be obtained. The condition is an permanent availability of the required energy. For concepts of using surplus renewable energies especially wind energy for hydrogen production common methods are only partly suitable. Thus in this work an evaluation methodology was developed which integrated duration and amount of available energy for decisions of locations and dimensioning of the plant. Initially the hydrogen plant is modularised and segmented to the sub processed energy supply, water supply, water electrolyses, cooling, storing and compression for transport. After the specification of technological and economical parameters, the material and energy streams as well as the costs are calculated for every individual plant. Based on the given conditions, the configuration of plant and also the investigation of site-specific production costs is done. By variation of technology and costs parameters, feasibility studies and different operating scenarios can be demonstrated. The application of this evaluation methodology is demonstrated by case studies. A hydrogen plant situated at an industry park serves as a reference plant for the continuous operation with grid energy. Using a wind energy propelled hydrogen plant as an example, the effects of amount and duration of the usable energy are shown. Based on predefined hydrogen prices, the correlation between optimal plant capacity and plant utilization is described and the difference between the predefined price and the operation costs is calculated. This difference can be used to finance the wind farm operation. The results serves among others for the development of optimal operation concepts and also for first cost estimations, prior to a detailed plant

Biological hydrogen production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Benemann, J.R. [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States)

1995-11-01

Biological hydrogen production can be accomplished by either thermochemical (gasification) conversion of woody biomass and agricultural residues or by microbiological processes that yield hydrogen gas from organic wastes or water. Biomass gasification is a well established technology; however, the synthesis gas produced, a mixture of CO and H{sub 2}, requires a shift reaction to convert the CO to H{sub 2}. Microbiological processes can carry out this reaction more efficiently than conventional catalysts, and may be more appropriate for the relatively small-scale of biomass gasification processes. Development of a microbial shift reaction may be a near-term practical application of microbial hydrogen production.

Thermodynamic evaluation of geothermal energy powered hydrogen production by PEM water electrolysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yilmaz, Ceyhun; Kanoglu, Mehmet

2014-01-01

Thermodynamic energy and exergy analysis of a PEM water electrolyzer driven by geothermal power for hydrogen production is performed. For this purpose, work is produced from a geothermal resource by means of the organic Rankine cycle; the resulting work is used as a work input for an electrolysis process; and electrolysis water is preheated by the waste geothermal water. The first and second-law based performance parameters are identified for the considered system and the system performance is evaluated. The effects of geothermal water and electrolysis temperatures on the amount of hydrogen production are studied and these parameters are found to be proportional to each other. We consider a geothermal resource at 160 °C available at a rate of 100 kg/s. Under realistic operating conditions, 3810 kW power can be produced in a binary geothermal power plant. The produced power is used for the electrolysis process. The electrolysis water can be preheated to 80 °C by the geothermal water leaving the power plant and hydrogen can be produced at a rate of 0.0340 kg/s. The energy and exergy efficiencies of the binary geothermal power plant are 11.4% and 45.1%, respectively. The corresponding efficiencies for the electrolysis system are 64.0% and 61.6%, respectively, and those for the overall system are 6.7% and 23.8%, respectively. - Highlights: • Thermodynamic analysis of hydrogen production by PEM electrolysis powered by geothermal energy. • Power is used for electrolyser; used geothermal water is for preheating electrolysis water. • Effect of geothermal water and electrolysis temperatures on the amount of hydrogen production. • Hydrogen can be produced at a rate of 0.0340 kg/s for a resource at 160 °C available at 100 kg/s. • Energy and exergy efficiencies of the overall system are 6.7% and 23.8%, respectively

Hydrogen production by autothermal reforming of ethanol: pilot plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marin Neto, Antonio Jose; Camargo, Joao Carlos; Lopes, Daniel Gabriel; Ferreira, Paulo F.P. [Hydrogen Technology (HyTron), Campinas, SP (Brazil)], Email: antonio@hytron.com.br; Neves Junior, Newton Pimenta; Pinto, Edgar A. de Godoi Rodrigues; Silva, Ennio Peres da [Universidade Estadual de Campinas (DFA/ IFGW/UNICAMP), SP (Brazil). Inst. de Fisica Gleb Wataghin. Dept. de Fisica Aplicada; Furlan, Andre Luis [Universidade Estadual de Campinas (FEC/UNICAMP), SP (Brazil). Fac. de Engenharia Mecanica

2010-07-01

This work provides information about the development of an integrated unit for hydrogen production by auto thermal reforming of ethanol with nominal capacity of 1 kg/h H{sub 2} 4.5 (99.995%). The unit is composed by a Fuel Processing Module (FPM), resulting from auto thermal and shift reactor integration, responsible for the thermochemical step, plus an over heater of the liquid input (EtOH and H{sub 2}O), operated recovering thermal energy from PSA blown-down (H{sub 2} Purification Module - MPH2), besides other thermal equipment which completes the integration. Using a computational routine for scaling the process and preliminary performance analysis, it was possible to optimize operating conditions, essential along unit operations design. Likewise, performance estimation of the integrated unit proceeds, which shows efficiency about 72.5% from FPM. Coupled with the PSA recovery rate, 72.7%, the unit could achieve overall energy performance of 52.7%, or 74.4% working in co-generation of hydrogen and heat. (author)

Hydrogen production by catalytic processing of renewable methane-rich gases

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Muradov, Nazim; Smith, Franklyn; T-Raissi, Ali [Florida Solar Energy Center, University of Central Florida, Cocoa, FL 32922-5703 (United States)

2008-04-15

Biomass-derived methane-rich gases such as landfill gas (LFG), biogas and digester gas are promising renewable resources for near-future production of hydrogen. The technical and economical feasibility of hydrogen production via catalytic reforming of LFG and other methane-rich gases is evaluated in this paper. The thermodynamic equilibrium calculations and experimental measurements of reformation of methane-rich CH{sub 4}-CO{sub 2} mixtures over Ni-based catalyst were conducted. The problems associated with the catalyst deactivation due to carbon lay down and effects of steam and oxygen on the process sustainability were explored. Two technological approaches distinguished by the mode of heat input to the endothermic process (i.e., external vs autothermal) were modeled using AspenPlus trademark chemical process simulator and validated experimentally. A 5 kW{sub th} pilot unit for hydrogen production from LFG-mimicking CH{sub 4}-CO{sub 2} mixture was fabricated and operated. A preliminary techno-economic assessment indicates that the liquid hydrogen production costs are in the range of 3.00-7.00 per kilogram depending upon the plant capacity, the process heat input option and whether or not carbon sequestration is included in the process. (author)

The Conceptual Design of an Integrated Nuclearhydrogen Production Plant Using the Sulfur Cycle Water Decomposition System

Science.gov (United States)

Farbman, G. H.

1976-01-01

A hydrogen production plant was designed based on a hybrid electrolytic-thermochemical process for decomposing water. The sulfur cycle water decomposition system is driven by a very high temperature nuclear reactor that provides 1,283 K helium working gas. The plant is sized to approximately ten million standard cubic meters per day of electrolytically pure hydrogen and has an overall thermal efficiently of 45.2 percent. The economics of the plant were evaluated using ground rules which include a 1974 cost basis without escalation, financing structure and other economic factors. Taking into account capital, operation, maintenance and nuclear fuel cycle costs, the cost of product hydrogen was calculated at $5.96/std cu m for utility financing. These values are significantly lower than hydrogen costs from conventional water electrolysis plants and competitive with hydrogen from coal gasification plants.

Hydrogen production from municipal solid waste

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wallman, P.H.; Richardson, J.H.; Thorsness, C.B. [and others

1996-06-28

We have modified a Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) hydrothermal pretreatment pilot plant for batch operation and blowdown of the treated batch to low pressure. We have also assembled a slurry shearing pilot plant for particle size reduction. Waste paper and a mixture of waste paper/polyethylene plastic have been run in the pilot plant with a treatment temperature of 275{degrees}C. The pilot-plant products have been used for laboratory studies at LLNL. The hydrothermal/shearing pilot plants have produced acceptable slurries for gasification tests from a waste paper feedstock. Work is currently underway with combined paper/plastic feedstocks. When the assembly of the Research Gasification Unit at Texaco (feed capacity approximately 3/4-ton/day) is complete (4th quarter of FY96), gasification test runs will commence. Laboratory work on slurry samples during FY96 has provided correlations between slurry viscosity and hydrothermal treatment temperature, degree of shearing, and the presence of surfactants and admixed plastics. To date, pumpable slurries obtained from an MSW surrogate mixture of treated paper and plastic have shown heating values in the range 13-15 MJ/kg. Our process modeling has quantified the relationship between slurry heating value and hydrogen yield. LLNL has also performed a preliminary cost analysis of the process with the slurry heating value and the MSW tipping fee as parameters. This analysis has shown that the overall process with a 15 MJ/kg slurry gasifier feed can compete with coal-derived hydrogen with the assumption that the tipping fee is of the order $50/ton.

Preliminary analyses on hydrogen diffusion through small break of thermo-chemical IS process hydrogen plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Somolova, Marketa; Terada, Atsuhiko; Takegami, Hiroaki; Iwatsuki, Jin

2008-12-01

Japan Atomic Energy Agency has been conducting a conceptual design study of nuclear hydrogen demonstration plant, that is, a thermal-chemical IS process hydrogen plant coupled with the High temperature Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR-IS), which will be planed to produce a large amount of hydrogen up to 1000m 3 /h. As part of the conceptual design work of the HTTR-IS system, preliminary analyses on small break of a hydrogen pipeline in the IS process hydrogen plant was carried out as a first step of the safety analyses. This report presents analytical results of hydrogen diffusion behaviors predicted with a CFD code, in which a diffusion model focused on the turbulent Schmidt number was incorporated. By modifying diffusion model, especially a constant accompanying the turbulent Schmidt number in the diffusion term, analytical results was made agreed well with the experimental results. (author)

Potential and costs of electrolytical hydrogen production by secondary energy in Brazil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Souza, S. N. M. de; Silva, E. P. da

1998-01-01

This paper makes a description of the availability supply secondary hydroelectric power (secondary energy) in the Brazilian interconnected hydroelectric systems, then with the data attained it is made an estimation of electrolytical hydrogen that can be produced by means of Brazilian secondary hydroelectric power. Also are determined the costs of electrolytical hydrogen production, by way of utilisation of the secondary hydroelectric power availability in the hydroelectric system of the South and Southeastern regions, with the variation of hydrogen plant capacity that allow identify the cases where hydrogen can be produced at a lower costs. (author)

Hydrogen production by nuclear heat

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crosbie, Leanne M.; Chapin, Douglas

2003-01-01

A major shift in the way the world obtains energy is on the horizon. For a new energy carrier to enter the market, several objectives must be met. New energy carriers must meet increasing production needs, reduce global pollution emissions, be distributed for availability worldwide, be produced and used safely, and be economically sustainable during all phases of the carrier lifecycle. Many believe that hydrogen will overtake electricity as the preferred energy carrier. Hydrogen can be burned cleanly and may be used to produce electricity via fuel cells. Its use could drastically reduce global CO 2 emissions. However, as an energy carrier, hydrogen is produced with input energy from other sources. Conventional hydrogen production methods are costly and most produce carbon dioxide, therefore, negating many of the benefits of using hydrogen. With growing concerns about global pollution, alternatives to fossil-based hydrogen production are being developed around the world. Nuclear energy offers unique benefits for near-term and economically viable production of hydrogen. Three candidate technologies, all nuclear-based, are examined. These include: advanced electrolysis of water, steam reforming of methane, and the sulfur-iodine thermochemical water-splitting cycle. The underlying technology of each process, advantages and disadvantages, current status, and production cost estimates are given. (author)

Multi-objective stochastic distribution feeder reconfiguration problem considering hydrogen and thermal energy production by fuel cell power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Niknam, Taher; Kavousi Fard, Abdollah; Baziar, Aliasghar

2012-01-01

This paper assesses the operation and management of electrical energy, hydrogen production and thermal load supplement by the Fuel Cell Power Plants (FCPP) in the distribution systems with regard to the uncertainties which exist in the load demand as well as the price of buying natural gas for FCPPs, fuel cost for residential loads, tariff for purchasing electricity, tariff for selling electricity, hydrogen selling price, operation and maintenance cost and the price of purchasing power from the grid. Therefore, a new modified multi-objective optimization algorithm called Teacher-Learning Algorithm (TLA) is proposed to integrate the optimal operation management of Proton Exchange Membrane FCPPs (PEM-FCPPs) and the optimal configuration of the system through an economic model of the PEM-FCPP. In order to improve the total ability of TLA for global search and exploration, a new modification process is suggested such that the algorithm will search the total search space globally. Also, regarding the uncertainties of the new complicated power systems, in this paper for the first time, the DFR problem is investigated in a stochastic environment by the use of probabilistic load flow technique based on Point Estimate Method (PEM). In order to see the feasibility and the superiority of the proposed method, a standard test system is investigated as the case study. The simulation results are investigated in four different scenarios to show the effect of hydrogen production and thermal recovery more evidently. -- Highlights: ► Present an economical and thermal modeling of PEM-FCPPs. ► Present an approach for optimal operation of PEM-FCPPs in a stochastic environment. ► Consider benefits of thermal recovery and Hydrogen production for PEM-FCPPs. ► Present several scenarios for management of PEM-FCPPs.

Life Time Performance Characterization of Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells for Hydrogen Production

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sun, Xiufu; Chen, Ming; Liu, Yi-Lin

2015-01-01

Solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) offer a promising technological solution for efficient energy conversion and production of hydrogen or syngas. The commercialization of the SOEC technology can be promoted if SOECs can be operated at high current density with stable performance over ~5 years...... - 3 years (continuous operation, setting 1.5 V as the upper voltage defining “end of life”). The results provide technological input to future design of electrolysis plants for hydrogen production. © 2015 ECS - The Electrochemical Society...

Photoelectrochemical hydrogen production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rocheleau, R.E.; Miller, E.; Misra, A. [Univ. of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI (United States)

1996-10-01

The large-scale production of hydrogen utilizing energy provided by a renewable source to split water is one of the most ambitious long-term goals of the U.S. Department of Energy`s Hydrogen Program. One promising option to meet this goal is direct photoelectrolysis in which light absorbed by semiconductor-based photoelectrodes produces electrical power internally to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. Under this program, direct solar-to-chemical conversion efficiencies as high as 7.8 % have been demonstrated using low-cost, amorphous-silicon-based photoelectrodes. Detailed loss analysis models indicate that solar-to-chemical conversion greater than 10% can be achieved with amorphous-silicon-based structures optimized for hydrogen production. In this report, the authors describe the continuing progress in the development of thin-film catalytic/protective coatings, results of outdoor testing, and efforts to develop high efficiency, stable prototype systems.

Design of a lunar oxygen production plant

Science.gov (United States)

Radhakrishnan, Ramalingam

1990-01-01

To achieve permanent human presence and activity on the moon, oxygen is required for both life support and propulsion. Lunar oxygen production using resources existing on the moon will reduce or eliminate the need to transport liquid oxygen from earth. In addition, the co-products of oxygen production will provide metals, structural ceramics, and other volatile compounds. This will enable development of even greater self-sufficiency as the lunar outpost evolves. Ilmenite is the most abundant metal-oxide mineral in the lunar regolith. A process involving the reaction of ilmenite with hydrogen at 1000 C to produce water, followed by the electrolysis of this water to provide oxygen and recycle the hydrogen has been explored. The objective of this 1990 Summer Faculty Project was to design a lunar oxygen-production plant to provide 5 metric tons of liquid oxygen per year from lunar soil. The results of this study describe the size and mass of the equipment, the power needs, feedstock quantity and the engineering details of the plant.

Production of hydrogen from bio-ethanol in catalytic membrane reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gernot, E.; Aupretre, F.; Deschamps, A.; Etievant, C.; Epron, F.; Marecot, P.; Duprez, D.

2006-01-01

Production of hydrogen from renewable energy sources offers a great potential for CO 2 emission reduction, responsible for global warming. Among renewable energies, liquid biofuels are very convenient hydrogen carriers for decentralized applications such as micro-cogeneration and transports. Ethanol, produced from sugar plants and cereals, allows a reduction of more than 60% of CO 2 emissions in comparison to gasoline. BIOSTAR is an R and D project, co-funded by the French Agency for Environment and Energy Management (ADEME) which aims at developing an efficient source of hydrogen from bio-ethanol, suitable for proton exchange membrane fuel cell systems. The objectives are to obtain, through catalytic process at medium temperature range, an efficient conversion of bio-ethanol into pure hydrogen directly usable for PEMFC. CETH has developed a catalytic membrane reformer (CMR), based on a patented technology, integrating a steam reforming catalyst as well as a combustion catalyst. Both catalysts have been developed and optimized for membrane reactor in partnership with the University of Poitiers. The composite metallic membrane developed by CETH allows hydrogen extraction near the hydrogen production sites, which enhances both efficiency and compactness. (authors)

Technical Analysis of Hydrogen Production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ali T-Raissi

2005-01-14

The aim of this work was to assess issues of cost, and performance associated with the production and storage of hydrogen via following three feedstocks: sub-quality natural gas (SQNG), ammonia (NH{sub 3}), and water. Three technology areas were considered: (1) Hydrogen production utilizing SQNG resources, (2) Hydrogen storage in ammonia and amine-borane complexes for fuel cell applications, and (3) Hydrogen from solar thermochemical cycles for splitting water. This report summarizes our findings with the following objectives: Technoeconomic analysis of the feasibility of the technology areas 1-3; Evaluation of the hydrogen production cost by technology areas 1; and Feasibility of ammonia and/or amine-borane complexes (technology areas 2) as a means of hydrogen storage on-board fuel cell powered vehicles. For each technology area, we reviewed the open literature with respect to the following criteria: process efficiency, cost, safety, and ease of implementation and impact of the latest materials innovations, if any. We employed various process analysis platforms including FactSage chemical equilibrium software and Aspen Technologies AspenPlus and HYSYS chemical process simulation programs for determining the performance of the prospective hydrogen production processes.

Fermentative hydrogen production by diverse microflora

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baghchehsaraee, B.; Nakhla, G.; Karamanev, D.; Margaritis, A.

2009-01-01

'Full text': In this study of hydrogen production with activated sludge, a diverse bacterial source has been investigated and compared to microflora from anaerobic digester sludge, which is less diverse. Batch experiments were conducted at mesophilic (37 o C) and thermophilic (55 o C) temperatures. The hydrogen production yields with activated sludge at 37 o C and 55 o C were 0.25 and 0.93 mol H 2 /mol glucose, respectively. The maximum hydrogen production rates with activated sludge in both temperatures were 4.2 mL/h. Anaerobic digester sludge showed higher hydrogen production yields and rates at both mesophilic and thermophilic temperatures. The results of repeated batch experiments with activated sludge showed an increase in the hydrogen production during the consecutive batches. However, hydrogen production was not stable along the repeated batches. The observed instability was due to the formation of lactic acid and ethanol. (author)

Hydrogen production from biomass by biological systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharifan, H.R.; Qader, S.

2009-01-01

Hydrogen gas is seen as a future energy carrier, not involved in 'greenhouse' gas and its released energy in combustion can be converted to electric power. Biological system with low energy can produce hydrogen compared to electrochemical hydrogen production via solar battery-based water splitting which requires the use of solar batteries with high energy requirements. The biological hydrogen production occurs in microalgae and cyanobacteria by photosynthesis. They consume biochemical energy to produce molecular hydrogen. Hydrogen in some algae is an anaerobic production in the absence of light. In cyanobacteria the hydrogen production simultaneously happens with nitrogen fixation, and also catalyzed by nitrogenase as a side reaction. Hydrogen production by photosynthetic bacteria is mediated by nitrogenase activity, although hydrogenases may be active for both hydrogen production and hydrogen uptake under some conditions. Genetic studies on photosynthetic microorganisms have markedly increased in recent times, relatively few genetic engineering studies have focused on altering the characteristics of these microorganisms, particularly with respect to enhancing the hydrogen-producing capabilities of photosynthetic bacteria and cyanobacteria. (author)

Good harvest. Performance of the photovoltaic systems of the solar hydrogen production plant at Neunburg vorm Wald. Gute Ernte. Versuchsergebnisse der Photovoltaik der Solar-Wasserstoff-Anlage in Neunburg vorm Wald

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dietsch, T. (Solar-Wasserstoff-Bayern GmbH (SWB), Muenchen (Germany))

1993-12-01

Two photovoltaic systems with a total rating of 227 kW produce electric power for the hydrogen electrolysis process in the solar hydrogen production plant at Neunburg vorm Wald. The report describes their performance since January 1990. It presents the state as of October 1993. (orig.)

Application of rice rhizosphere microflora for hydrogen production from apple pomace

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Doi, Tetsuya [Institute for Sustainable Agro-ecosystem Services (ISAS), Graduate School of Agriculture and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Nishitokyo, Tokyo 188-0002 (Japan); Nishihara Environment Technology Inc., Tokyo 108-0023 (Japan); Matsumoto, Hisami [Nishihara Environment Technology Inc., Tokyo 108-0023 (Japan); Abe, Jun [AE-Bio, Graduate School of Agriculture and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657 (Japan); Morita, Shigenori [Institute for Sustainable Agro-ecosystem Services (ISAS), Graduate School of Agriculture and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Nishitokyo, Tokyo 188-0002 (Japan)

2010-07-15

The combination of substrate materials and bacteria is an important factor affecting conversion technology for biological hydrogen production. We performed anaerobic hydrogen fermentation of apple pomace wastes using rhizosphere bacterial microflora of rice as the parent inoculum. In the vial test, the optimal condition for hydrogen fermentation was initial pH 6.0, 35 C, and 73.4 g pomace per liter of medium (equivalent to 10 g-hexose/L). In the batch experiment (pH 6.0, temperature 35 C) the hydrogen yield reached 2.3 mol-H{sub 2}/mol-hexose. The time course of biogas production and PCR-DGGE analysis suggest that Clostridium spp. decomposed degradable carbohydrates rapidly and a part of the refractory carbohydrate (e.g. pectin) gradually in the apple pomace slurry. In addition to hydrogen, volatile fatty acids (VFAs) were produced in the anaerobic fermentation of apple pomace, which can be a substrate for methane fermentation. The rice rhizosphere can be a promising source of inoculum bacteria for hydrogen fermentation in combination with plant material waste like apple pomace. (author)

The heavy water production plant at Arroyito, Argentina

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ecabert, R.

1984-01-01

The author describes the construction of an industrial heavy water production plant (Planta Industrial de Agua Pesada, PIAP) in Argentina. The heavy water enrichment is based on a hydrogen/ammonia isotope exchange. (Auth.)

Energy and exergy analyses of a copper-chlorine thermochemical water decomposition pilot plant for hydrogen production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Orhan, M.F.; Dincer, I.; Rosen, M.A.

2008-01-01

Nuclear-based hydrogen production via thermochemical water decomposition using a copper-chlorine (Cu-Cl) cycle consists of a series of chemical reactions in which water is split into hydrogen and oxygen as the net result. This is accomplished through reactions involving intermediate copper and chlorine compounds, which are recycled. Energy and exergy analyses are reported here of a Cu-Cl pilot plant, including the relevant chemical reactions. The reference environment is taken to be at a temperature of 298.15 K and atmospheric pressure (1 atm). The chemical exergy of a substance, which is the maximum work that can be obtained from it by taking it to chemical equilibrium with the reference environment at constant temperature and pressure, is calculated with property data for the substance and the reference environment, with enthalpy and entropy values calculated using Shomate equations. The reaction heat, exergy destruction and efficiencies in each chemical reaction vary with the reaction temperature and reference-environment temperature. A parametric study with variable reaction and reference-environment temperatures is also presented. (author)

Options for helium circulation in a hydrogen production plant VHTR-Si: thermal-economic comparative

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mendoza A, A.; Francois L, J. L.; Anaya D, A.

2011-11-01

The technologies that take advantage of the heat of nuclear reactors of IV generation are of great interest, due to their high energy efficiencies and to their strong economic potential. An example of these technologies is the sulfur-iodine process coupled to a nuclear reactor of high temperature cooled by helium. In this process heat is transferred from the nuclear reactor to the chemical plant by means of two cycles of helium interconnected by an intermediate heat exchanger. The first, denominated primary cycle of cooling, removes the heat of the nuclear reactor, transferring to the secondary cycle to be distributed to equipment s in the chemical plant. The pass of the helium gas through the equipment s that compose each one of the cycles, implies pressure losses that should be compensated necessarily by re-compression to maintain a stable state in the system, causing the energy consumption, usually rejected in the energy analyses. When to this energy is added the energy required in the hydrogen plant: energy required by the pumping systems, will decrease the efficiency of the nucleus-chemical complex, increasing the even cost of the hydrogen. In this work, three options to supply the compression energy and pumping (CEP) to the system are proposed, and these are analyzed thermodynamic and economically. The results indicate that to consider the CEP in the economic analysis increases between 1.5 and 3% the even cost of the hydrogen, and that the option with more energy efficiency is not necessarily the best for the nucleus-chemical complex. (Author)

Hydrogen production using plasma processing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wagner, D.; Whidden, T.K.

2006-01-01

Plasma processing is a promising method of extracting hydrogen from natural gas while avoiding the greenhouse gas (GHG) production typical of other methods such as steam methane reforming. This presentation describes a plasma discharge process based that, in a single reactor pass, can yield hydrogen concentrations of up to 50 % by volume in the product gas mixture. The process is free of GHG's, does not require catalysts and is easily scalable. Chemical and morphological analyses of the gaseous and solid products of the process by gas-chromatography/mass-spectrometry, microscopic Raman analyses and electron microscopy respectively are reviewed. The direct production of hydrogen-enriched natural gas (HENG) as a fuel for low pollution internal combustion engines and its purification to high-purity hydrogen (99.99%) from the product gas by pressure swing adsorption (PSA) purifier beds are reviewed. The presentation reviews potential commercial applications for the technology

Membrane reforming in converting natural gas to hydrogen: Production costs, Part II

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Iaquaniello, G; Cosenza, S [Technip-KTI S.p.A., via Castello della Magliana 75, Rome (Italy); Giacobbe, F; Morico, B; Farace, A [Processi Innovativi s.r.l., L' Aquila (Italy)

2008-11-15

This paper evaluates the production costs of a hybrid system based on a new membrane reforming MRR concept to convert natural gas to hydrogen and electricity. Membrane reforming with hydrogen-selective, palladium-silver membranes pushes the chemical equilibrium and allows higher methane conversions at lower temperature such as 650 C. The new MRR concept formed of a series of modules is put forward herein. Each module is made up of a reforming step and an external membrane separation unit. The estimates, based on utilities costs of a typical Italian refinery (end of 2006), show that the production costs for the hybrid system are 30% less than conventional tubular steam reforming technology, and 13% less than a gas-fired cogeneration plant coupled with a conventional H{sub 2} plant. (author)

Combined production of hydrogen and power from heavy oil gasification: Pinch analysis, thermodynamic and economic evaluations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Domenichini, R.; Gallio, M. [Foster Wheeler Italiana Spa, via Caboto 1, 20094 Corsico (Milano) (Italy); Lazzaretto, A. [University of Padova, Department of Mechanical Engineering, via Venezia 1, 35131 Padova (Italy)

2010-05-15

Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) represents a commercially proven technology available for the combined production of hydrogen and electricity power from coal and heavy residue oils. When associated with CO{sub 2} capture and sequestration facilities, the IGCC plant gives an answer to the search for a clean and environmentally compatible use of high sulphur and heavy metal contents fuels, the possibility of installing large size plants for competitive electric power and hydrogen production, and a low cost of CO{sub 2} avoidance. The paper describes two new and realistic configurations of IGCC plant fed by refinery heavy residues and including a CO{sub 2} capture section, which are proposed on the basis of the experience gained in the construction of similar plants. They are based on oxygen blown entrained bed gasification and sized to produce a large amount of hydrogen and to feed one or two gas turbines of the combined cycle unit. The main thermodynamic and technological characteristics of the total plants are evaluated focusing on the heat integration between syngas cooling and combined cycle sections. Moreover, the overall performance characteristics and investment cost are estimated to supply a reliable estimate for the cost of electricity, given a value for the hydrogen selling price. (author)

Combined production of hydrogen and power from heavy oil gasification: Pinch analysis, thermodynamic and economic evaluations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Domenichini, R.; Gallio, M.; Lazzaretto, A.

2010-01-01

Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) represents a commercially proven technology available for the combined production of hydrogen and electricity power from coal and heavy residue oils. When associated with CO 2 capture and sequestration facilities, the IGCC plant gives an answer to the search for a clean and environmentally compatible use of high sulphur and heavy metal contents fuels, the possibility of installing large size plants for competitive electric power and hydrogen production, and a low cost of CO 2 avoidance. The paper describes two new and realistic configurations of IGCC plant fed by refinery heavy residues and including a CO 2 capture section, which are proposed on the basis of the experience gained in the construction of similar plants. They are based on oxygen blown entrained bed gasification and sized to produce a large amount of hydrogen and to feed one or two gas turbines of the combined cycle unit. The main thermodynamic and technological characteristics of the total plants are evaluated focusing on the heat integration between syngas cooling and combined cycle sections. Moreover, the overall performance characteristics and investment cost are estimated to supply a reliable estimate for the cost of electricity, given a value for the hydrogen selling price.

Safety issues of nuclear production of hydrogen

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Piera, Mireia; Martinez-Val, Jose M.; Jose Montes, Ma

2006-01-01

Hydrogen is not an uncommon issue in Nuclear Safety analysis, particularly in relation to severe accidents. On the other hand, hydrogen is a household name in the chemical industry, particularly in oil refineries, and is also a well known chemical element currently produced by steam reforming of natural gas, and other methods (such as coal gasification). In the not-too-distant future, hydrogen will have to be produced (by chemical reduction of water) using renewable and nuclear energy sources. In particular, nuclear fission seems to offer the cheapest way to provide the primary energy in the medium-term. Safety principles are fundamental guidelines in the design, construction and operation both of hydrogen facilities and nuclear power plants. When these two technologies are integrated, a complete safety analysis must consider not only the safety practices of each industry, but any interaction that could be established between them. In particular, any accident involving a sudden energy release from one of the facilities can affect the other. Release of dangerous substances (chemicals, radiotoxic effluents) can also pose safety problems. Although nuclear-produced hydrogen facilities will need specific approaches and detailed analysis on their safety features, a preliminary approach is presented in this paper. No significant roadblocks are identified that could hamper the deployment of this new industry, but some of the hydrogen production methods will involve very demanding safety standards

Photovoltaic hydrogen production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hiser, H.W.; Memory, S.B.; Veziroglu, T.N.; Padin, J. [Univ. of Miami, Coral Gables, FL (United States)

1996-10-01

This is a new project, which started in June 1995, and involves photovoltaic hydrogen production as a fuel production method for the future. In order to increase the hydrogen yield, it was decided to use hybrid solar collectors to generate D.C. electricity, as well as high temperature steam for input to the electrolyzer. In this way, some of the energy needed to dissociate the water is supplied in the form of heat (or low grade energy), to generate steam, which results in a reduction of electrical energy (or high grade energy) needed. As a result, solar to hydrogen conversion efficiency is increased. In the above stated system, the collector location, the collector tracking sub-system (i.e., orientation/rotation), and the steam temperature have been taken as variables. Five locations selected - in order to consider a variety of latitudes, altitudes, cloud coverage and atmospheric conditions - are Atlanta, Denver, Miami, Phoenix and Salt Lake City. Plain PV and hybrid solar collectors for a stationary south facing system and five different collector rotation systems have been analyzed. Steam temperatures have been varied between 200{degrees}C and 1200{degrees}C. During the first year, solar to hydrogen conversion efficiencies have been considered. The results show that higher steam temperatures, 2 dimensional tracking system, higher elevations and dryer climates causes higher conversion efficiencies. Cost effectiveness of the sub-systems and of the overall system will be analyzed during the second year. Also, initial studies will be made of an advanced high efficiency hybrid solar hydrogen production system.

Photobiological hydrogen production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seibert, M; Lien, S; Weaver, P F

1979-01-01

Hydrogen production by phototrophic organisms, which has been known since the 1930's, occurs at the expense of light energy and electron-donating substrates. Three classes of organisms, namely, photosynthetic bacteria, cyanobacteria, and algae carry out this function. The primary hydrogen-producing enzyme systems, hydrogenase and nitrogenase, will be discussed along with the manner in which they couple to light-driven electron transport. In addition, the feasibility of using in vivo and in vitro photobiological hydrogen producing systems in future solar energy conversion applications will be examined.

Fusion Energy for Hydrogen Production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fillo, J. A.; Powell, J. R.; Steinberg, M.; Salzano, F.; Benenati, R.; Dang, V.; Fogelson, S.; Isaacs, H.; Kouts, H.; Kushner, M.; Lazareth, O.; Majeski, S.; Makowitz, H.; Sheehan, T. V.

1978-09-01

The decreasing availability of fossil fuels emphasizes the need to develop systems which will produce synthetic fuel to substitute for and supplement the natural supply. An important first step in the synthesis of liquid and gaseous fuels is the production of hydrogen. Thermonuclear fusion offers an inexhaustible source of energy for the production of hydrogen from water. Depending on design, electric generation efficiencies of approximately 40 to 60% and hydrogen production efficiencies by high temperature electrolysis of approximately 50 to 70% are projected for fusion reactors using high temperature blankets.

Development of HyPEP, A Hydrogen Production Plant Efficiency Calculation Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Young Jin; Park, Ji Won; Lee, Won Jae; Shin, Young Joon; Kim, Jong Ho; Hong, Sung Deok; Lee, Seung Wook; Hwang, Moon Kyu

2007-12-01

Development of HyPEP program for assessing the steady-state hydrogen production efficiency of the nuclear hydrogen production facilities was carried out. The main developmental aims of the HyPEP program are the extensive application of the GUI for enhanced user friendliness and the fast numerical solution scheme. These features are suitable for such calculations as the optimisation calculations. HyPEP was developed with the object-oriented programming techniques. The components of the facility was modelled as objects in a hierarchical structure where the inheritance property of the object oriented program were extensively applied. The Delphi program language which is based on the Object Pascal was used for the HyPEP development. The conservation equations for the thermal hydraulic flow network were setup and the numerical solution scheme was developed and implemented into HyPEP beta version. HyPEP beta version has been developed with working GUI and the numerical solution scheme implementation. Due to the premature end of this project the fully working version of HyPEP was not produced

Using biomass of starch-rich transgenic Arabidopsis vacuolar as feedstock for fermentative hydrogen production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lo, Yung-Chung; Cheng, Chieh-Lun; Chen, Chun-Yen [National Cheng Kung Univ., Tainan, Taiwan (China). Dept. of Chemical Engineering; Huang, Li-Fen; Chang, Jo-Shu [Yuan Ze Univ., Tao-yuan, Taiwan (China). Graduate School of Biotechnology and Bioengineering

2010-07-01

Cellulose is the major constitute of plant biomass and highly available in agricultural wastes and industrial effluents, thereby being a cost-effective feedstock for bioenergy production. However, most hydrogen producing bacteria (HPB) could not directly convert cellulosic materials (such as rice husk and rice straw) into hydrogen whereas most HPB could utilize sugar and starch for hydrogen production. In this work, we used an indigenous bacterial isolate Clostridium butyricum CGS2 as HPB, which could directly convert soluble starch into H2 with a maximum H2 production rate and a H2 yield of 205.07 ml H2/h/l and 6.46 mmol H2/g starch, respectively. However, C. butyricum CGS2 could not ferment pure cellulosic materials such as carboxymethyl cellulose and xylan. Moreover, we found that C. butyricum CGS2 could utilize rich husk to produce H2 at a rate of 13.19 ml H2/h/l due to the starch content in rice husk (H2 yield = 1.49 mmol H2/g rice husk). In contrast, since lacking starch content, rice straw cannot be converted to H2 by C. butyricum CGS2. The foregoing results suggest that increasing the starch content in the natural agricultural wastes may make them better feedstock for fermentative H2 production. Hence, a genetically modified plant (Arabidopsis vacuolar) was constructed to enhance its starch concentration. The starch concentration of mutant plant S1 increased to 10.67 mg/fresh weight, which is four times higher than that of wild type plant. Using mutant plant S1 as carbon source, C. butyricum CGS2 was able to give a high cumulative H2 production and H2 production rate of 285.4 ml H2/l and 43.6 ml/h/l, respectively. The cumulative H2 production and H2 production rate both increased when the concentration of the transgenic plant was increased. Therefore, this study successful demonstrated the feasibility of expressing starch on genetically-modified plants to create a more effective feedstock for dark H2 fermentation. (orig.)

New efficient hydrogen process production from organosilane hydrogen carriers derivatives

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brunel, Jean Michel [Unite URMITE, UMR 6236 CNRS, Faculte de Medecine et de Pharmacie, Universite de la Mediterranee, 27 boulevard Jean Moulin, 13385 Marseille 05 (France)

2010-04-15

While the source of hydrogen constitutes a significant scientific challenge, addressing issues of hydrogen storage, transport, and delivery is equally important. None of the current hydrogen storage options, liquefied or high pressure H{sub 2} gas, metal hydrides, etc.. satisfy criteria of size, costs, kinetics, and safety for use in transportation. In this context, we have discovered a methodology for the production of hydrogen on demand, in high yield, under kinetic control, from organosilane hydrogen carriers derivatives and methanol as co-reagent under mild conditions catalyzed by a cheap ammonium fluoride salt. Finally, the silicon by-products can be efficiently recycle leading to an environmentally friendly source of energy. (author)

Liquid hydrogen production via hydrogen sulfide methane reformation

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Cunping; T-Raissi, Ali

Hydrogen sulfide (H 2S) methane (CH 4) reformation (H 2SMR) (2H 2S + CH 4 = CS 2 + 4H 2) is a potentially viable process for the removal of H 2S from sour natural gas resources or other methane containing gases. Unlike steam methane reformation that generates carbon dioxide as a by-product, H 2SMR produces carbon disulfide (CS 2), a liquid under ambient temperature and pressure-a commodity chemical that is also a feedstock for the synthesis of sulfuric acid. Pinch point analyses for H 2SMR were conducted to determine the reaction conditions necessary for no carbon lay down to occur. Calculations showed that to prevent solid carbon formation, low inlet CH 4 to H 2S ratios are needed. In this paper, we analyze H 2SMR with either a cryogenic process or a membrane separation operation for production of either liquid or gaseous hydrogen. Of the three H 2SMR hydrogen production flowsheets analyzed, direct liquid hydrogen generation has higher first and second law efficiencies of exceeding 80% and 50%, respectively.

Nuclear energy for sustainable Hydrogen production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gyoshev, G.

2004-01-01

There is general agreement that hydrogen as an universal energy carrier could play increasingly important role in energy future as part of a set of solutions to a variety of energy and environmental problems. Given its abundant nature, hydrogen has been an important raw material in the organic chemical industry. At recent years strong competition has emerged between nations as diverse as the U.S., Japan, Germany, China and Iceland in the race to commercialize hydrogen energy vehicles in the beginning of 21st Century. Any form of energy - fossil, renewable or nuclear - can be used to generate hydrogen. The hydrogen production by nuclear electricity is considered as a sustainable method. By our presentation we are trying to evaluate possibilities for sustainable hydrogen production by nuclear energy at near, medium and long term on EC strategic documents basis. The main EC documents enter water electrolysis by nuclear electricity as only sustainable technology for hydrogen production in early stage of hydrogen economy. In long term as sustainable method is considered the splitting of water by thermochemical technology using heat from high temperature reactors too. We consider that at medium stage of hydrogen economy it is possible to optimize the sustainable hydrogen production by high temperature and high pressure water electrolysis by using a nuclear-solar energy system. (author)

Photobiological hydrogen production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seibert, M.; Lien, S.; Weaver, P.F.

1979-01-01

Hydrogen production by phototrophic organisms, which has been known since the 1930's, occurs at the expense of light energy and electron-donating substrates. Three classes of organisms, namely, photosynthetic bacteria, cyanobacteria, and algae carry out this function. The primary hydrogen-producing enzyme systems, hydrogenase and nitrogenase, will be discussed along with the manner in which they couple to light-driven electron transport. In addition, the feasibility of using in vivo and in vitro photobiological hydrogen producing systems in future solar energy conversion applications will be examined.

Biological hydrogen production from biomass by thermophilic bacteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Claassen, P.A.M.; Mars, A.E.; Budde, M.A.W.; Lai, M.; de Vrije, T.; van Niel, E.W.J.

2006-01-01

To meet the reduction of the emission of CO 2 imposed by the Kyoto protocol, hydrogen should be produced from renewable primary energy. Besides the indirect production of hydrogen by electrolysis using electricity from renewable resources, such as sunlight, wind and hydropower, hydrogen can be directly produced from biomass. At present, there are two strategies for the production of hydrogen from biomass: the thermochemical technology, such as gasification, and the biotechnological approach using micro-organisms. Biological hydrogen production delivers clean hydrogen with an environmental-friendly technology and is very suitable for the conversion of wet biomass in small-scale applications, thus having a high chance of becoming an economically feasible technology. Many micro-organisms are able to produce hydrogen from mono- and disaccharides, starch and (hemi)cellulose under anaerobic conditions. The anaerobic production of hydrogen is a common phenomenon, occurring during the process of anaerobic digestion. Here, hydrogen producing micro-organisms are in syn-trophy with methanogenic bacteria which consume the hydrogen as soon as it is produced. In this way, hydrogen production remains obscure and methane is the end-product. By uncoupling hydrogen production from methane production, hydrogen becomes available for recovery and exploitation. This study describes the use of extreme thermophilic bacteria, selected because of a higher hydrogen production efficiency as compared to mesophilic bacteria, for the production of hydrogen from renewable resources. As feedstock energy crops like Miscanthus and Sorghum bicolor and waste streams like domestic organic waste, paper sludge and potato steam peels were used. The feedstock was pretreated and/or enzymatically hydrolyzed prior to fermentation to make a fermentable substrate. Hydrogen production by Caldicellulosiruptor saccharolyticus, Thermotoga elfii and T. neapolitana on all substrates was observed. Nutrient

Development and simulation of a hydrogen production plant on a solar power tower; Entwicklung und Simulation einer Wasserstofferzeugungsanlage auf einem Solarturm

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saeck, Jan-Peter

2012-08-29

The purpose of the present project was to develop and qualify a test plant for thermochemical hydrogen production on a solar power tower and to create and validate a systems and control model as well as an operating strategy for this purpose. [German] Ziel der Arbeit war, eine Testanlage zur thermochemischen Wasserstofferzeugung auf einem Solarturmsystem zu entwickeln und zu qualifizieren, sowie ein System- und Regelungsmodell und eine Betriebsstrategie dafuer zu erstellen und zu validieren.

Hydrogen sulfide in plants: from dissipation of excess sulfur to signaling molecule.

Science.gov (United States)

Calderwood, Alexander; Kopriva, Stanislav

2014-09-15

Sulfur is essential in all organisms for the synthesis of amino acids cysteine and methionine and as an active component of numerous co-factors and prosthetic groups. However, only plants, algae, fungi, and some prokaryotes are capable of using the abundant inorganic source of sulfur, sulfate. Plants take sulfate up, reduce it, and assimilate into organic compounds with cysteine being the first product of the pathway and a donor of reduced sulfur for synthesis of other S-containing compounds. Cysteine is formed in a reaction between sulfide, derived from reduction of sulfite and an activated amino acid acceptor, O-acetylserine. Sulfide is thus an important intermediate in sulfur metabolism, but numerous other functions in plants has been revealed. Hydrogen sulfide can serve as an alternative source of sulfur for plants, which may be significant in anaerobic conditions of waterlogged soils. On the other hand, emissions of hydrogen sulfide have been detected from many plant species. Since the amount of H2S discharged correlated with sulfate supply to the plants, the emissions were considered a mechanism for dissipation of excess sulfur. Significant hydrogen sulfide emissions were also observed in plants infected with pathogens, particularly with fungi. H2S thus seems to be part of the widely discussed sulfur-induced-resistance/sulfur-enhanced-defense. Recently, however, more evidence has emerged for a role for H2S in regulation and signaling. Sulfide stabilizes the cysteine synthase complex, increasing so the synthesis of its acceptor O-acetylserine. H2S has been implicating in regulation of plant stress response, particularly draught stress. There are more and more examples of processes regulated by H2S in plants being discovered, and hydrogen sulfide is emerging as an important signaling molecule, similar to its role in the animal and human world. How similar the functions, and homeostasis of H2S are in these diverse organisms, however, remains to be elucidated

Modelling and sequential simulation of multi-tubular metallic membrane and techno-economics of a hydrogen production process employing thin-layer membrane reactor

KAUST Repository

Shafiee, Alireza

2016-09-24

A theoretical model for multi-tubular palladium-based membrane is proposed in this paper and validated against experimental data for two different sized membrane modules that operate at high temperatures. The model is used in a sequential simulation format to describe and analyse pure hydrogen and hydrogen binary mixture separations, and then extended to simulate an industrial scale membrane unit. This model is used as a sub-routine within an ASPEN Plus model to simulate a membrane reactor in a steam reforming hydrogen production plant. A techno-economic analysis is then conducted using the validated model for a plant producing 300 TPD of hydrogen. The plant utilises a thin (2.5 μm) defect-free and selective layer (Pd75Ag25 alloy) membrane reactor. The economic sensitivity analysis results show usefulness in finding the optimum operating condition that achieves minimum hydrogen production cost at break-even point. A hydrogen production cost of 1.98 $/kg is estimated while the cost of the thin-layer selective membrane is found to constitute 29% of total process capital cost. These results indicate the competiveness of this thin-layer membrane process against conventional methods of hydrogen production. © 2016 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC

Hydrogen production using Rhodopseudomonas palustris WP 3-5 with hydrogen fermentation reactor effluent

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chi-Mei Lee; Kuo-Tsang Hung

2006-01-01

The possibility of utilizing the dark hydrogen fermentation stage effluents for photo hydrogen production using purple non-sulfur bacteria should be elucidated. In the previous experiments, Rhodopseudomonas palustris WP3-5 was proven to efficiently produce hydrogen from the effluent of hydrogen fermentation reactors. The highest hydrogen production rate was obtained at a HRT value of 48 h when feeding a 5 fold effluent dilution from anaerobic hydrogen fermentation. Besides, hydrogen production occurred only when the NH 4 + concentration was below 17 mg-NH 4 + /l. Therefore, for successful fermentation effluent utilization, the most important things were to decrease the optimal HRT, increase the optimal substrate concentration and increase the tolerable ammonia concentration. In this study, a lab-scale serial photo-bioreactor was constructed. The reactor overall hydrogen production efficiency with synthetic wastewater exhibiting an organic acid profile identical to that of anaerobic hydrogen fermentation reactor effluent and with effluent from two anaerobic hydrogen fermentation reactors was evaluated. (authors)

Hydrogen production processes; Procedes de production d'hydrogene

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2003-07-01

The goals of this first Gedepeon workshop on hydrogen production processes are: to stimulate the information exchange about research programs and research advances in the domain of hydrogen production processes, to indicate the domains of interest of these processes and the potentialities linked with the coupling of a nuclear reactor, to establish the actions of common interest for the CEA, the CNRS, and eventually EDF, that can be funded in the framework of the Gedepeon research group. This document gathers the slides of the 17 presentations given at this workshop and dealing with: the H{sub 2} question and the international research programs (Lucchese P.); the CEA's research program (Lucchese P., Anzieu P.); processes based on the iodine/sulfur cycle: efficiency of a facility - flow-sheets, efficiencies, hard points (Borgard J.M.), R and D about the I/S cycle: Bunsen reaction (Colette S.), R and D about the I/S cycle: the HI/I{sub 2}/H{sub 2}O system (Doizi D.), demonstration loop/chemical engineering (Duhamet J.), materials and corrosion (Terlain A.); other processes under study: the Westinghouse cycle (Eysseric C.), other processes under study at the CEA (UT3, plasma,...) (Lemort F.), database about thermochemical cycles (Abanades S.), Zn/ZnO cycle (Broust F.), H{sub 2} production by cracking, high temperature reforming with carbon trapping (Flamant G.), membrane technology (De Lamare J.); high-temperature electrolysis: SOFC used as electrolyzers (Grastien R.); generic aspects linked with hydrogen production: technical-economical evaluation of processes (Werkoff F.), thermodynamic tools (Neveu P.), the reactor-process coupling (Aujollet P.). (J.S.)

High Temperature Electrolysis for Hydrogen Production from Nuclear Energy - Technology Summary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Brien, J.E.; Stoots, C.M.; Herring, J.S.; McKellar, M.G.; Harvego, E.A.; Sohal, M.S.; Condie, K.G.

2010-01-01

The Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy, has requested that a Hydrogen Technology Down-Selection be performed to identify the hydrogen production technology that has the best potential for timely commercial demonstration and for ultimate deployment with the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP). An Independent Review Team has been assembled to execute the down-selection. This report has been prepared to provide the members of the Independent Review Team with detailed background information on the High Temperature Electrolysis (HTE) process, hardware, and state of the art. The Idaho National Laboratory has been serving as the lead lab for HTE research and development under the Nuclear Hydrogen Initiative. The INL HTE program has included small-scale experiments, detailed computational modeling, system modeling, and technology demonstration. Aspects of all of these activities are included in this report. In terms of technology demonstration, the INL successfully completed a 1000-hour test of the HTE Integrated Laboratory Scale (ILS) technology demonstration experiment during the fall of 2008. The HTE ILS achieved a hydrogen production rate in excess of 5.7 Nm3/hr, with a power consumption of 18 kW. This hydrogen production rate is far larger than has been demonstrated by any of the thermochemical or hybrid processes to date.

Continuous fermentative hydrogen production in different process conditions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nasirian, N. [Islamic Azad Univ., Shoushtar (Iran, Islamic Republic of). Dept. of Agricultural Mechanization; Almassi, M.; Minaee, S. [Islamic Azad Univ., Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of). Dept. of Agricultural Mechanization; Widmann, R. [Duisburg-Essen Univ., Essen (Germany). Dept. of Environmental Engineering, Waste and Water

2010-07-01

This paper reported on a study in which hydrogen was produced by fermentation of biomass. A continuous process using a non-sterile substrate with a readily available mixed microflora was used on heat treated digested sewage sludge from a wastewater treatment plant. Hydrogen was produced from waste sugar at a pH of 5.2 and a temperature of 37 degrees C. An experimental setup of three 5.5 L working volume continuously stirred tank reactors (CSTR) in different stirring speeds were constructed and operated at 7 different hydraulic retention times (HRTs) and different organic loading rates (OLR). Dissolved organic carbon was examined. The results showed that the stirring speed of 135 rpm had a beneficial effect on hydrogen fermentation. The best performance was obtained in 135 rpm and 8 h of HRT. The amount of gas varied with different OLRs, but could be stabilized on a high level. Methane was not detected when the HRT was less than 16 h. The study identified the reactor in which the highest specific rate of hydrogen production occurred.

Modelling and sequential simulation of multi-tubular metallic membrane and techno-economics of a hydrogen production process employing thin-layer membrane reactor

KAUST Repository

Shafiee, Alireza; Arab, Mobin; Lai, Zhiping; Liu, Zongwen; Abbas, Ali

2016-01-01

reforming hydrogen production plant. A techno-economic analysis is then conducted using the validated model for a plant producing 300 TPD of hydrogen. The plant utilises a thin (2.5 μm) defect-free and selective layer (Pd75Ag25 alloy) membrane reactor

HTTR workshop (workshop on hydrogen production technology)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shiina, Yasuaki; Takizuka, Takakazu

2004-12-01

Various research and development efforts have been performed to solve the global energy and environmental problems caused by large consumption of fossil fuels. Research activities on advanced hydrogen production technology by the use of nuclear heat from high temperature gas cooled reactors, for example, have been flourished in universities, research institutes and companies in many countries. The Department of HTTR Project and the Department of Advanced Nuclear Heat Technology of JAERI held the HTTR Workshop (Workshop on Hydrogen Production Technology) on July 5 and 6, 2004 to grasp the present status of R and D about the technology of HTGR and the nuclear hydrogen production in the world and to discuss about necessity of the nuclear hydrogen production and technical problems for the future development of the technology. More than 110 participants attended the Workshop including foreign participants from USA, France, Korea, Germany, Canada and United Kingdom. In the Workshop, the presentations were made on such topics as R and D programs for nuclear energy and hydrogen production technologies by thermo-chemical or other processes. Also, the possibility of the nuclear hydrogen production in the future society was discussed. The workshop showed that the R and D for the hydrogen production by the thermo-chemical process has been performed in many countries. The workshop affirmed that nuclear hydrogen production could be one of the competitive supplier of hydrogen in the future. The second HTTR Workshop will be held in the autumn next year. (author)

Nuclear hydrogen production and its safe handling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chung, Hongsuk; Paek, Seungwoo; Kim, Kwang-Rag; Ahn, Do-Hee; Lee, Minsoo; Chang, Jong Hwa

2003-01-01

An overview of the hydrogen related research presently undertaken at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute are presented. These encompass nuclear hydrogen production, hydrogen storage, and the safe handling of hydrogen, High temperature gas-cooled reactors can play a significant role, with respect to large-scale hydrogen production, if used as the provider of high temperature heat in fossil fuel conversion or thermochemical cycles. A variety of potential hydrogen production methods for high temperature gas-cooled reactors were analyzed. They are steam reforming of natural gas, thermochemical cycles, etc. The produced hydrogen should be stored safely. Titanium metal was tested primarily because its hydride has very low dissociation pressures at normal storage temperatures and a high capacity for hydrogen, it is easy to prepare and is non-reactive with air in the expected storage conditions. There could be a number of potential sources of hydrogen evolution risk in a nuclear hydrogen production facility. In order to reduce the deflagration detonation it is necessary to develop hydrogen control methods that are capable of dealing with the hydrogen release rate. A series of experiments were conducted to assess the catalytic recombination characteristics of hydrogen in an air stream using palladium catalysts. (author)

Production of hydrogen through the carbonation-calcination reaction applied to CH4/CO2 mixtures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barelli, L.; Bidini, G.; Corradetti, A.; Desideri, U.

2007-01-01

The production of hydrogen combined with carbon capture represents a possible option for reducing CO 2 emissions in atmosphere and anthropogenic greenhouse effect. Nowadays the worldwide hydrogen production is based mainly on natural gas reforming, but the attention of the scientific community is focused also on other gas mixtures with significant methane content. In particular mixtures constituted mainly by methane and carbon dioxide are extensively used in energy conversion applications, as they include land-fill gas, digester gas and natural gas. The present paper addresses the development of an innovative system for hydrogen production and CO 2 capture starting from these mixtures. The plant is based on steam methane reforming, coupled with the carbonation and calcination reactions for CO 2 absorption and desorption, respectively. A thermodynamic approach is proposed to investigate the plant performance in relation to the CH 4 content in the feeding gas. The results suggest that, in order to optimize the hydrogen purity and the efficiency, two different methodologies can be adopted involving both the system layout and operating parameters. In particular such methodologies are suitable for a methane content, respectively, higher and lower than 65%

Liquid hydrogen production via hydrogen sulfide methane reformation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang, Cunping; T-Raissi, Ali [University of Central Florida, Florida Solar Energy Center, 1769 Clearlake Road, Cocoa, FL 32922 (United States)

2008-01-03

Hydrogen sulfide (H{sub 2}S) methane (CH{sub 4}) reformation (H{sub 2}SMR) (2H{sub 2}S + CH{sub 4} = CS{sub 2} + 4H{sub 2}) is a potentially viable process for the removal of H{sub 2}S from sour natural gas resources or other methane containing gases. Unlike steam methane reformation that generates carbon dioxide as a by-product, H{sub 2}SMR produces carbon disulfide (CS{sub 2}), a liquid under ambient temperature and pressure - a commodity chemical that is also a feedstock for the synthesis of sulfuric acid. Pinch point analyses for H{sub 2}SMR were conducted to determine the reaction conditions necessary for no carbon lay down to occur. Calculations showed that to prevent solid carbon formation, low inlet CH{sub 4} to H{sub 2}S ratios are needed. In this paper, we analyze H{sub 2}SMR with either a cryogenic process or a membrane separation operation for production of either liquid or gaseous hydrogen. Of the three H{sub 2}SMR hydrogen production flowsheets analyzed, direct liquid hydrogen generation has higher first and second law efficiencies of exceeding 80% and 50%, respectively. (author)

Hydrogen plant module (HPM) and vehicle fueled by same.

Science.gov (United States)

2011-09-29

The goal / objective of the project was to design and fabricate hydrogen plant module (HPM) that is capable of producing : hydrogen fuel onboard a vehicle and that obviates one or more of the present issues related to compressed hydrogen fuel : stora...

Site-Dependent Environmental Impacts of Industrial Hydrogen Production by Alkaline Water Electrolysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jan Christian Koj

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Industrial hydrogen production via alkaline water electrolysis (AEL is a mature hydrogen production method. One argument in favor of AEL when supplied with renewable energy is its environmental superiority against conventional fossil-based hydrogen production. However, today electricity from the national grid is widely utilized for industrial applications of AEL. Also, the ban on asbestos membranes led to a change in performance patterns, making a detailed assessment necessary. This study presents a comparative Life Cycle Assessment (LCA using the GaBi software (version 6.115, thinkstep, Leinfelden-Echterdingen, Germany, revealing inventory data and environmental impacts for industrial hydrogen production by latest AELs (6 MW, Zirfon membranes in three different countries (Austria, Germany and Spain with corresponding grid mixes. The results confirm the dependence of most environmental effects from the operation phase and specifically the site-dependent electricity mix. Construction of system components and the replacement of cell stacks make a minor contribution. At present, considering the three countries, AEL can be operated in the most environmentally friendly fashion in Austria. Concerning the construction of AEL plants the materials nickel and polytetrafluoroethylene in particular, used for cell manufacturing, revealed significant contributions to the environmental burden.

Photochemical hydrogen production system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Copeland, R.J.

1990-01-01

Both technical and economic factors affect the cost of producing hydrogen by photochemical processes. Technical factors include the efficiency and the capital and operating costs of the renewable hydrogen conversion system; economic factors include discount rates, economic life, credit for co-product oxygen, and the value of the energy produced. This paper presents technical and economic data for a system that generates on-peak electric power form photochemically produced hydrogen

Nuclear Production of Hydrogen Using Thermochemical Water-Splitting Cycles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, L.C.; Besenbruch, G.E.; Schultz, K.R.; Marshall, A.C.; Showalter, S.K.; Pickard, P.S.; Funk, J.F.

2002-01-01

The purpose of this work is to determine the potential for efficient, cost-effective, large-scale production of hydrogen utilizing high-temperature heat from an advanced nuclear power station in a thermochemical water-splitting cycle. We carried out a detailed literature search to create a searchable database with 115 cycles and 822 references. We developed screening criteria to reduce the list to 25 cycles. We used detailed evaluation to select two cycles that appear most promising, the Adiabatic UT-3 cycle and the Sulfur-Iodine cycle. We have selected the Sulfur-Iodine thermochemical water-splitting cycle for further development. We then assessed the suitability of various nuclear reactor types to the production of hydrogen from water using the Sulfur-Iodine cycle. A basic requirement is to deliver heat to the process interface heat exchanger at temperatures up to 900 deg. C. We considered nine categories of reactors: pressurized water-cooled, boiling water-cooled, organic-cooled, alkali metal-cooled, heavy metal-cooled, gas-cooled, molten salt-cooled, liquid-core and gas-core reactors. We developed requirements and criteria to carry out the assessment, considering design, safety, operational, economic and development issues. This assessment process led to our choice of the helium gas-cooled reactor for coupling to the Sulfur-Iodine cycle. In continuing work, we are investigating the improvements that have been proposed to the Sulfur-Iodine cycle and will generate an integrated flowsheet describing a hydrogen production plant powered by a high-temperature helium gas-cooled nuclear reactor. This will allow us to size process equipment and calculate hydrogen production efficiency and capital cost, and to estimate the cost of the hydrogen produced as a function of nuclear reactor cost. (authors)

Hydrogen production from wind energy in Western Canada for upgrading bitumen from oil sands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olateju, Babatunde; Kumar, Amit

2011-01-01

Hydrogen is produced via steam methane reforming (SMR) for bitumen upgrading which results in significant greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Wind energy based hydrogen can reduce the GHG footprint of the bitumen upgrading industry. This paper is aimed at developing a detailed data-intensive techno-economic model for assessment of hydrogen production from wind energy via the electrolysis of water. The proposed wind/hydrogen plant is based on an expansion of an existing wind farm with unit wind turbine size of 1.8 MW and with a dual functionality of hydrogen production and electricity generation. An electrolyser size of 240 kW (50 Nm 3 H 2 /h) and 360 kW (90 Nm 3 H 2 /h) proved to be the optimal sizes for constant and variable flow rate electrolysers, respectively. The electrolyser sizes aforementioned yielded a minimum hydrogen production price at base case conditions of $10.15/kg H 2 and $7.55/kg H 2 . The inclusion of a Feed-in-Tariff (FIT) of $0.13/kWh renders the production price of hydrogen equal to SMR i.e. $0.96/kg H 2, with an internal rate of return (IRR) of 24%. The minimum hydrogen delivery cost was $4.96/kg H 2 at base case conditions. The life cycle CO 2 emissions is 6.35 kg CO 2 /kg H 2 including hydrogen delivery to the upgrader via compressed gas trucks. -- Highlights: ► This study involves development of a data intensive techno-economic model for estimation cost of hydrogen production from wind energy. ► Wind energy based electricity is used for electrolysis to produce hydrogen in Western Canada for bitumen upgrading for oil sands. ► Several scenarios were developed to study the electricity generation and hydrogen production from wind energy. ► The cost of production of hydrogen is significantly higher than natural based hydrogen in Western Canada.

The hydrogen production; La production d'hydrogene

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aujollet, P.; Goldstein, St. [CEA Cadarach, Dir. de l' Energie Nucleaire, 13 - Saint Paul lez Durance (France); Lucchese, P. [CEA Fontenay aux Roses, Dir. des Nouvelles Technologies de l' Energie, 92 (France)

2002-07-01

This paper gives an overview on the implementing of the hydrogen as substitution fuel in the transportation sector. It presents also the problems of this fuel storage and exploitation and describes the production modes and their safety. It also presents the main lines of the japan HTGR program. (A.L.B.)

Once-through hybrid sulfur process for nuclear hydrogen production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong, Y. H.

2008-01-01

potential, the maximum efficiency is about 52 % under the conditions of 40% sulfur power plant efficiency and 60 w-% sulfuric acid concentration in electrolyzer The major factors that can affect the cycle efficiency are reducing the electrode over-potential Because the once-through process does not need a high temperature reactor for sulfuric acid decomposition, initial hydrogen feed for boosting the hydrogen economy can be provided by the currently available nuclear electricity which is carbon-free. After the initiation of the hydrogen economy, closed recycle of sulfuric acid using high temperature nuclear reactors can be pursued. Until the commercialization of closed nuclear hydrogen process, by using the once-through process, the initial hydrogen feed for the hydrogen economy can be provided by nuclear electricity. Fossil fuels provide 86% of total primary energy today. Considering the current energy mix, fossil fuels will inevitably play a major role and sulfur will flow out as a by product. The sulfur byproduct utilization for the nuclear hydrogen generation will make the transition to the hydrogen economy smooth. In addition, off-peak electricity can be converted into hydrogen by the once-through process and converted back to electricity for the peak load. Depending on the electrode potential and round trip efficiency, off-peak electricity can be stored very efficiently. (authors)

Limits for hydrogen production of a solar - hydrogen system in Cuernavaca, Mexico

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arriaga, H.L.G.; Gutierrez, S.L.; Cano, U.

2006-01-01

In this work experimental data are used in order to estimate the production of hydrogen as a function of irradiance of a direct-interconnection of solar panel system with a SPE (Solid Polymer Electrolyte) electrolyzer (also Solar-Hydrogen system). The solar - hydrogen system, consists of a photovoltaic solar array of 36 panels (75 Watts each) of monocrystalline silicon interconnected with an electrolyzer stack of 25 cells (around 100 cm 2 of geometrical area) with a maximum hydrogen production of 1 Nm 3 /h. By the use of voltage, current density, energy consumption values of the whole solar-hydrogen system, an average efficiency up to 5% was estimated and an average of 3,800 NL of hydrogen per day can be expected. Also the maximum hydrogen production for the months of July and December (sunniest and least sunny months in the location) is predicted. (authors)

Limits for hydrogen production of a solar - hydrogen system in Cuernavaca, Mexico

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arriaga, H.L.G.; Gutierrez, S.L.; Cano, U. [Instituto de Investigaciones Electricas Av. Reforma 113, col. Palmira c.p.62490 Cuernavaca Morelos (Mexico)

2006-07-01

In this work experimental data are used in order to estimate the production of hydrogen as a function of irradiance of a direct-interconnection of solar panel system with a SPE (Solid Polymer Electrolyte) electrolyzer (also Solar-Hydrogen system). The solar - hydrogen system, consists of a photovoltaic solar array of 36 panels (75 Watts each) of monocrystalline silicon interconnected with an electrolyzer stack of 25 cells (around 100 cm{sup 2} of geometrical area) with a maximum hydrogen production of 1 Nm{sup 3}/h. By the use of voltage, current density, energy consumption values of the whole solar-hydrogen system, an average efficiency up to 5% was estimated and an average of 3,800 NL of hydrogen per day can be expected. Also the maximum hydrogen production for the months of July and December (sunniest and least sunny months in the location) is predicted. (authors)

Transportable Hydrogen Research Plant Based on Renewable Energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mikel Fernandez; Carlos Madina; Asier Gil de Muro; Jose Angel Alzolab; Iker Marino; Javier Garcia-Tejedor; Juan Carlos Mugica; Inaki Azkkrate; Jose Angel Alzola

2006-01-01

Efficiency and cost are nowadays the most important barriers for the penetration of systems based on hydrogen and renewable energies. According to this background, TECNALIA Corporation has started in 2004 the HIDROTEC project: 'Hydrogen Technologies for Renewable Energy Applications'. The ultimate aim of this project is the implementation of a multipurpose demonstration and research plant in order to explore diverse options for sustainable energetic solutions based on hydrogen. The plant is conceived as an independent system that can be easily transported and assembled. Research and demonstration activities can thus be carried out at very different locations, including commercial renewable facilities. Modularity and scalability have also been taken into account for an optimised exploitation. (authors)

Preliminary Cost Estimates for Nuclear Hydrogen Production: HTSE System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, K. J.; Lee, K. Y.; Lee, T. H.

2008-01-01

KAERI is now focusing on the research and development of the key technologies required for the design and realization of a nuclear hydrogen production system. As a preliminary study of cost estimates for nuclear hydrogen systems, the hydrogen production costs of the nuclear energy sources benchmarking GTMHR and PBMR are estimated in the necessary input data on a Korean specific basis. G4-ECONS was appropriately modified to calculate the cost for hydrogen production of HTSE (High Temperature Steam Electrolysis) process with VHTR (Very High Temperature nuclear Reactor) as a thermal energy source. The estimated costs presented in this paper show that hydrogen production by the VHTR could be competitive with current techniques of hydrogen production from fossil fuels if CO 2 capture and sequestration is required. Nuclear production of hydrogen would allow large-scale production of hydrogen at economic prices while avoiding the release of CO 2 . Nuclear production of hydrogen could thus become the enabling technology for the hydrogen economy. The major factors that would affect the cost of hydrogen were also discussed

Mitigation of Hydrogen Hazards in Severe Accidents in Nuclear Power Plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2011-07-01

Consideration of severe accidents in nuclear power plants is an essential component of the defence in depth approach in nuclear safety. Severe accidents have very low probabilities of occurring, but may have significant consequences resulting from the degradation of nuclear fuel. The generation of hydrogen and the risk of hydrogen combustion, as well as other phenomena leading to overpressurization of the reactor containment in case of severe accidents, represent complex safety issues in relation to accident management. The combustion of hydrogen, produced primarily as a result of heated zirconium metal reacting with steam, can create short term overpressure or detonation forces that may exceed the strength of the containment structure. An understanding of these phenomena is crucial for planning and implementing effective accident management measures. Analysis of all the issues relating to hydrogen risk is an important step for any measure that is aimed at the prevention or mitigation of hydrogen combustion in reactor containments. The main objective of this publication is to contribute to the implementation of IAEA Safety Standards, in particular, two IAEA Safety Requirements: Safety of Nuclear Power Plants: Design and Safety of Nuclear Power Plants: Operation. These Requirements publications discuss computational analysis of severe accidents and accident management programmes in nuclear power plants. Specifically with regard to the risk posed by hydrogen in nuclear power reactors, computational analysis of severe accidents considers hydrogen sources, hydrogen distribution, hydrogen combustion and control and mitigation measures for hydrogen, while accident management programmes are aimed at mitigating hydrogen hazards in reactor containments.

LARGE-SCALE PRODUCTION OF HYDROGEN BY NUCLEAR ENERGY FOR THE HYDROGEN ECONOMY

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

SCHULTZ, K.R.; BROWN, L.C.; BESENBRUCH, G.E.; HAMILTON, C.J.

2003-01-01

OAK B202 LARGE-SCALE PRODUCTION OF HYDROGEN BY NUCLEAR ENERGY FOR THE HYDROGEN ECONOMY. The ''Hydrogen Economy'' will reduce petroleum imports and greenhouse gas emissions. However, current commercial hydrogen production processes use fossil fuels and releases carbon dioxide. Hydrogen produced from nuclear energy could avoid these concerns. The authors have recently completed a three-year project for the US Department of Energy whose objective was to ''define an economically feasible concept for production of hydrogen, by nuclear means, using an advanced high-temperature nuclear reactor as the energy source''. Thermochemical water-splitting, a chemical process that accomplishes the decomposition of water into hydrogen and oxygen, met this objective. The goal of the first phase of this study was to evaluate thermochemical processes which offer the potential for efficient, cost-effective, large-scale production of hydrogen and to select one for further detailed consideration. The authors selected the Sulfur-Iodine cycle, In the second phase, they reviewed all the basic reactor types for suitability to provide the high temperature heat needed by the selected thermochemical water splitting cycle and chose the helium gas-cooled reactor. In the third phase they designed the chemical flowsheet for the thermochemical process and estimated the efficiency and cost of the process and the projected cost of producing hydrogen. These results are summarized in this paper

High Temperature Electrolysis for Hydrogen Production from Nuclear Energy – TechnologySummary

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

J. E. O' Brien; C. M. Stoots; J. S. Herring; M. G. McKellar; E. A. Harvego; M. S. Sohal; K. G. Condie

2010-02-01

The Department of Energy, Office of Nuclear Energy, has requested that a Hydrogen Technology Down-Selection be performed to identify the hydrogen production technology that has the best potential for timely commercial demonstration and for ultimate deployment with the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP). An Independent Review Team has been assembled to execute the down-selection. This report has been prepared to provide the members of the Independent Review Team with detailed background information on the High Temperature Electrolysis (HTE) process, hardware, and state of the art. The Idaho National Laboratory has been serving as the lead lab for HTE research and development under the Nuclear Hydrogen Initiative. The INL HTE program has included small-scale experiments, detailed computational modeling, system modeling, and technology demonstration. Aspects of all of these activities are included in this report. In terms of technology demonstration, the INL successfully completed a 1000-hour test of the HTE Integrated Laboratory Scale (ILS) technology demonstration experiment during the fall of 2008. The HTE ILS achieved a hydrogen production rate in excess of 5.7 Nm3/hr, with a power consumption of 18 kW. This hydrogen production rate is far larger than has been demonstrated by any of the thermochemical or hybrid processes to date.

Hydrogen Process Coupling to Modular Helium Reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shenoy, Arkal; Richards, Matt; Buckingham, Robert

2009-01-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has selected the helium-cooled High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (HTGR) as the concept to be used for the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP), because it is the most advanced Generation IV concept with the capability to provide process heat at sufficiently high temperatures for production of hydrogen with high thermal efficiency. Concurrently with the NGNP program, the Nuclear Hydrogen Initiative (NHI) was established to develop hydrogen production technologies that are compatible with advanced nuclear systems and do not produce greenhouse gases. The current DOE schedule for the NGNP Project calls for startup of the NGNP plant by 2021. The General Atomics (GA) NGNP pre-conceptual design is based on the GA Gas Turbine Modular Helium Reactor (GT-MHR), which utilizes a direct Brayton cycle Power Conversion System (PCS) to produce electricity with a thermal efficiency of 48%. The nuclear heat source for the NGNP consists of a single 600-MW(t) MHR module with two primary coolant loops for transport of the high-temperature helium exiting the reactor core to a direct cycle PCS for electricity generation and to an Intermediate Heat Exchanger (IHX) for hydrogen production. The GA NGNP concept is designed to demonstrate hydrogen production using both the thermochemical sulfur-iodine (SI) process and high-temperature electrolysis (HTE). The two primary coolant loops can be operated independently or in parallel. The reactor design is essentially the same as that for the GT-MHR, but includes the additional primary coolant loop to transport heat to the IHX and other modifications to allow operation with a reactor outlet helium temperature of 950 .deg. C (vs. 850 .deg. C for the GT-MHR). The IHX transfers a nominal 65 MW(t) to the secondary heat transport loop that provides the high-temperature heat required by the SI-based and HTE-based hydrogen production facilities. Two commercial nuclear hydrogen plant variations were evaluated with

Thermal integration of SCWR nuclear and thermochemical hydrogen plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Z.; Naterer, G.F.; Gabriel, K.S.

2010-01-01

In this paper, the intermediate heat exchange between a Generation IV supercritical water-cooled nuclear reactor (SCWR) and a thermochemical hydrogen production cycle is discussed. It is found that the maximum and range of temperatures of a thermochemical cycle are the dominant parameters that affect the design of its coupling with SCWR. The copper-chlorine (Cu-Cl) thermochemical cycle is a promising cycle that can link with SCWRs. The location of extracting heat from a SCWR to a thermochemical cycle is investigated in this paper. Steam bypass lines downstream of the SCWR core are suggested for supplying heat to the Cu-Cl hydrogen production cycle. The stream extraction location is strongly dependent on the temperature requirements of the chemical steps of the thermochemical cycle. The available quantity of heat exchange at different hours of a day is also studied. It is found that the available heat at most hours of power demand in a day can support an industrial scale steam methane reforming plant if the SCWR power station is operating at full design capacity. (author)

Chemical Plant Accidents in a Nuclear Hydrogen Generation Scheme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, Nicholas R.; Revankar, Shripad T.

2011-01-01

A high temperature nuclear reactor (HTR) could be used to drive a steam reformation plant, a coal gasification facility, an electrolysis plant, or a thermochemical hydrogen production cycle. Most thermochemical cycles are purely thermodynamic, and thus achieve high thermodynamic efficiency. HTRs produce large amounts of heat at high temperature (1100 K). Helium-cooled HTRs have many passive, or inherent, safety characteristics. This inherent safety is due to the high design basis limit of the maximum fuel temperature. Due to the severity of a potential release, containment of fission products is the single most important safety issue in any nuclear reactor facility. A HTR coupled to a chemical plant presents a complex system, due primarily to the interactive nature of both plants. Since the chemical plant acts as the heat sink for the nuclear reactor, it important to understand the interaction and feedback between the two systems. Process heat plants and HTRs are generally very different. Some of the major differences include: time constants of plants, safety standards, failure probability, and transient response. While both the chemical plant and the HTR are at advanced stages of testing individually, no serious effort has been made to understand the operation of the integrated system, especially during accident events that are initiated in the chemical plant. There is a significant lack of knowledge base regarding scaling and system integration for large scale process heat plants coupled to HTRs. Consideration of feedback between the two plants during time-dependent scenarios is absent from literature. Additionally, no conceptual studies of the accidents that could occur in either plant and impact the entire coupled system are present in literature

Chemistry - Toward efficient hydrogen production at surfaces

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nørskov, Jens Kehlet; Christensen, Claus H.

2006-01-01

Calculations are providing a molecular picture of hydrogen production on catalytic surfaces and within enzymes, knowledge that may guide the design of new, more efficient catalysts for the hydrogen economy.......Calculations are providing a molecular picture of hydrogen production on catalytic surfaces and within enzymes, knowledge that may guide the design of new, more efficient catalysts for the hydrogen economy....

Coupling Solid Oxide Electrolyser (SOE) and ammonia production plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cinti, Giovanni; Frattini, Domenico; Jannelli, Elio; Desideri, Umberto; Bidini, Gianni

2017-01-01

Highlights: • An innovative NH 3 production plant was designed. • CO 2 emissions and energy consumption are studied in three different designs. • High temperature electrolysis allows to achieve high efficiency and heat recovery. • The coupling permits storage of electricity into a liquid carbon free chemical. - Abstract: Ammonia is one of the most produced chemicals worldwide and is currently synthesized using nitrogen separated from air and hydrogen from natural gas reforming with consequent high consumption of fossil fuel and high emission of CO 2 . A renewable path for ammonia production is desirable considering the potential development of ammonia as energy carrier. This study reports design and analysis of an innovative system for the production of green ammonia using electricity from renewable energy sources. This concept couples Solid Oxide Electrolysis (SOE), for the production of hydrogen, with an improved Haber Bosch Reactor (HBR), for ammonia synthesis. An air separator is also introduced to supply pure nitrogen. SOE operates with extremely high efficiency recovering high temperature heat from the Haber-Bosch reactor. Aspen was used to develop a model to study the performance of the plant. Both the SOE and the HBR operate at 650 °C. Ammonia production with zero emission of CO 2 can be obtained with a reduction of 40% of power input compared to equivalent plants.

Hydrogen production by recombinant Escherichia coli strains

Science.gov (United States)

Maeda, Toshinari; Sanchez‐Torres, Viviana; Wood, Thomas K.

2012-01-01

Summary The production of hydrogen via microbial biotechnology is an active field of research. Given its ease of manipulation, the best‐studied bacterium Escherichia coli has become a workhorse for enhanced hydrogen production through metabolic engineering, heterologous gene expression, adaptive evolution, and protein engineering. Herein, the utility of E. coli strains to produce hydrogen, via native hydrogenases or heterologous ones, is reviewed. In addition, potential strategies for increasing hydrogen production are outlined and whole‐cell systems and cell‐free systems are compared. PMID:21895995

Carbon dioxide emission in hydrogen production technology from coke oven gas with life cycle approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Burmistrz Piotr

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The analysis of Carbon Footprint (CF for technology of hydrogen production from cleaned coke oven gas was performed. On the basis of real data and simulation calculations of the production process of hydrogen from coke gas, emission indicators of carbon dioxide (CF were calculated. These indicators are associated with net production of electricity and thermal energy and direct emission of carbon dioxide throughout a whole product life cycle. Product life cycle includes: coal extraction and its transportation to a coking plant, the process of coking coal, purification and reforming of coke oven gas, carbon capture and storage. The values were related to 1 Mg of coking blend and to 1 Mg of the hydrogen produced. The calculation is based on the configuration of hydrogen production from coke oven gas for coking technology available on a commercial scale that uses a technology of coke dry quenching (CDQ. The calculations were made using ChemCAD v.6.0.2 simulator for a steady state of technological process. The analysis of carbon footprint was conducted in accordance with the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA.

Technical Integration of Nuclear Hydrogen Production Technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Ki Young; Chang, J. H.; Park, J. K.

2007-06-01

These works focus on the development of attainment indices for nuclear hydrogen key technologies, the analysis of the hydrogen production process and the performance estimation for hydrogen production system, and the assessment of the nuclear hydrogen production economy. To estimate the attainments of the key technologies in progress with the performance goals of GIF, itemized are the attainment indices based on SRP published in VHTR R and D steering committee of Gen-IV. For assessing the degree of attainments in comparison with the final goals of VHTR technologies in progress of researches, subdivided are the prerequisite items conformed to the NHDD concepts established in a preconceptual design in 2005. The codes for analyzing the hydrogen production economy are developed for calculating the unit production cost of nuclear hydrogen. We developed basic R and D quality management methodology to meet design technology of VHTR's needs. By putting it in practice, we derived some problems and solutions. We distributed R and D QAP and Q and D QAM to each teams and these are in operation. Computer simulations are performed for estimating the thermal efficiency for the electrodialysis component likely to adapting as one of the hydrogen production system in Korea and EED-SI process known as the key components of the hydrogen production systems. Using the commercial codes, the process diagrams and the spread-sheets were produced for the Bunsen reaction process, Sulphuric Acid dissolution process and HI dissolution process, respectively, which are the key components composing of the SI process

Bio-hydrogen Production Potential from Market Waste

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lanna Jaitalee

2010-07-01

Full Text Available This research studied bio-hydrogen production from vegetable waste from a fresh market in order to recover energy. A series of batch experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of initial volatile solids concentration on the bio-hydrogen production process. Lab bench scale anaerobic continuous stirred-tank reactors (CSTR were used to study the effect of substrate and sludge inoculation on hydrogen production. Three different concentrations of initial total volatile solids (TVS of organic waste were varied from 2%, 3% and 5% respectively. The pH was controlled at 5.5 for all batches in the experiment. The results showed that bio-hydrogen production depended on feed-substrate concentration. At initial TVS content of 3%, the highest hydrogen production was achieved at a level of 0.59 L-H2/L at pH 5.5. The maximum hydrogen yield was 15.3 ml H2/g TVS or 8.5 ml H2/g COD. The composition of H2 in the biogas ranged from 28.1-30.9% and no CH4 was detected in all batch tests.

Microwave plasma for hydrogen production from liquids

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Czylkowski Dariusz

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The hydrogen production by conversion of liquid compounds containing hydrogen was investigated experimentally. The waveguide-supplied metal cylinder-based microwave plasma source (MPS operated at frequency of 915 MHz at atmospheric pressure was used. The decomposition of ethanol, isopropanol and kerosene was performed employing plasma dry reforming process. The liquid was introduced into the plasma in the form of vapour. The amount of vapour ranged from 0.4 to 2.4 kg/h. Carbon dioxide with the flow rate ranged from 1200 to 2700 NL/h was used as a working gas. The absorbed microwave power was up to 6 kW. The effect of absorbed microwave power, liquid composition, liquid flow rate and working gas fl ow rate was analysed. All these parameters have a clear influence on the hydrogen production efficiency, which was described with such parameters as the hydrogen production rate [NL(H2/h] and the energy yield of hydrogen production [NL(H2/kWh]. The best achieved experimental results showed that the hydrogen production rate was up to 1116 NL(H2/h and the energy yield was 223 NL(H2 per kWh of absorbed microwave energy. The results were obtained in the case of isopropanol dry reforming. The presented catalyst-free microwave plasma method can be adapted for hydrogen production not only from ethanol, isopropanol and kerosene, but also from different other liquid compounds containing hydrogen, like gasoline, heavy oils and biofuels.

Pathway of Fermentative Hydrogen Production by Sulfate-reducing Bacteria

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wall, Judy D. [Univ. of Missouri, Columbia, MO (United States)

2015-02-16

Biofuels are a promising source of sustainable energy. Such biofuels are intermediate products of microbial metabolism of renewable substrates, in particular, plant biomass. Not only are alcohols and solvents produced in this degradative process but energy-rich hydrogen as well. Non photosynthetic microbial hydrogen generation from compounds other than sugars has not been fully explored. We propose to examine the capacity of the abundant soil anaerobes, sulfate-reducing bacteria, for hydrogen generation from organic acids. These apparently simple pathways have yet to be clearly established. Information obtained may facilitate the exploitation of other microbes not yet readily examined by molecular tools. Identification of the flexibility of the metabolic processes to channel reductant to hydrogen will be useful in consideration of practical applications. Because the tools for genetic and molecular manipulation of sulfate-reducing bacteria of the genus Desulfovibrio are developed, our efforts will focus on two strains, D. vulgaris Hildenborough and Desulfovibrio G20.Therefore total metabolism, flux through the pathways, and regulation are likely to be limiting factors which we can elucidate in the following experiments.

Techno Economic Analysis of Hydrogen Production by gasification of biomass

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Francis Lau

2002-12-01

Biomass represents a large potential feedstock resource for environmentally clean processes that produce power or chemicals. It lends itself to both biological and thermal conversion processes and both options are currently being explored. Hydrogen can be produced in a variety of ways. The majority of the hydrogen produced in this country is produced through natural gas reforming and is used as chemical feedstock in refinery operations. In this report we will examine the production of hydrogen by gasification of biomass. Biomass is defined as organic matter that is available on a renewable basis through natural processes or as a by-product of processes that use renewable resources. The majority of biomass is used in combustion processes, in mills that use the renewable resources, to produce electricity for end-use product generation. This report will explore the use of hydrogen as a fuel derived from gasification of three candidate biomass feedstocks: bagasse, switchgrass, and a nutshell mix that consists of 40% almond nutshell, 40% almond prunings, and 20% walnut shell. In this report, an assessment of the technical and economic potential of producing hydrogen from biomass gasification is analyzed. The resource base was assessed to determine a process scale from feedstock costs and availability. Solids handling systems were researched. A GTI proprietary gasifier model was used in combination with a Hysys(reg. sign) design and simulation program to determine the amount of hydrogen that can be produced from each candidate biomass feed. Cost estimations were developed and government programs and incentives were analyzed. Finally, the barriers to the production and commercialization of hydrogen from biomass were determined. The end-use of the hydrogen produced from this system is small PEM fuel cells for automobiles. Pyrolysis of biomass was also considered. Pyrolysis is a reaction in which biomass or coal is partially vaporized by heating. Gasification is a more

A rationale for large inertial fusion plants producing hydrogen for powering low emission vehicles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Logan, B.G.

1993-01-01

Inertial Fusion Energy (IFE) has been identified in the 1991 National Energy Strategy, along with Magnetic Fusion Energy (MFE), as one of only three inexhaustible energy sources for long term energy supply (past 2025), the other alternatives being fission and solar energy. Fusion plants, using electrolysis, could also produce hydrogen to power low emission vehicles in a potentially huge future US market: > 500 GWe would be needed for example, to replace all foreign oil imports with equal-energy hydrogen, assuming 70%-efficient electrolysis. Any inexhaustible source of electricity, including IFE and MFE reactors, can thus provide a long term renewable source of hydrogen as well as solar, wind and biomass sources. Hydrogen production by both high temperature thermochemical cycles and by electrolysis has been studied for MFE, but avoiding trace tritium contamination of the hydrogen product would best be assured using electrolysis cells well separated from any fusion coolant loops. The motivations to consider IFE or MFE producing renewable hydrogen are: (1) reducing US dependence on foreign oil imports and the associated trade deficient; (2) a hydrogen-based transportation system could greatly mitigate future air pollution and greenhouse gases; (3) investments in hydrogen pipelines, storage, and distribution systems could be used for a variety of hydrogen sources; (4) a hydrogen pipeline system could access and buffer sufficiently large markets that temporary outages of large (>> 1 GWe size) fusion hydrogen units could be tolerated

Solutions to commercializing metal hydride hydrogen storage products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tomlinson, J.J.; Belanger, R.

2004-01-01

'Full text:' Whilst the concept of a Hydrogen economy in the broad sense may for some analysts and Fuel Cell technology developers be an ever moving target the use of hydrogen exists and is growing in other markets today. The use of hydrogen is increasing. Who are the users? What are their unique needs? How can they better be served? As the use of hydrogen increases there are things we can do to improve the perception and handling of hydrogen as an industrial gas that will impact the future issues of hydrogen as a fuel thereby assisting the mainstream availability of hydrogen fuel a reality. Factors that will induce change in the way hydrogen is used, handled, transported and stored are the factors to concentrate development efforts on. Other factors include: cost; availability; safety; codes and standards; and regulatory authorities acceptance of new codes and standards. New methods of storage and new devices in which the hydrogen is stored will influence and bring about change and increased use. New innovative products based on Metal Hydride hydrogen storage will address some of the barriers to widely distributed hydrogen as a fuel or energy carrier to which successful fuel cell product commercialization is subject. Palcan has developed innovative products based on it's Rare Earth Metal Hydride alloy. Some of these innovations will aid the distribution of hydrogen as a fuel and offer alternatives to the existing hydrogen user and to the Fuel Cell product developer. An overview of the products and how these products will affect the distribution and use of hydrogen as an industrial gas and fuel is presented. (author)

Present status of research on hydrogen energy and perspective of HTGR hydrogen production system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miyamoto, Yoshiaki; Ogawa, Masuro; Akino, Norio [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Oarai, Ibaraki (Japan). Oarai Research Establishment] [and others

2001-03-01

A study was performed to make a clear positioning of research and development on hydrogen production systems with a High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor (HTGR) under currently promoting at the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute through a grasp of the present status of hydrogen energy, focussing on its production and utilization as an energy in future. The study made clear that introduction of safe distance concept for hydrogen fire and explosion was practicable for a HTGR hydrogen production system, including hydrogen properties and need to provide regulations applying to handle hydrogen. And also generalization of hydrogen production processes showed technical issues of the HTGR system. Hydrogen with HTGR was competitive to one with fossil fired system due to evaluation of production cost. Hydrogen is expected to be used as promising fuel of fuel cell cars in future. In addition, the study indicated that there were a large amount of energy demand alternative to high efficiency power generation and fossil fuel with nuclear energy through the structure of energy demand and supply in Japan. Assuming that hydrogen with HTGR meets all demand of fuel cell cars, an estimation would show introduction of the maximum number of about 30 HTGRs with capacity of 100 MWt from 2020 to 2030. (author)

Hydrogen Production Technical Team Roadmap

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

2013-06-01

The Hydrogen Production Technical Team Roadmap identifies research pathways leading to hydrogen production technologies that produce near-zero net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from highly efficient and diverse renewable energy sources. This roadmap focuses on initial development of the technologies, identifies their gaps and barriers, and describes activities by various U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) offices to address the key issues and challenges.

Biological hydrogen production from industrial wastewaters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Peixoto, Guilherme; Pantoja Filho, Jorge Luis Rodrigues; Zaiat, Marcelo [Universidade de Sao Paulo (EESC/USP), Sao Carlos, SP (Brazil). School of Engineering. Dept. Hydraulics and Sanitation], Email: peixoto@sc.usp.br

2010-07-01

This research evaluates the potential for producing hydrogen in anaerobic reactors using industrial wastewaters (glycerol from bio diesel production, wastewater from the parboilization of rice, and vinasse from ethanol production). In a complementary experiment the soluble products formed during hydrogen production were evaluated for methane generation. The assays were performed in batch reactors with 2 liters volume, and sucrose was used as a control substrate. The acidogenic inoculum was taken from a packed-bed reactor used to produce hydrogen from a sucrose-based synthetic substrate. The methanogenic inoculum was taken from an upflow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor treating poultry slaughterhouse wastewater. Hydrogen was produced from rice parboilization wastewater (24.27 ml H{sub 2} g{sup -1} COD) vinasse (22.75 ml H{sub 2} g{sup -1} COD) and sucrose (25.60 ml H{sub 2} g{sup -1} COD), while glycerol only showed potential for methane generation. (author)

Water use, productivity and interactions among desert plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ehleringer, J.R.

1992-11-17

Water plays a central role affecting all aspects of the dynamics in aridland ecosystems. Productivity, stability, and competitive interactions among ecosystem components within aridlands are key processes related directly to water in deserts. The ecological studies in this project revolve around one fundamental premise: that integrated aspects of plant metabolism provide insight into the structure and function of plant communities and ecosystems. While it is difficult to extrapolate from instantaneous physiological observations to higher scales, such as whole plant performance or to interactions between plants as components of ecosystems, several key aspects of plant metabolism are scalable. Analyses of stable isotopic composition in plant tissues at natural abundance levels provide a useful tool that can provide insight into the consequences of physiological processes over temporal and spatial scales. Some plant processes continuously fractionate among light and heavy stable isotopic forms of an element; over time this results in integrated measures of plant metabolism. For example, carbon isotope fractionation during photosynthesis results in leaf carbon isotopic composition that is a measure of the set-point for photosynthetic metabolism and of water-use efficiency. Thus it provides information on the temporal scaling of a key physiological process. In contrast, hydrogen is not fractionated during water uptake through the root. Soil water availability in shallow, deep, and/or groundwater layers vary spatially; therefore hydrogen isotope ratios of xylem sap provide a direct measure of the water source currently used by a plant. The longer-term record of carbon and hydrogen isotope ratios is recorded annually in xylem tissues (tree rings). The research in this project addresses variation in stable isotopic composition of aridland plants and its consequences for plant performance and community-level interactions.

Hydrogen production by alkaline water electrolysis

OpenAIRE

Santos, Diogo M. F.; Sequeira, César A. C.; Figueiredo, José L.

2013-01-01

Water electrolysis is one of the simplest methods used for hydrogen production. It has the advantage of being able to produce hydrogen using only renewable energy. To expand the use of water electrolysis, it is mandatory to reduce energy consumption, cost, and maintenance of current electrolyzers, and, on the other hand, to increase their efficiency, durability, and safety. In this study, modern technologies for hydrogen production by water electrolysis have been investigated. In this article...

Nuclear Reactor/Hydrogen Process Interface Including the HyPEP Model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steven R. Sherman

2007-01-01

The Nuclear Reactor/Hydrogen Plant interface is the intermediate heat transport loop that will connect a very high temperature gas-cooled nuclear reactor (VHTR) to a thermochemical, high-temperature electrolysis, or hybrid hydrogen production plant. A prototype plant called the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) is planned for construction and operation at the Idaho National Laboratory in the 2018-2021 timeframe, and will involve a VHTR, a high-temperature interface, and a hydrogen production plant. The interface is responsible for transporting high-temperature thermal energy from the nuclear reactor to the hydrogen production plant while protecting the nuclear plant from operational disturbances at the hydrogen plant. Development of the interface is occurring under the DOE Nuclear Hydrogen Initiative (NHI) and involves the study, design, and development of high-temperature heat exchangers, heat transport systems, materials, safety, and integrated system models. Research and development work on the system interface began in 2004 and is expected to continue at least until the start of construction of an engineering-scale demonstration plant

Proposal of safety design methodologies for an HTGR-hydrogen production system. Mainly on countermeasures against fire and explosion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishihara, Tetsuo; Hada, Kazuhiko; Shiozawa, Syusaku

1996-03-01

Among key issues of the safety design for an HTGR-hydrogen production system is to ensure the safety of the nuclear reactor against fire and explosion accidents in the hydrogen production plant. The fire and explosion accidents in the hydrogen production plant are categorized into the following two cases; Accidents inside the reactor building (R/B) and accidents outside the R/B. Against accidents inside the R/B, the proposed safety design concept is to prevent the occurrence of the accidents based on the defence in depth concept. The piping system and/or heat transfer tubes which have the potential possibility of combustible materials ingress into the R/B due to the failure are designed at the highest aseismic level to prevent the failure against severe earthquake. Even if the failure occurs, the piping trench and related compartments are fulfilled with nitrogen so as to prevent the occurrence of accidents. The proposed safety design concept for the accidents outside the R/B is the mitigation of effects of accidents. Proposed countermeasures is to take the safe distance between the hydrogen production plant and the items important to safety in the nuclear plant. We showed that the anticipated accidents to estimate the safe distance are large scale pool burning, fireball, pressure vessel burst and vapor cloud explosion. Especially, new estimating concept to establish the safe distance is proposed for the vapor cloud explosion. To reduce the safe distance, we proposed the underground non-pressurized storage tank and ventilation system for the storage of large amount of combustible liquid. (author). 61 refs

A farm-scale pilot plant for biohydrogen and biomethane production by two-stage fermentation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Oberti

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Hydrogen is considered one of the possible main energy carriers for the future, thanks to its unique environmental properties. Indeed, its energy content (120 MJ/kg can be exploited virtually without emitting any exhaust in the atmosphere except for water. Renewable production of hydrogen can be obtained through common biological processes on which relies anaerobic digestion, a well-established technology in use at farm-scale for treating different biomass and residues. Despite two-stage hydrogen and methane producing fermentation is a simple variant of the traditional anaerobic digestion, it is a relatively new approach mainly studied at laboratory scale. It is based on biomass fermentation in two separate, seuqential stages, each maintaining conditions optimized to promote specific bacterial consortia: in the first acidophilic reactorhydrogen is produced production, while volatile fatty acids-rich effluent is sent to the second reactor where traditional methane rich biogas production is accomplished. A two-stage pilot-scale plant was designed, manufactured and installed at the experimental farm of the University of Milano and operated using a biomass mixture of livestock effluents mixed with sugar/starch-rich residues (rotten fruits and potatoes and expired fruit juices, afeedstock mixture based on waste biomasses directly available in the rural area where plant is installed. The hydrogenic and the methanogenic reactors, both CSTR type, had a total volume of 0.7m3 and 3.8 m3 respectively, and were operated in thermophilic conditions (55 2 °C without any external pH control, and were fully automated. After a brief description of the requirements of the system, this contribution gives a detailed description of its components and of engineering solutions to the problems encountered during the plant realization and start-up. The paper also discusses the results obtained in a first experimental run which lead to production in the range of previous

Production of hydrogen from fermentation of pina agroindustrial waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Montoya Perez, Luisa

2012-01-01

The performance of biohydrogen production was assesed a laboratory level, by anaerobic fermentation using agroindustrial residue of pineapple heart and employing microorganisms own of sludges from the bottom of an anaerobic digester belonging to a wastewater treatment plant from a seafood processor. Residue of pineapple heart was characterized physicochemically. The amounts were quantified: moisture, ashes, crude fiber, glucose, reducing sugars, hydrogen potential, soluble solids (Brix grades), boron, nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, potassium, sulfur, zinc, iron, copper and manganese. Per gram of pineapple heart is obtained 0,113 g of reducing sugars and 0,0114 g of glucose, which has made it a carbohydrate rich material that could ferment and produce hydrogen or other metabolites of commercial interest. A maximum yield was obtained of 0,0484 mol H 2 / mol of glucose consumed with a hydrogen maximum output of 1,260 mmol, at a maximum production rate of 0.070 mmol/h with a time lag in the production of hydrogen to 7,833 h under the following conditions: initial pH of 5,5, substrate initial concentration of 5 g/L and using a medium of mineral formulation based on sodium, calcium, iodine, zinc, nickel and molybdenum, in a container 125 mL where was consumed 88,4% of the initial glucose. A maximum yield of 1,541 mol H 2 / mol of consumed glucose was obtained, in a fermentation time of 30 h, with a maximum hydrogen production of 41,227 mmol, at a maximum production rate of 6,740 mmol/h with a lag time in the production of hydrogen for 16 h, under the following conditions: initial pH of 5,5, substrate initial concentration of 5 g/L and using a middle of mineral formulation based on sodium, calcium, iodine, zinc, nickel and molybdenum in a fermentor of 5 L where 96,39% was consumed of the initial glucose. The maximum yield from 1,541 mol H 2 / mol of glucose consumed has corresponded to 38% of the target value of the United States Department of Energy equivalent

Hydrogen production by gasification of municipal solid waste

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rogers, R. III

1994-05-20

As fossil fuel reserves run lower and lower, and as their continued widespread use leads toward numerous environmental problems, the need for clean and sustainable energy alternatives becomes ever clearer. Hydrogen fuel holds promise as such as energy source, as it burns cleanly and can be extracted from a number of renewable materials such as municipal solid waste (MSW), which can be considered largely renewable because of its high content of paper and biomass-derived products. A computer model is being developed using ASPEN Plus flow sheeting software to simulate a process which produces hydrogen gas from MSW; the model will later be used in studying the economics of this process and is based on an actual Texaco coal gasification plant design. This paper gives an overview of the complete MSW gasification process, and describes in detail the way in which MSW is modeled by the computer as a process material. In addition, details of the gasifier unit model are described; in this unit modified MSW reacts under pressure with oxygen and steam to form a mixture of gases which include hydrogen.

Renewable solar hydrogen production and utilization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bakos, J.

2006-01-01

There is a tremendous opportunity to generate large quantities of hydrogen from low grade and economical sources of methane including landfill gas, biogas, flare gas, and coal bed methane. The environmental benefits of generating hydrogen using renewable energy include significant greenhouse gas and air contaminant reductions. Solar Hydrogen Energy Corporation (SHEC LABS) recently constructed and demonstrated a Dry Fuel Reforming (DFR) hydrogen generation system that is powered primarily by sunlight focusing-mirrors in Tempe, Arizona. The system comprises a solar mirror array, a temperature controlling shutter system, and two thermo-catalytic reactors to convert methane, carbon dioxide, and water into hydrogen. This process has shown that solar hydrogen generation is feasible and cost-competitive with traditional hydrogen production. The presentation will provide the following: An overview of the results of the testing conducted in Tempe, Arizona; A look at the design and installation of the scaled-up technology site at a landfill site in Canada; An examination of the economic and environmental benefits of renewable hydrogen production using solar energy

Hydrogen production processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-01-01

The goals of this first Gedepeon workshop on hydrogen production processes are: to stimulate the information exchange about research programs and research advances in the domain of hydrogen production processes, to indicate the domains of interest of these processes and the potentialities linked with the coupling of a nuclear reactor, to establish the actions of common interest for the CEA, the CNRS, and eventually EDF, that can be funded in the framework of the Gedepeon research group. This document gathers the slides of the 17 presentations given at this workshop and dealing with: the H 2 question and the international research programs (Lucchese P.); the CEA's research program (Lucchese P., Anzieu P.); processes based on the iodine/sulfur cycle: efficiency of a facility - flow-sheets, efficiencies, hard points (Borgard J.M.), R and D about the I/S cycle: Bunsen reaction (Colette S.), R and D about the I/S cycle: the HI/I 2 /H 2 O system (Doizi D.), demonstration loop/chemical engineering (Duhamet J.), materials and corrosion (Terlain A.); other processes under study: the Westinghouse cycle (Eysseric C.), other processes under study at the CEA (UT3, plasma,...) (Lemort F.), database about thermochemical cycles (Abanades S.), Zn/ZnO cycle (Broust F.), H 2 production by cracking, high temperature reforming with carbon trapping (Flamant G.), membrane technology (De Lamare J.); high-temperature electrolysis: SOFC used as electrolyzers (Grastien R.); generic aspects linked with hydrogen production: technical-economical evaluation of processes (Werkoff F.), thermodynamic tools (Neveu P.), the reactor-process coupling (Aujollet P.). (J.S.)

Complete genome sequence of Enterobacter sp. IIT-BT 08: A potential microbial strain for high rate hydrogen production.

Science.gov (United States)

Khanna, Namita; Ghosh, Ananta Kumar; Huntemann, Marcel; Deshpande, Shweta; Han, James; Chen, Amy; Kyrpides, Nikos; Mavrommatis, Kostas; Szeto, Ernest; Markowitz, Victor; Ivanova, Natalia; Pagani, Ioanna; Pati, Amrita; Pitluck, Sam; Nolan, Matt; Woyke, Tanja; Teshima, Hazuki; Chertkov, Olga; Daligault, Hajnalka; Davenport, Karen; Gu, Wei; Munk, Christine; Zhang, Xiaojing; Bruce, David; Detter, Chris; Xu, Yan; Quintana, Beverly; Reitenga, Krista; Kunde, Yulia; Green, Lance; Erkkila, Tracy; Han, Cliff; Brambilla, Evelyne-Marie; Lang, Elke; Klenk, Hans-Peter; Goodwin, Lynne; Chain, Patrick; Das, Debabrata

2013-12-20

Enterobacter sp. IIT-BT 08 belongs to Phylum: Proteobacteria, Class: Gammaproteobacteria, Order: Enterobacteriales, Family: Enterobacteriaceae. The organism was isolated from the leaves of a local plant near the Kharagpur railway station, Kharagpur, West Bengal, India. It has been extensively studied for fermentative hydrogen production because of its high hydrogen yield. For further enhancement of hydrogen production by strain development, complete genome sequence analysis was carried out. Sequence analysis revealed that the genome was linear, 4.67 Mbp long and had a GC content of 56.01%. The genome properties encode 4,393 protein-coding and 179 RNA genes. Additionally, a putative pathway of hydrogen production was suggested based on the presence of formate hydrogen lyase complex and other related genes identified in the genome. Thus, in the present study we describe the specific properties of the organism and the generation, annotation and analysis of its genome sequence as well as discuss the putative pathway of hydrogen production by this organism.

Extremophile mediated hydrogen production for hydrogenation of substrates in aqueous media

Science.gov (United States)

Anjom, Mouzhgun

Catalytic hydrogenation reactions are pervasive throughout our economy, from production of margarine as food, liquid fuels for transportation and chiral drugs such as L-DOPA. H2 production from non-fossil fuel feedstocks is highly desirable for transition to the "Hydrogen Economy". Also, the rates of hydrogenation reactions that involve a substrate, H 2 gas and a catalyst are often limited by the solubility of H2 in solvent. The present research thus envisioned designing water-soluble catalysts that could effectively utilize biologically produced H2 in a coupled system to hydrogenate substrates in homogeneous mode (two-phase system). Biological production of H2 as an end product or byproduct of the metabolism of organisms that operate under strict anaerobic conditions has been proposed. However, contrary to what was previously observed, Thermotoga neapolitana, belonging to the order of Thermotogales efficiently produces H2 gas under microaerobic conditions (Van Ooteghem et al. 2004). For H2 production by T. neapolitana in the bacterial growth medium (DSM 5068) at an optimum temperature of 70 C, our results in batch mode show that: (1) H2 was produced from glucose though with 16% efficiency, the rest goes to biomass production, (2) H2 gas was produced even when the cultures were inoculated under microaerobic conditions (up to 8% (v/v) O2) suggesting a protective mechanism for one or more [Fe-Fe] hydrogenases in T. neapolitana, (3) H2 production was pH dependent but addition of simple, non-toxic physiological buffering additives such as Methylene succinic acid increased H2 production and (4) H2 production rate varied linearly in the 100--6800 kPa pressure range. We then screened various water-soluble metal catalysts in batch mode and selected the RhCl3.3H2O/TPPTS (TPPTS is a water-soluble ligand) system that achieved 86% hydrogenation of Methylene succinic acid (an olefin) in an aqueous medium pressurized with preformed H2. When water was replaced with the DSM 5068

Production of hydrogen by direct gasification of coal with steam using nuclear heat

Science.gov (United States)

1975-01-01

Problems related to: (1) high helium outlet temperature of the reactor, and (2) gas generator design used in hydrogen production are studied. Special attention was given to the use of Oklahoma coal in the gasification process. Plant performance, operation, and environmental considerations are covered.

Microbial electrolysis cells as innovative technology for hydrogen production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chorbadzhiyska, Elitsa; Hristov, Georgi; Mitov, Mario; Hubenova, Yolina

2011-01-01

Hydrogen production is becoming increasingly important in view of using hydrogen in fuel cells. However, most of the production of hydrogen so far comes from the combustion of fossil fuels and water electrolysis. Microbial Electrolysis Cell (MEC), also known as Bioelectrochemically Assisted Microbial Reactor, is an ecologically clean, renewable and innovative technology for hydrogen production. Microbial electrolysis cells produce hydrogen mainly from waste biomass assisted by various bacteria strains. The principle of MECs and their constructional elements are reviewed and discussed. Keywords: microbial Electrolysis Cells, hydrogen production, waste biomass purification

How to optimize hydrogen plant designs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

van Weenen, W F; Tielrooy, J

1983-01-01

In a typical hydrogen plant of the type which will be discussed, methane or higher hydrocarbons are reformed with steam in a steam hydrocarbon reformer operating at a pressure of 250 to 400 psig, a temperature of 1500 to 1600/sup 0/F, and with a ratio of steam to carbon in the feed of about 3.0. Following the reformer and cooling, there is a single stage of high temperature carbon monoxide shift conversion. Optionally, after further cooling, this may be followed by a second stage of carbon monoxide shift conversion operating at a lower temperature to obtain a more favourable equilibrium; this is called low temperature shift conversion. After cooling to ambient temperature, and separation of the condensate, the gas is passed through a Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA)l unit which removes all the impurities along with a small amount of hydrogen. The waste gas from the PSA unit containing all the impurities is used as fuel to the reformer. Heat is recovered from the reformer flue gas, reformer product, high temperature shift converter product and low temperature shift converter product. This paper discusses some of the process variables and design variables which must be considered in arriving at an optimized design. Seven different flow schemes are discussed in the light of the objectives they are designed for. The seven schemes and their objectives are: Flow Scheme 1 - lowest first cost; moderate efficiency, Flow Scheme 2 - high efficiency, low cost; Flow Scheme 3 - low feed plus fuel, moderately high efficiency; Flow Scheme 4 - lowest feed plus fuel; Flow Scheme 5 - lowest feed, low fuel; Flow Scheme 6 -lowest feed, highest efficiency; and Flow Scheme 7 - lowest feed plus fuel, export electric power instead of export electric power instead of export steam. 15 figures, 1 table.

Methods and systems for the production of hydrogen

Science.gov (United States)

Oh, Chang H [Idaho Falls, ID; Kim, Eung S [Ammon, ID; Sherman, Steven R [Augusta, GA

2012-03-13

Methods and systems are disclosed for the production of hydrogen and the use of high-temperature heat sources in energy conversion. In one embodiment, a primary loop may include a nuclear reactor utilizing a molten salt or helium as a coolant. The nuclear reactor may provide heat energy to a power generation loop for production of electrical energy. For example, a supercritical carbon dioxide fluid may be heated by the nuclear reactor via the molten salt and then expanded in a turbine to drive a generator. An intermediate heat exchange loop may also be thermally coupled with the primary loop and provide heat energy to one or more hydrogen production facilities. A portion of the hydrogen produced by the hydrogen production facility may be diverted to a combustor to elevate the temperature of water being split into hydrogen and oxygen by the hydrogen production facility.

Engineering Design Elements of a Two-Phase Thermosyphon to Trannsfer NGNP Nuclear Thermal Energy to a Hydrogen Plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Piyush Sabharwal

2009-07-01

Two hydrogen production processes, both powered by a Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP), are currently under investigation at Idaho National Laboratory. The first is high-temperature steam electrolysis, which uses both heat and electricity; the second is thermo-chemical production through the sulfur iodine process primarily using heat. Both processes require a high temperature (>850°C) for enhanced efficiency; temperatures indicative of the NGNP. Safety and licensing mandates prudently dictate that the NGNP and the hydrogen production facility be physically isolated, perhaps requiring separation of over 100 m.

Technical and economical feasibility studies and preliminary plan of a heavy water plant by the criogenic distillation method of hydrogen

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dias Vargas, F.

1983-01-01

This paper presents the pre-feasibility study of a heavy water production plant, both from the technical and economical point of view. Criogenic distillation of hydrogen is used as the final enrichment stage. The deuterium source is water treated previously by a process of enrichment based on the water-hydrogen isotopic exchange. The economical analysis is aimed at the study of the feasibility of the installation of a heavy water moderated reaction in Chile. General properties of heavy water are presented and also the various materials of its enrichment at the industrial scale. The plant itself has a first stage based on the water-hydrogen isotopic exchange procesS, where deuterium is extracted from the water by the hydrogen which is subsequently treated in a criogenic distillation stage. An important fact of the plant analysis is the calculation of heat exchangers mainly in relation to the problem posed by tHe hydrogen's low point of liquifaction. The distillation units are also treated and designed. The economic evaluation produces project diScount rates of 15.71% and 21.97%, for 25 tons/year and 40 tons/year of production capacity. The heavy water price used for these evaluation was 600 $/Kg

Biological hydrogen production by dark fermentation: challenges and prospects towards scaled-up production.

Science.gov (United States)

RenNanqi; GuoWanqian; LiuBingfeng; CaoGuangli; DingJie

2011-06-01

Among different technologies of hydrogen production, bio-hydrogen production exhibits perhaps the greatest potential to replace fossil fuels. Based on recent research on dark fermentative hydrogen production, this article reviews the following aspects towards scaled-up application of this technology: bioreactor development and parameter optimization, process modeling and simulation, exploitation of cheaper raw materials and combining dark-fermentation with photo-fermentation. Bioreactors are necessary for dark-fermentation hydrogen production, so the design of reactor type and optimization of parameters are essential. Process modeling and simulation can help engineers design and optimize large-scale systems and operations. Use of cheaper raw materials will surely accelerate the pace of scaled-up production of biological hydrogen. And finally, combining dark-fermentation with photo-fermentation holds considerable promise, and has successfully achieved maximum overall hydrogen yield from a single substrate. Future development of bio-hydrogen production will also be discussed. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hydrogen at the Rooftop: Compact CPV-Hydrogen system to Convert Sunlight to Hydrogen

KAUST Repository

Burhan, Muhammad

2017-12-27

Despite being highest potential energy source, solar intermittency and low power density make it difficult for solar energy to compete with the conventional power plants. Highly efficient concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) system provides best technology to be paired with the electrolytic hydrogen production, as a sustainable energy source with long term energy storage. However, the conventional gigantic design of CPV system limits its market and application to the open desert fields without any rooftop installation scope, unlike conventional PV. This makes CPV less popular among solar energy customers. This paper discusses the development of compact CPV-Hydrogen system for the rooftop application in the urban region. The in-house built compact CPV system works with hybrid solar tracking of 0.1° accuracy, ensured through proposed double lens collimator based solar tracking sensor. With PEM based electrolyser, the compact CPV-hydrogen system showed 28% CPV efficiency and 18% sunlight to hydrogen (STH) efficiency, for rooftop operation in tropical region of Singapore. For plant designers, the solar to hydrogen production rating of 217 kWh/kg has been presented with 15% STH daily average efficiency, recorded from the long term field operation of the system.

Hydrogen at the Rooftop: Compact CPV-Hydrogen system to Convert Sunlight to Hydrogen

KAUST Repository

Burhan, Muhammad; Wakil Shahzad, Muhammad; Ng, Kim Choon

2017-01-01

Despite being highest potential energy source, solar intermittency and low power density make it difficult for solar energy to compete with the conventional power plants. Highly efficient concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) system provides best technology to be paired with the electrolytic hydrogen production, as a sustainable energy source with long term energy storage. However, the conventional gigantic design of CPV system limits its market and application to the open desert fields without any rooftop installation scope, unlike conventional PV. This makes CPV less popular among solar energy customers. This paper discusses the development of compact CPV-Hydrogen system for the rooftop application in the urban region. The in-house built compact CPV system works with hybrid solar tracking of 0.1° accuracy, ensured through proposed double lens collimator based solar tracking sensor. With PEM based electrolyser, the compact CPV-hydrogen system showed 28% CPV efficiency and 18% sunlight to hydrogen (STH) efficiency, for rooftop operation in tropical region of Singapore. For plant designers, the solar to hydrogen production rating of 217 kWh/kg has been presented with 15% STH daily average efficiency, recorded from the long term field operation of the system.

Potential improvement to a citric wastewater treatment plant using bio-hydrogen and a hybrid energy system

Science.gov (United States)

Zhi, Xiaohua; Yang, Haijun; Berthold, Sascha; Doetsch, Christian; Shen, Jianquan

Treatment of highly concentrated organic wastewater is characterized as cost-consuming. The conventional technology uses the anaerobic-anoxic-oxic process (A 2/O), which does not produce hydrogen. There is potential for energy saving using hydrogen utilization associated with wastewater treatment because hydrogen can be produced from organic wastewater using anaerobic fermentation. A 50 m 3 pilot bio-reactor for hydrogen production was constructed in Shandong Province, China in 2006 but to date the hydrogen produced has not been utilized. In this work, a technical-economic model based on hydrogen utilization is presented and analyzed to estimate the potential improvement to a citric wastewater plant. The model assesses the size, capital cost, annual cost, system efficiency and electricity cost under different configurations. In a stand-alone situation, the power production from hydrogen is not sufficient for the required load, thus a photovoltaic array (PV) is employed as the power supply. The simulated results show that the combination of solar and bio-hydrogen has a much higher cost compared with the A 2/O process. When the grid is connected, the system cost achieved is 0.238 US t -1 wastewater, which is lower than 0.257 US t -1 by the A 2/O process. The results reveal that a simulated improvement by using bio-hydrogen and a FC system is effective and feasible for the citric wastewater plant, even when compared to the current cost of the A 2/O process. In addition, lead acid and vanadium flow batteries were compared for energy storage service. The results show that a vanadium battery has lower cost and higher efficiency due to its long lifespan and energy efficiency. Additionally, the cost distribution of components shows that the PV dominates the cost in the stand-alone situation, while the bio-reactor is the main cost component in the parallel grid.

Development of interface technology for nuclear hydrogen production system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Ki Young; Park, J. K.; Chang, J. H.

2012-06-01

These works focus on the development of attainment indices for nuclear hydrogen key technologies, the analysis of the hydrogen production process and the performance estimation for hydrogen production systems, and the assessment of the nuclear hydrogen production economy. The codes for analyzing the hydrogen production economy are developed for calculating the unit production cost of nuclear hydrogen. We developed basic R and D quality management methodology to meet design technology of VHTR's needs. By putting it in practice, we derived some problems and solutions. We distributed R and D QAP and Q and D QAM to each teams and these are in operation. Computer simulations are performed for estimating the thermal efficiency for the electrodialysis component likely to adapting as one of the hydrogen production system in Korea and EED-SI process known as the key components of the hydrogen production systems. Using the commercial codes, the process diagrams and the spread-sheets were produced for the Bunsen reaction process, Sulphuric Acid dissolution process and HI dissolution process, respectively, which are the key components composing of the SI process

Negative hydrogen ion production mechanisms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bacal, M. [UPMC, LPP, Ecole Polytechnique, UMR CNRS 7648, Palaiseau (France); Wada, M. [School of Science and Engineering, Doshisha University, Kyoto 610-0321 (Japan)

2015-06-15

Negative hydrogen/deuterium ions can be formed by processes occurring in the plasma volume and on surfaces facing the plasma. The principal mechanisms leading to the formation of these negative ions are dissociative electron attachment to ro-vibrationally excited hydrogen/deuterium molecules when the reaction takes place in the plasma volume, and the direct electron transfer from the low work function metal surface to the hydrogen/deuterium atoms when formation occurs on the surface. The existing theoretical models and reported experimental results on these two mechanisms are summarized. Performance of the negative hydrogen/deuterium ion sources that emerged from studies of these mechanisms is reviewed. Contemporary negative ion sources do not have negative ion production electrodes of original surface type sources but are operated with caesium with their structures nearly identical to volume production type sources. Reasons for enhanced negative ion current due to caesium addition to these sources are discussed.

Autonomous hydrogen power plants with renewable energy sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Popel', O.S.; Frid, S.E.; Shpil'rajn, Eh.Eh.; Izosimov, D.B.; Tumanov, V.L.

2006-01-01

One studies the principles to design independent hydrogen power plants (IHPP) operating on renewable energy sources and the approaches to design a pilot IHP plant. One worded tasks of mathematical simulation and of calculations to substantiate the optimal configuration of the mentioned plants depending on the ambient conditions of operation and on peculiar features of a consumer [ru

Research and development of HTTR hydrogen production systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shiozawa, Shusaku; Ogawa, Masuro; Inagaki, Yoshiyuki; Onuki, Kaoru; Takeda, Tetsuaki; Nishihara, Tetsuo; Hayashi, Koji; Kubo, Shinji; Inaba, Yoshitomo; Ohashi, Hirofumi

2002-01-01

The Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) has constructed the High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR) with a thermal output of 30MW and a reactor out let coolant temper at ure of 950 .deg. C. There search and development (R and D) program on nuclear production of hydrogen was started on January in 1997 as a study consigned by Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. A hydrogen production system connected to the HTTR is being designed to be able to produce hydrogen of about 4000m 3 /h by steam reforming of natural gas, using a nuclear heat of 10MW supplied by the HTTR hydrogen production system. In order to confirm controllability, safety and performance of key components in the HTTR hydrogen production system, the facility for the out-of-pile test was constructed on the scale of approximately 1/30 of the HTTR hydrogen production system. In parallel to the out-of-pile test, the following tests as essential problem, a corrosion test of a reforming tube, a permeation test of hydrogen isotopes through heat exchanger and reforming tubes, and an integrity test of a high-temperature isolation valve are carried out to obtain detailed data for safety review and development of analytical codes. Other basis studies on the hydrogen production technology of thermochemical water splitting called an iodine sulfur (IS) process, has been carried out for more effective and various uses of nuclear heat. This paper describes the present status and a future plan on the R and D of the HTTR hydrogen production systems in JAERI

Research on hydrogen production system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakagiri, Toshio

2002-07-01

Hydrogen is closely watched for environmental issues in recent years. In this research, hydrogen production systems and production techniques are widely investigated, and selected some hydrogen production process which have high validity for FBR system. Conclusions of the investigation are shown below. (1) Water-electrolysis processes and steam reform processes at low temperatures are already realized in other fields, so they well be easily adopted for FBR system. FBR system has no advantage when compared with other systems, because water-electrolysis processes can be adopted for other electricity generation system. On the other hand, FBR system has an advantage when steam reforming processes at low temperatures will be adopted, because steam reforming processes at 550-600degC can't be adopted for LWR. (2) Thermochemical processes will be able to adopted for FBR when process temperature will be lowered and material problems solved, because their efficiencies are expected high. Radiolysis processes which use ray (for example, gamma rya) emitted in reactor can be generate hydrogen easily, so they will be able to be adopted for FBR if splitting efficiency will be higher. Further investigation and R and D to realize these processes are considered necessary. (author)

Hydrogen Production by Thermophilic Fermentation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Niel, van E.W.J.; Willquist, K.; Zeidan, A.A.; Vrije, de T.; Mars, A.E.; Claassen, P.A.M.

2012-01-01

Of the many ways hydrogen can be produced, this chapter focuses on biological hydrogen production by thermophilic bacteria and archaea in dark fermentations. The thermophiles are held as promising candidates for a cost-effective fermentation process, because of their relatively high yields and broad

Modelling of hydrogen sulfide dispersion from the geothermal power plants of Tuscany (Italy)

Science.gov (United States)

Renato, Somma; Domenico, Granieri; Claudia, Troise; Carlo, Terranova; Natale Giuseppe, De; Maria, Pedone

2017-04-01

The hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is one of the main gaseous substances contained in deep fluids exploited by geo-thermoelectric plant. Therefore, it is a "waste" pollutant product by plants for energy production. Hydrogen sulfide is perceived by humans at very low concentrations in the air ( 0,008 ppm, World Health Organization, hereafter WHO, 2003) but it becomes odorless in higher concentrations (> 100 ppm, WHO, 2003) and, for values close to the ones lethal (> 500 ppm), produces an almost pleasant smell. The typical concentration in urban areas is <0.001ppm (<1ppb); in volcanic plumes it reaches values between 0.1 and 0.5 ppm. WHO defines the concentration and relative effects on human health. We applied the Eulerian code DISGAS (DISpersion of GAS) to investigate the dispersion of the hydrogen sulfide (H2S) from 32 geothermal power plants (out of 35 active) belonging to the geothermal districts of Larderello, Travale-Radicondoli and Monte Amiata, in Tuscany (Italy). DISGAS code has simulated scenarios consistent with the prevailing wind conditions, estimating reasonable H2S concentrations for each area, and for each active power plant. The results suggest that H2S plumes emitted from geothermal power plants are mainly concentrated around the stacks of emission (H2S concentration up to 1100 ug/m3) and rapidly dilute along the dominant local wind direction. Although estimated values of air H2S concentrations are orders of magnitude higher than in unpolluted areas, they do not indicate an immediate health risk for nearby communities, under the more frequent local atmospheric conditions. Starting from the estimated values, validated by measurements in the field, we make some considerations about the environmental impact of the H2S emission in all the geothermal areas of the Tuscany region. Furthermore, this study indicates the potential of DISGAS as a tool for an improved understanding of the atmospheric and environmental impacts of the H2S continuous degassing from

An Integrated Hydrogen Production-CO2 Capture Process from Fossil Fuel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhicheng Wang

2007-03-15

The new technology concept integrates two significant complementary hydrogen production and CO{sub 2}-sequestration approaches that have been developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Clark Atlanta University. The process can convert biomass into hydrogen and char. Hydrogen can be efficiently used for stationary power and mobile applications, or it can be synthesized into Ammonia which can be used for CO{sub 2}-sequestration, while char can be used for making time-release fertilizers (NH{sub 4}HCO{sub 3}) by absorption of CO{sub 2} and other acid gases from exhaust flows. Fertilizers are then used for the growth of biomass back to fields. This project includes bench scale experiments and pilot scale tests. The Combustion and Emission Lab at Clark Atlanta University has conducted the bench scale experiments. The facility used for pilot scale tests was built in Athens, GA. The overall yield from this process is 7 wt% hydrogen and 32 wt% charcoal/activated carbon of feedstock (peanut shell). The value of co-product activated carbon is about $1.1/GJ and this coproduct reduced the selling price of hydrogen. And the selling price of hydrogen is estimated to be $6.95/GJ. The green house experimental results show that the samples added carbon-fertilizers have effectively growth increase of three different types of plants and improvement ability of keeping fertilizer in soil to avoid the fertilizer leaching with water.

Decentralized and direct solar hydrogen production: Towards a hydrogen economy in MENA region

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bensebaa, Farid; Khalfallah, Mohamed; Ouchene, Majid

2010-09-15

Hydrogen has certainly some advantages in spite of its high cost and low efficiency when compared to other energy vectors. Solar energy is an abundant, clean and renewable source of energy, currently competing with fossil fuel for water heating without subsidy. Photo-electrochemical, thermo-chemicals and photo-biological processes for hydrogen production processes have been demonstrated. These decentralised hydrogen production processes using directly solar energy do not require expensive hydrogen infrastructure for packaging and delivery in the short and medium terms. MENA region could certainly be considered a key area for a new start to a global deployment of hydrogen economy.

Roles Prioritization of Hydrogen Production Technologies for Promoting Hydrogen Economy in the Current State of China

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ren, Jingzheng; Gao, Suzhao; Tan, Shiyu

2015-01-01

Hydrogen production technologies play an important role in the hydrogen economy of China. However, the roles of different technologies played in promoting the development of hydrogen economy are different. The role prioritization of various hydrogen production technologies is of vital importance...... information. The prioritization results by using the proposed method demonstrated that the technologies of coal gasification with CO2 capture and storage and hydropower-based water electrolysis were regarded as the two most important hydrogen production pathways for promoting the development of hydrogen...... for the stakeholders/decision-makers to plan the development of hydrogen economy in China and to allocate the finite R&D budget reasonably. In this study, DPSIR framework was firstly used to identify the key factors concerning the priorities of various hydrogen production technologies; then, a fuzzy group decision...

A Study on Methodology of Assessment for Hydrogen Explosion in Hydrogen Production Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, Gun Hyo

2007-02-01

Due to the exhaustion of fossil fuel as energy sources and international situation insecurity for political factor, unstability of world energy market is rising, consequently, a substitute energy development have been required. Among substitute energy to be discussed, producing hydrogen from water by nuclear energy which does not release carbon is a very promising technology. Very high temperature gas cooled reactor is expected to be utilized since the procedure of producing hydrogen requires high temperature over 1000 .deg. C. Hydrogen production facility using very high temperature gas cooled reactor lies in situation of high temperature and corrosion which makes hydrogen release easily. In case of hydrogen release, there lies a danger of explosion. Moreover explosion not only has a bad influence upon facility itself but very high temperature gas cooled reactor which also result in unsafe situation that might cause serious damage. However, from point of thermal-hydraulics view, long distance makes low efficiency result. In this study, therefore, outlines of hydrogen production using nuclear energy is researched. Several methods for analyzing the effects of hydrogen explosion upon high temperature gas cooled reactor are reviewed. Reliability physics model which is appropriate for assessment is used. Using this model, leakage probability, rupture probability and structure failure probability of very high temperature gas cooled reactor is evaluated classified by detonation volume and distance. Also based on standard safety criteria which is a value of 1x10 -6 , the safety distance between very high temperature and hydrogen production facility is calculated. In the future, assessment for characteristic of very high temperature gas cooled reactor, capacity to resist pressure from outside hydrogen explosion and overpressure for large amount of detonation volume in detail is expected to identify more precise distance using reliability physics model in this paper. This

Scenarios of hydrogen production from wind power

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Klaric, Mario

2010-09-15

Since almost total amount of hydrogen is currently being produced from natural gas, other ways of cleaner and 'more renewable' production should be made feasible in order to make benchmarks for total 'hydrogen economy'. Hydrogen production from wind power combined with electrolysis imposes as one possible framework for new economy development. In this paper various wind-to-hydrogen scenarios were calculated. Cash flows of asset based project financing were used as decision making tool. Most important parameters were identified and strategies for further research and development and resource allocation are suggested.

Status of hydrogen production by nuclear power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, Jong Wa; Yoo, Kun Joong; Park, Chang Kue

2001-07-01

Hydrogen production methods, such as electrolysis, thermochemical method, biological method, and photochemical method, are introduced in this report. Also reviewed are current status of the development of High Temperatrue Gas Coooled Reactor, and it application for hydrogen production

Evaluation of Nuclear Hydrogen Production System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Won Seok; Park, C. K.; Park, J. K. and others

2006-04-01

The major objective of this work is tow-fold: one is to develop a methodology to determine the best VHTR types for the nuclear hydrogen demonstration project and the other is to evaluate the various hydrogen production methods in terms of the technical feasibility and the effectiveness for the optimization of the nuclear hydrogen system. Both top-tier requirements and design requirements have been defined for the nuclear hydrogen system. For the determination of the VHTR type, a comparative study on the reference reactors, PBR and PBR, was conducted. Based on the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method, a systematic methodology has been developed to compare the two VHTR types. Another scheme to determine the minimum reactor power was developed as well. Regarding the hydrogen production methods, comparison indices were defined and they were applied to the IS (Iodine-Sulfur) scheme, Westinghouse process, and the, high-temperature electrolysis method. For the HTE, IS, and MMI cycle, the thermal efficiency of hydrogen production were systematically evaluated. For the IS cycle, an overall process was identified and the functionality of some key components was identified. The economy of the nuclear hydrogen was evaluated, relative to various primary energy including natural gas coal, grid-electricity, and renewable. For the international collaborations, two joint research centers were established: NH-JRC between Korea and China and NH-JDC between Korea and US. Currently, several joint researches are underway through the research centers

Annex 15 of the IEA Hydrogen Implementing Agreement : Photobiological hydrogen production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lindblad, P. [Uppsala Univ., Uppsala (Sweden)]|[International Energy Agency, Paris (France)

2004-07-01

Task 15 of the Hydrogen Implementation Agreement of the International Energy Agency is to advance the science of biophotosynthesis of hydrogen, which is the biological production of hydrogen from water and sunlight using microalgal photosynthesis. A practical process for biophotolysis would result in an innovative biological source of sustainable and environmentally benign renewable energy source. Japan, Norway, Sweden and the United States initially committed to the project. Since then Canada, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom have joined. The current task is to produce hydrogen from both green algae and cyanobacteria with focus on early-stage applied research on biophotolysis processes with intermediate carbon dioxide fixation. Significant advances have also occurred in the scientific field of cyanobacterial biohydrogen. Cyanobacteria has enzymes that metabolise hydrogen. Photosynthetic cyanobacteria have simple nutritional requirements and can grow in air, water, or mineral salts with light as the only source of energy. This research will help provide the advances needed to achieve practical efficiencies and cost objectives of biological hydrogen production. tabs., figs.

Hydrogen Production from Nuclear Energy via High Temperature Electrolysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

James E. O'Brien; Carl M. Stoots; J. Stephen Herring; Grant L. Hawkes

2006-01-01

This paper presents the technical case for high-temperature nuclear hydrogen production. A general thermodynamic analysis of hydrogen production based on high-temperature thermal water splitting processes is presented. Specific details of hydrogen production based on high-temperature electrolysis are also provided, including results of recent experiments performed at the Idaho National Laboratory. Based on these results, high-temperature electrolysis appears to be a promising technology for efficient large-scale hydrogen production

Hydrogen treatment system in the Genkai nuclear power plant No. 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakamura, Masayuki; Kodama, Hideo; Murashima, Masayasu

1977-01-01

The new hydrogen treatment system which injects hydrogen into the volume control tank for purging the mixed waste gas of Kr, Xe, etc. is adopted in the Genkai nuclear power plant No. 2. The system is composed of mainly the waste gas pretreatment equipment, a palladium alloy membrane type hydrogen separator, a hydrogen compressor, and a waste gas decay tank. The outline of the primary cooling system and the chemical volume control system of PWR, the hydrogen treatment system, and the gaseous waste disposal system of original and new types for the Genkai nuclear power plants No. 1 and 2 are explained in this paper. This newly added hydrogen treatment system will be able to reduce the rare gas concentration rate in the primary coolant to about 1/2 and 1/5 for Kr 85 and Xe 133 , respectively. (auth.)

Fusion reactors for hydrogen production via electrolysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fillo, J.A.; Powell, J.R.; Steinberg, M.

1979-01-01

The decreasing availability of fossil fuels emphasizes the need to develop systems which will produce synthetic fuel to substitute for and supplement the natural supply. An important first step in the synthesis of liquid and gaseous fuels is the production of hydrogen. Thermonuclear fusion offers an inexhaustible source of energy for the production of hydrogen from water. Depending on design, electric generation efficiencies of approx. 40 to 60% and hydrogen production efficiencies by high temperature electrolysis of approx. 50 to 70% are projected for fusion reactors using high temperature blankets

Zero emission distributed hydrogen production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maddaloni, J.; Rowe, A.; Bailey, R.; McDonald, J.D.

2004-01-01

The need for distributed production facilities has become a critical issue in developing a hydrogen infrastructure. Hydrogen generation using processes that make effective use of what would normally be considered waste streams or process inefficiencies can have more favorable economics than stand-alone technologies. Currently, natural gas is distributed to industrial and residential customers through a network of pipelines. High pressure main lines move gas to the vicinity of consumers where the pressure is reduced for local, low pressure distribution. Often, the practice is to use an isenthalpic expansion which results in a cooling of the gas stream. Some of the natural gas is burned to preheat the fuel so that the temperature after the expansion is near ambient. This results in the destruction of exergy in the high pressure gas stream and produces CO 2 in the process. If, instead, a turbo-expander is used to reduce the stream pressure, work can be recovered using a generator and hydrogen can be produced via electrolysis. This method of hydrogen production is free of green-house gas emissions, makes use of existing gas distribution facilities, and uses exergy that would otherwise be destroyed. Pressure reduction using the work producing process (turbo-expander) is accompanied by a large drop in temperature, on the average of 70 K. The local gas distributor requires the gas temperature to be raised again to near 8 o C to prevent damage to valve assemblies. The required heating power after expansion can be on the order of megawatts (site dependent.) Supplying the heat can be seen as a cost if energy is taken from the system to reheat the fuel; however, the low temperature stream may also be considered an asset if the cooling power can be used for a local process. This analysis is the second stage of a study to examine the technical and economic feasibility of using pressure let-down sites as hydrogen production facilities. This paper describes a proposed

Biological Hydrogen Production from Corn-Syrup Waste Using a Novel System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

George Nakhla

2009-06-01

Full Text Available The reported patent-pending system comprises a novel biohydrogen reactor with a gravity settler for decoupling of SRT from HRT. The biohydrogenator was operated for 100 days at 37 °C, hydraulic retention time 8 h and solids retention time ranging from 2.2–2.5 days. The feed was a corn-syrup waste generated as a byproduct from an industrial facility for bioethanol production located in southwestern Ontario, Canada. The system was initially started up with a synthetic feed containing glucose at concentration of 8 g/L and other essential inorganics. Anaerobicaly-digested sludge from the St. Mary’s wastewater treatment plant (St. Mary, Ontario, Canada was used as the seed, and was heat treated at 70 °C for 30 min to inhibit methanogens. After 10 days, when the hydrogen production was steady, the corn-syrup waste was introduced to the system. Glucose was the main constituent in the corn-syrup; its concentration was varied over a period of 90 days from 8 to 25 g/L. The change in glucose concentration was used to study the impact of variable organic loading on the stability of hydrogen production in the biohydrogenator. Hydrogen production rate increased from 10 L H2/L·d to 34 L H2/L·d with the increase of organic loading rate (OLR from 26 to 81 gCOD/L·d, while a maximum hydrogen yield of 430 mL H2/gCOD was achieved in the system with an overall average of 385 mL H2/gCOD.

Conceptual design of a hydrogen production system by DME steam reforming and high-efficiency nuclear reactor technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fukushima, Kimichika; Ogawa, Takashi

2003-01-01

Hydrogen is a potential alternative energy source and produced commercially by methane (natural gas) or LPG steam reforming, a process that requires high temperatures, which are produced by burning fossil fuels. However, since this process emits large amounts of CO 2 , replacement of the combustion heat source with a nuclear heat source for 773-1173 K processes has been proposed in order to eliminate these CO 2 emissions. This paper proposes a novel method of low-temperature nuclear hydrogen production by reforming dimethyl ether (DME) with steam produced by a low-temperature nuclear reactor at about 573 K. The authors identified conditions that provide high hydrogen production fraction at low pressure and temperatures of about 523-573 K. By setting this low-temperature hydrogen production process at about 573K upstream from a turbine, it was found theoretically that the total energy utilization efficiency is about 50% and very high. By setting a turbine upstream of the hydrogen production plant, an overall efficiency of is 75% for an FBR and 76% for a supercritical-water cooled power reactor (SCPR). (author)

Production of Hydrogen from Bio-ethanol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fabrice Giroudiere; Christophe Boyer; Stephane His; Robert Sanger; Kishore Doshi; Jijun Xu

2006-01-01

IFP and HyRadix are collaborating in the development of a new hydrogen production system from liquid feedstock such as bio-ethanol. Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions along with high hydrogen yield are the key objectives. Market application of the system will be hydrogen refueling stations as well as medium scale hydrogen consumers including the electronics, metals processing, and oils hydrogenation industries. The conversion of bio-ethanol to hydrogen will be performed within a co-developed process including an auto-thermal reformer working under pressure. The technology will produce high-purity hydrogen with ultralow CO content. The catalytic auto-thermal reforming technology combines the exothermic and endothermic reaction and leads to a highly efficient heat integration. The development strategy to reach a high hydrogen yield target with the bio-ethanol hydrogen generator is presented. (authors)

Development of hydrogen production technology using FBR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ono, Kiyoshi; Otaki, Akira; Chikazawa, Yoshitaka; Nakagiri, Toshio; Sato, Hiroyuki; Sekine, Takashi; Ooka, Makoto

2004-06-01

This report describes the features of technology, the schedule and the organization for the research and development regarding the hydrogen production technology using FBR thermal energy. Now, the hydrogen production system is proposed as one of new business models for FBR deployment. This system is the production of hydrogen either thermal energy at approximately from 500degC to 550degC or electricity produced by a sodium cooled FBR. Hydrogen is expected to be one of the future clean secondary energies without carbon-dioxide emission. Meanwhile the global energy demand will increase, especially in Asian countries, and the energy supply by fossil fuels is not the best choice considering the green house effect and the stability of energy supply. The development of the hydrogen technology using FBR that satisfies 'sustainable energy development' and 'utilization of energies free from environmental pollution' will be one of the promising options. Based on the above mentioned recognition, we propose the direction of the development, the issues to be solved, the time schedule, the budget, and the organization for R and D of three hydrogen production technologies, the thermochemical hybrid process, the low temperature steam reforming process, and the high temperature steam electrolysis process in JNC. (author)

Role of hydrogen in future North European power system in 2060

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Meibom, Peter; Karlsson, Kenneth Bernard

2010-01-01

the heat production in heat pumps and electric heat boilers, and by varying the production of hydrogen in electrolysis plants in combination with hydrogen storage. Investment in hydrogen storage capacity corresponded to 1.2% of annual wind power production in the scenarios without a hydrogen demand from...... the future success of fuel cell technologies have been investigated as well as different electricity and heat demand assumptions. The variability of wind power production was handled by varying the hydropower production and the production on CHP plants using biomass, by power transmission, by varying...

Hydrogen Production Using Nuclear Energy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Verfondern, K. [Research Centre Juelich (Germany)

2013-03-15

world. In recent years, the scope of the IAEA's programme has been widened to include other more promising applications such as nuclear hydrogen production and higher temperature process heat applications. The OECD Nuclear Energy Agency, Euratom and the Generation IV International Forum have also shown interest in the non-electric applications of nuclear power based on future generation advanced and innovative nuclear reactors. This report was developed under an IAEA project with the objective of providing updated, balanced and objective information on the current status of hydrogen production processes using nuclear energy. It documents the state of the art of the development of hydrogen as an energy carrier in many Member States, as well as its corresponding production through the use of nuclear power. The report includes an introduction to the technology of nuclear process heat reactors as a means of producing hydrogen or other upgraded fuels, with a focus on high temperature reactor technology to achieve simultaneous generation of electricity and high temperature process heat and steam. Special emphasis is placed on the safety aspects of nuclear hydrogen production systems.

Some hydrogen-control considerations for ice-condenser nuclear plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hubbard, H.W.; Hammond, R.P.; Zivi, S.M.

1981-02-01

The proposal of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) for coping with the problem of accident generated hydrogen gas in its Sequoyah ice-condenser plant was to put in place glow-plug igniters so that any hydrogen that is evolved during an accident could be burnt before accumulating into a dangerously large mass. Since it was desired to install these igniters in the Sequoyah and other plants as quickly as possible, the NRC asked the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) to carry out some experiments on these igniters to delineate the region of their applicability

Arizona Public Service - Alternative Fuel (Hydrogen) Pilot Plant Design Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

James E. Francfort

2003-12-01

Hydrogen has promise to be the fuel of the future. Its use as a chemical reagent and as a rocket propellant has grown to over eight million metric tons per year in the United States. Although use of hydrogen is abundant, it has not been used extensively as a transportation fuel. To assess the viability of hydrogen as a transportation fuel and the viability of producing hydrogen using off-peak electric energy, Pinnacle West Capital Corporation (PNW) and its electric utility subsidiary, Arizona Public Service (APS) designed, constructed, and operates a hydrogen and compressed natural gas fueling station—the APS Alternative Fuel Pilot Plant. This report summarizes the design of the APS Alternative Fuel Pilot Plant and presents lessons learned from its design and construction. Electric Transportation Applications prepared this report under contract to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Vehicle Testing Activity. The Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory manages these activities for the Advanced Vehicle Testing Activity.

Synergistic production of hydrogen using fossil fuels and nuclear energy application of nuclear-heated membrane reformer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hori, M.; Matsui, K.; Tashimo, M.; Yasuda, I.

2004-01-01

Processes and technologies to produce hydrogen synergistically by the steam reforming reaction using fossil fuels and nuclear heat are reviewed. Formulas of chemical reactions, required heats for reactions, saving of fuel consumption or reduction of carbon dioxide emission, possible processes and other prospects are examined for such fossil fuels as natural gas, petroleum and coal. The 'membrane reformer' steam reforming with recirculation of reaction products in a closed loop configuration is considered to be the most advantageous among various synergistic hydrogen production methods. Typical merits of this method are: nuclear heat supply at medium temperature below 600 deg. C, compact plant size and membrane area for hydrogen production, efficient conversion of feed fuel, appreciable reduction of carbon dioxide emission, high purity hydrogen without any additional process, and ease of separating carbon dioxide for future sequestration requirements. With all these benefits, the synergistic production of hydrogen by membrane reformer using fossil fuels and nuclear energy can be an effective solution in this century for the world which has to use. fossil fuels any way to some extent while reducing carbon dioxide emission. For both the fossil fuels industry and the nuclear industry, which are under constraint of resource, environment and economy, this production method will be a viable symbiosis strategy for the coming hydrogen economy era. (author)

Comparative Analysis of Hydrogen Production Methods with Nuclear Reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morozov, Andrey

2008-01-01

Hydrogen is highly effective and ecologically clean fuel. It can be produced by a variety of methods. Presently the most common are through electrolysis of water and through the steam reforming of natural gas. It is evident that the leading method for the future production of hydrogen is nuclear energy. Several types of reactors are being considered for hydrogen production, and several methods exist to produce hydrogen, including thermochemical cycles and high-temperature electrolysis. In the article the comparative analysis of various hydrogen production methods is submitted. It is considered the possibility of hydrogen production with the nuclear reactors and is proposed implementation of research program in this field at the IPPE sodium-potassium eutectic cooling high temperature experimental facility (VTS rig). (authors)

Electrolytic production and dispensing of hydrogen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thomas, C.E.; Kuhn, I.F. Jr. [Directed Technologies, Inc., Arlington, VA (United States)

1995-09-01

The fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) is undoubtedly the only option that can meet both the California zero emission vehicle (ZEV) standard and the President`s goal of tripling automobile efficiency without sacrificing performance in a standard 5-passenger vehicle. The three major automobile companies are designing and developing FCEVs powered directly by hydrogen under cost-shared contracts with the Department of Energy. Once developed, these vehicles will need a reliable and inexpensive source of hydrogen. Steam reforming of natural gas would produce the least expensive hydrogen, but funding may not be sufficient initially to build both large steam reforming plants and the transportation infrastructure necessary to deliver that hydrogen to geographically scattered FCEV fleets or individual drivers. This analysis evaluates the economic feasibility of using small scale water electrolysis to provide widely dispersed but cost-effective hydrogen for early FCEV demonstrations. We estimate the cost of manufacturing a complete electrolysis system in large quantities, including compression and storage, and show that electrolytic hydrogen could be cost competitive with fully taxed gasoline, using existing residential off-peak electricity rates.

How green are the hydrogen production processes?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miele, Ph.; Demirci, U.B.

2010-01-01

Molecular hydrogen is recognised as being one of the most promising fuels alternate to fossil fuels. Unfortunately it only exists combined with other elements like e.g. oxygen in the case of water and therefore has to be produced. Today various methods for producing molecular hydrogen are being investigated. Besides its energy potential, molecular hydrogen is regarded as being a green energy carrier because it can be produced from renewable sources and its combustion/oxidation generates water. However as it has to be produced its greenness merits a deeper discussion especially stressing on its production routes. The goal of the present article is to discuss the relative greenness of the various hydrogen production processes on the basis of the twelve principles of green chemistry. It is mainly showed that the combination 'renewable raw materials, biological or electrochemical methods, and renewable energies (e.g. solar or wind)' undeniably makes the hydrogen production green. (authors)

Radiolytic gas production from concrete containing Savannah River Plant waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bibler, N.E.

1978-01-01

To determine the extent of gas production from radiolysis of concrete containing radioactive Savannah River Plant waste, samples of concrete and simulated waste were irradiated by 60 Co gamma rays and 244 Cm alpha particles. Gamma radiolysis simulated radiolysis by beta particles from fission products in the waste. Alpha radiolysis indicated the effect of alpha particles from transuranic isotopes in the waste. With gamma radiolysis, hydrogen was the only significant product; hydrogen reached a steady-state pressure that increased with increasing radiation intensity. Hydrogen was produced faster, and a higher steady-state pressure resulted when an organic set retarder was present. Oxygen that was sealed with the wastes was depleted. Gamma radiolysis also produced nitrous oxide gas when nitrate or nitrite was present in the concrete. With alpha radiolysis, hydrogen and oxygen were produced. Hydrogen did not reach a steady-state pressure at 137 Cs and 90 Sr), hydrogen will reach a steady-state pressure of 8 to 28 psi, and oxygen will be partially consumed. These predictions were confirmed by measurement of gas produced over a short time in a container of concrete and actual SRP waste. The tests with simulated waste also indicated that nitrous oxide may form, but because of the low nitrate or nitrite content of the waste, the maximum pressure of nitrous oxide after 300 years will be 238 Pu and 239 Pu will predominate; the hydrogen and oxygen pressures will increase to >200 psi

Hydrogen Production from Nuclear Energy

Science.gov (United States)

Walters, Leon; Wade, Dave

2003-07-01

During the past decade the interest in hydrogen as transportation fuel has greatly escalated. This heighten interest is partly related to concerns surrounding local and regional air pollution from the combustion of fossil fuels along with carbon dioxide emissions adding to the enhanced greenhouse effect. More recently there has been a great sensitivity to the vulnerability of our oil supply. Thus, energy security and environmental concerns have driven the interest in hydrogen as the clean and secure alternative to fossil fuels. Remarkable advances in fuel-cell technology have made hydrogen fueled transportation a near-term possibility. However, copious quantities of hydrogen must be generated in a manner independent of fossil fuels if environmental benefits and energy security are to be achieved. The renewable technologies, wind, solar, and geothermal, although important contributors, simply do not comprise the energy density required to deliver enough hydrogen to displace much of the fossil transportation fuels. Nuclear energy is the only primary energy source that can generate enough hydrogen in an energy secure and environmentally benign fashion. Methods of production of hydrogen from nuclear energy, the relative cost of hydrogen, and possible transition schemes to a nuclear-hydrogen economy will be presented.

Hydrogen Production by Water Electrolysis Via Photovoltaic Panel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hydrogen Production by Water Electrolysis Via Photovoltaic Panel

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Hydrogen fuel is a good alternative to fossil fuels. It can be produced using a clean energy without contaminated emissions. This work is concerned with experimental study on hydrogen production via solar energy. Photovoltaic module is used to convert solar radiation to electrical energy. The electrical energy is used for electrolysis of water into hydrogen and oxygen by using alkaline water electrolyzer with stainless steel electrodes. A MATLAB computer program is developed to solve a four-parameter-model and predict the characteristics of PV module under Baghdad climate conditions. The hydrogen production system is tested at different NaOH mass concentration of (50,100, 200, 300 gram. The maximum hydrogen production rate is 153.3 ml/min, the efficiency of the system is 20.88% and the total amount of hydrogen produced in one day is 220.752 liter.

Production of hydrogen from by-products of food industries by rhodospirillaceae

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reh, U.

1983-11-01

The decomposition of organic substances from food-by-products as whey, beet sugar molasses, cane-sugar-molasses and potato-water by the Rhodospirillaceae Rp. capsulata, Rp. acidophila, Rm. vannielii, Rs. rubrum, and Rs. tenue to hydrogen and carbon dioxide were tested. In a pre-cultivation Lactobacillus bulgaricus converted the sugars of the by-products into lactic acid, which is easier in handling. Rs. rubrum was superior in producing hydrogen from this nutrient. It released from whey up to 56% of the substrate hydrogen, from beet sugar molasses 42%, from cane-sugar-molasses 89% and from potato-water 19%. Out-door-researches were made to evaluate the decrease of hydrogen yield under the influence of weather as well as day and night periods compared to the homogeneous conditions of the laboratory. From 200 m/sup 3/ whey, the daily output of a dairy, 4000 m/sup 3/ hydrogen corresponding to an energy equivalent of 1000 l fuel oil could be produced. To achieve this, 130 000 m/sup 2/ have to be covered with batch fermenters. These results show, that there is nearly no hope to decompose food by-products by Rhodospirillaceae in large scale technology, unless a new processing technology using a flow-fermenter and raising the hydrogen production significantly will be found.

Continuous hydrogen production from starch by fermentation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yasuda, Keigo; Tanisho, Shigeharu [Yokohama National Univ. (Japan)

2010-07-01

This study was investigated the effect of hydraulic retention time (HRT) on hydrogen production rate, hydrogen yield and the production rate of volatile fatty acid. The experiment was performed in a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) with a working volume of 1 L by using a Clostridium sp. The temperature of the CSTR was regulated 37 C. The pH was controlled 6.0 by the addition of 3 M of NaOH solution. Starch was used as the carbon source with the concentration of 30 g L{sup -1}. Hydrogen production rate increased from 0.9 L-H{sub 2} L-culture{sup -1} h{sup -1} to 3.2 L-H{sub 2} L-culture{sup -1} h{sup -1} along with the decrease of HRT from 9 h to 1.5 h. Hydrogen yield decreased at low HRT. The major volatile fatty acids are acetic acid, butyric acid and lactic acid. The production rates of acetic acid and butyric acid increased along with the decrease of HRT. On the other hand, the rate of lactic acid was low at high HRT while it increased at HRT 1.5 h. The increase of the production rate of lactic acid suggested one of the reasons that hydrogen yield decreased. (orig.)

Hydrogen production by the hyperthermophilic bacterium Thermotoga maritima Part II: modeling and experimental approaches for hydrogen production.

Science.gov (United States)

Auria, Richard; Boileau, Céline; Davidson, Sylvain; Casalot, Laurence; Christen, Pierre; Liebgott, Pierre Pol; Combet-Blanc, Yannick

2016-01-01

Thermotoga maritima is a hyperthermophilic bacterium known to produce hydrogen from a large variety of substrates. The aim of the present study is to propose a mathematical model incorporating kinetics of growth, consumption of substrates, product formations, and inhibition by hydrogen in order to predict hydrogen production depending on defined culture conditions. Our mathematical model, incorporating data concerning growth, substrates, and products, was developed to predict hydrogen production from batch fermentations of the hyperthermophilic bacterium, T. maritima . It includes the inhibition by hydrogen and the liquid-to-gas mass transfer of H 2 , CO 2 , and H 2 S. Most kinetic parameters of the model were obtained from batch experiments without any fitting. The mathematical model is adequate for glucose, yeast extract, and thiosulfate concentrations ranging from 2.5 to 20 mmol/L, 0.2-0.5 g/L, or 0.01-0.06 mmol/L, respectively, corresponding to one of these compounds being the growth-limiting factor of T. maritima . When glucose, yeast extract, and thiosulfate concentrations are all higher than these ranges, the model overestimates all the variables. In the window of the model validity, predictions of the model show that the combination of both variables (increase in limiting factor concentration and in inlet gas stream) leads up to a twofold increase of the maximum H 2 -specific productivity with the lowest inhibition. A mathematical model predicting H 2 production in T. maritima was successfully designed and confirmed in this study. However, it shows the limit of validity of such mathematical models. Their limit of applicability must take into account the range of validity in which the parameters were established.

A Review of Hydrogen Production by Photosynthetic Organisms Using Whole-Cell and Cell-Free Systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Baker A; Frymier, Paul D

2017-10-01

Molecular hydrogen is a promising currency in the future energy economy due to the uncertain availability of finite fossil fuel resources and environmental effects from their combustion. It also has important uses in the production of fertilizers and platform chemicals as well as in upgrading conventional fuels. Conventional methods for producing molecular hydrogen from natural gas produce carbon dioxide and use a finite resource as feedstock. However, these issues can be overcome by using light energy from the Sun combined with microorganisms and their molecular machinery capable of photosynthesis. In the presence of light, the proteins involved in photosynthesis coupled with appropriate catalysts in higher plants, algae, and cyanobacteria can produce molecular hydrogen, and optimization via genetic modifications and biomolecular engineering further improves production rates. In this review, we will discuss techniques that have been utilized to improve rates of hydrogen production in biological systems based on the protein machinery of photosynthesis coupled with appropriate catalysts. We will also suggest areas for improvement and future directions for work in the field.

Hydrogen production from solar energy

Science.gov (United States)

Eisenstadt, M. M.; Cox, K. E.

1975-01-01

Three alternatives for hydrogen production from solar energy have been analyzed on both efficiency and economic grounds. The analysis shows that the alternative using solar energy followed by thermochemical decomposition of water to produce hydrogen is the optimum one. The other schemes considered were the direct conversion of solar energy to electricity by silicon cells and water electrolysis, and the use of solar energy to power a vapor cycle followed by electrical generation and electrolysis. The capital cost of hydrogen via the thermochemical alternative was estimated at $575/kW of hydrogen output or $3.15/million Btu. Although this cost appears high when compared with hydrogen from other primary energy sources or from fossil fuel, environmental and social costs which favor solar energy may prove this scheme feasible in the future.

Sensor for Measuring Hydrogen Partial Pressure in Parabolic Trough Power Plant Expansion Tanks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Glatzmaier, Greg C.; Cooney, Daniel A.

2017-06-27

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Acciona Energy North America are working together to design and implement a process system that provides a permanent solution to the issue of hydrogen buildup at parabolic trough power plants. We are pursuing a method that selectively removes hydrogen from the expansion tanks that serve as reservoirs for the heat transfer fluid (HTF) that circulates in the collector field and power block components. Our modeling shows that removing hydrogen from the expansion tanks at a design rate reduces and maintains dissolved hydrogen in the circulating HTF to a selected target level. Our collaborative work consists of several tasks that are needed to advance this process concept to a development stage, where it is ready for implementation at a commercial power plant. Our main effort is to design and evaluate likely process-unit operations that remove hydrogen from the expansion tanks at a specified rate. Additionally, we designed and demonstrated a method and instrumentation to measure hydrogen partial pressure and concentration in the expansion-tank headspace gas. We measured hydrogen partial pressure in the headspace gas mixture using a palladium-alloy membrane, which is permeable exclusively to hydrogen. The membrane establishes a pure hydrogen gas phase that is in equilibrium with the hydrogen in the gas mixture. We designed and fabricated instrumentation, and demonstrated its effectiveness in measuring hydrogen partial pressures over a range of three orders of magnitude. Our goal is to install this instrument at the Nevada Solar One power plant and to demonstrate its effectiveness in measuring hydrogen levels in the expansion tanks under normal plant operating conditions.

Nuclear hydrogen production: re-examining the fusion option

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baindur, S.

2007-01-01

This paper describes a scheme for nuclear hydrogen production by fusion. The basic idea is to use nuclear energy of the fuel (hydrogen plasma) to produce molecular hydrogen fro carbon-free hydrogen compounds. The hydrogen is then stored and utilized electrochemically in fuel cells or chemically as molecular hydrogen in internal combustion engines

The small-scale production of hydrogen, with the co-production of electricity and district heat, by means of the gasification of municipal solid waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hognert, Johannes; Nilsson, Lars

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Outline of a process for handling municipal solid waste potentially leading to reduced use of fossil transportation fuels. • The integration of waste gasification into a district heat plant leads to excellent energy efficiency. • Analysis based on actual production data from a district heat plant over the period of one year. • Simulation of a plant with productions of heat, power and gaseous hydrogen. - Abstract: Reducing the use of fossil fuels and increasing the recycling of waste are two important challenges for a sustainable society. Fossil fuels contribute to global warming whilst waste causes the pollution of land, water and air. Alternative fuels and innovative waste management systems are needed to address these issues. In this study a gasification process, fuelled with municipal solid waste, was assumed to be integrated into a heat plant to produce hydrogen, electricity and district heat. A whole system, which includes a gasification reactor, heat plant, steam cycle, pressure swing adsorption, gas turbine and compressors was modelled in Microsoft Excel and an energy balance of the system was solved. Data from the scientific literature were used when setting up the heat and mass balances of the gasification process as well as for assessment of the composition of the syngas. The allocation of energy of the products obtained in the process is 29% hydrogen, 26% electricity and 45% district heat. A significant result of the study is the high energy efficiency (88%) during the cold period of the year when the produced heat in the system is utilized for district heat. The system also shows a competitive energy efficiency (56.5%) all year round.

Hydrogen production by water-splitting and HTGR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Courvoisier, P.; Rastouin, J.; Tilliette, Z.C.

1976-01-01

Some aspects of the use of heat of nuclear origin for the production of hydrogen by water-splitting are considered. General notions pertaining to the yield of chemical cycles are discussed and the heat balance corresponding to two specific processes is evaluated. The possibilities of high temperature reactors, with respect to the coolant temperature levels, are examined from the standpoint of core design and technology of some components. Furthermore these reactors can lead to excellent use of nuclear fuel. The coupling of the nuclear reactor with the chemical plant by means of a secondary helium circuit gives rise to the design of an intermediate heat exchanger, which is an important component of the overall installation [fr

Preliminary safety analysis of the HTTR-IS nuclear hydrogen production system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sato, Hiroyuki; Ohashi, Hirofumi; Tazawa, Yujiro; Tachibana, Yukio; Sakaba, Nariaki

2010-06-01

Japan Atomic Energy Agency is planning to demonstrate hydrogen production by thermochemical water-splitting IS process utilizing heat from the high-temperature gas-cooled reactor HTTR (HTTR-IS system). The previous study identified that the HTTR modification due to the coupling of hydrogen production plant requires an additional safety review since the scenario and quantitative values of the evaluation items would be altered from the original HTTR safety review. Hence, preliminary safety analyses are conducted by using the system analysis code. Calculation results showed that evaluation items such as a coolant pressure, temperatures of heat transfer tubes at the pressure boundary, etc., did not exceed allowable values. Also, the peak fuel temperature did not exceed allowable value and therefore the reactor core was not damaged and cooled sufficiently. This report compiles calculation conditions, event scenarios and the calculation results of the preliminary safety analysis. (author)

Solar driven technologies for hydrogen production

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Medojević Milovan M.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Bearing in mind that the production of hydrogen based on renewable energy sources, without doubt, is an important aspect to be taken into account when considering the potential of this gas, where as particularly interesting technologies stand out the ones which are based on the use of solar energy to produce hydrogen. The goal of this paper provides basic technological trajectories, with the possibility of combining, for solar driven hydrogen production, such as: electrochemical, photochemical and thermochemical process. Furthermore, the paper presents an analysis of those technologies from a technical as well as economic point of view. In addition, the paper aims to draw attention to the fact that the generation of hydrogen using renewable energy should be imposed as a logical and proper way to store solar energy in the form of chemical energy.

Biological hydrogen production by moderately thermophilic anaerobic bacteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

HP Goorissen; AJM Stams

2006-01-01

This study focuses on the biological production of hydrogen at moderate temperatures (65-75 C) by anaerobic bacteria. A survey was made to select the best (moderate) thermophiles for hydrogen production from cellulolytic biomass. From this survey we selected Caldicellulosiruptor saccharolyticus (a gram-positive bacterium) and Thermotoga elfii (a gram-negative bacterium) as potential candidates for biological hydrogen production on mixtures of C 5 -C 6 sugars. Xylose and glucose were used as model substrates to describe growth and hydrogen production from hydrolyzed biomass. Mixed substrate utilization in batch cultures revealed differences in the sequence of substrate consumption and in catabolites repression of the two microorganisms. The regulatory mechanisms of catabolites repression in these microorganisms are not known yet. (authors)

Resource Assessment for Hydrogen Production: Hydrogen Production Potential from Fossil and Renewable Energy Resources

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Melaina, M. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Penev, M. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Heimiller, D. [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2013-09-01

This study examines the energy resources required to produce 4-10 million metric tonnes of domestic, low-carbon hydrogen in order to fuel approximately 20-50 million fuel cell electric vehicles. These projected energy resource requirements are compared to current consumption levels, projected 2040 business as usual consumptions levels, and projected 2040 consumption levels within a carbonconstrained future for the following energy resources: coal (assuming carbon capture and storage), natural gas, nuclear (uranium), biomass, wind (on- and offshore), and solar (photovoltaics and concentrating solar power). The analysis framework builds upon previous analysis results estimating hydrogen production potentials and drawing comparisons with economy-wide resource production projections

The photovoltaic systems of the solar hydrogen production plant at Neunburg vorm Wald; Design, operation experiences, experiment results. Die Photovoltaik der Solar-Wasserstoff-Anlage in Neunburg vorm Wald; Auslegung, Betriebserfahrungen, Versuchsergebnisse

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dietsch, T.; Szyszka, A.

1993-01-01

The electrolysis process of the solar hydrogen production plant at Neunburg vorm Wald receives its energy from two photovoltaic energy conversion systems with a total installed module capacity of 277 kW[sub p]. Regular measurements have been made ever since the commissioning of the plant in January 1990. Both PV systems had a good performance and stability. The article describes the state of the art as of October 1993. (orig.)

Cobalt Ferrite Nanocrystallites for Sustainable Hydrogen Production Application

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rajendra S. Gaikwad

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Cobalt ferrite, CoFe2O4, nanocrystalline films were deposited using electrostatic spray method and explored in sustainable hydrogen production application. Reflection planes in X-ray diffraction pattern confirm CoFe2O4 phase. The surface scanning microscopy photoimages reveal an agglomeration of closely-packed CoFe2O4 nanoflakes. Concentrated solar-panel, a two-step water splitting process, measurement technique was preferred for measuring the hydrogen generation rate. For about 5 hr sustainable, 440 mL/hr, hydrogen production activity was achieved, confirming the efficient use of cobalt ferrite nanocrystallites film in hydrogen production application.

Fermentative hydrogen production in a system using anaerobic digester sludge without heat-treatment as a biomass source

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shizas, I.; Bagley, D.M. [Toronto Univ., Toronto, ON (Canada). Dept. of Civil Engineering

2004-07-01

A study at a Canadian waste treatment plant showed that raw sewage entering had nine times the energy content needed to run the plant. Therefore plants such as these could potentially become net energy producers. A common practice in laboratory-scale demonstration units is to use heat treatments to kill methanogens that consume hydrogen and retain only spore-forming fermentative bacteria. This heat treatment is energy intensive and therefore would be best omitted from a large-scale operation. Also, methanogens seem to be ubiquitous and it may not be possible to prevent their reintroduction in a commercial set up. This paper reports on studies to see if methanogens can be kept to an acceptable level by control of pH and by keeping the solids retention time down to about ten hours. When fed glucose the reactor initially had a productivity of approximately 7.9 per cent. After purging with carbon dioxide and nitrogen gas, productivity increased to more than 20 per cent on the first day. Hydrogenotrophic methanogens then established themselves in the reactor, reducing hydrogen productivity during the second non-purged phase by 80 per cent. The methods examined did not eliminate hydrogen-consuming methanogens for longer than a week, and thus it was suggested that the matter needs further study. 13 refs., 3 figs.

Tritiated hydrogen gas storage systems for a fusion plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bramy, W.; Hircq, B.; Peyrat, M.; Leger, D.

1992-01-01

This paper reports that USSI INGENIERIE has carried out a study financed by European Communities Commission concerning the NET/ITER project, on tritium Fuel Management and Storage systems of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor. A processing block diagram for hydrogen isotopes represents all interfaces and possible links between these systems and tritiated gas mixtures flowing through the Fusion plant. Large quantities of hydrogen isotopes (up to several thousand moles of protium, deuterium and tritium) in gaseous form associated with torus fuelling and exhaust pellet injection, and neutral beam injection, must be stored and managed in such a plant

Process design of a hydrogen production plant from natural gas with CO2 capture based on a novel Ca/Cu chemical loop

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martínez, I.; Romano, M.C.; Fernández, J.R.; Chiesa, P.; Murillo, R.; Abanades, J.C.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Process design of a H 2 production plant based on a novel Ca/Cu looping process is presented. • CuO reduction with syngas provides energy for CaCO 3 calcination. • The effect of operating conditions on plant performance indexes is analysed. • Carbon capture efficiencies of around 94% are obtained. • Around 6% points of equivalent H 2 efficiency improvement on conventional reforming. - Abstract: A detailed and comprehensive design of a H 2 production plant based on a novel Ca/Cu chemical looping process is presented in this work. This H 2 production process is based on the sorption-enhanced reforming concept using natural gas together with a CaO/CaCO 3 chemical loop. A second Cu/CuO loop is incorporated to supply energy for the calcination of the CaCO 3 via the reduction of CuO with a fuel gas. A comprehensive energy integration description of the different gas streams available in the plant is provided to allow a thermodynamic assessment of the process and to highlight its advantages and drawbacks. Hydrogen equivalent efficiencies of up to 77% are feasible with this novel Ca/Cu looping process, using an active reforming catalyst based on Pt, high oxidation temperatures and moderate gas velocities in the fixed bed system, which are around 6% points above the efficiency of a reference H 2 production plant based on conventional steam reforming including CO 2 capture with MDEA. Non-converted carbon compounds in the reforming stage are removed as CO 2 in the calcination stage of the Ca/Cu looping process, which will be compressed and sent for storage. Carbon capture efficiencies of around 94% can be obtained with this Ca/Cu looping process, which are significantly higher than those obtained in the reference plant that uses MDEA absorption (around 85%). Additional advantages, such as its compact design and the use of cheaper materials compared to other commercial processes for H 2 production with CO 2 capture, confirm the potential of the Ca

Relative economic incentives for hydrogen from nuclear, renewable, and fossil energy sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gorensek, Maximilian B.; Forsberg, Charles W.

2009-01-01

The specific hydrogen market determines the value of hydrogen from different sources. Each hydrogen production technology has its own distinct characteristics. For example, steam reforming of natural gas produces only hydrogen. In contrast, nuclear and solar hydrogen production facilities produce hydrogen together with oxygen as a by-product or co-product. For a user who needs both oxygen and hydrogen, the value of hydrogen from nuclear and solar plants is higher than that from a fossil plant because ''free'' oxygen is produced as a by-product. Six factors that impact the relative economics of fossil, nuclear, and solar hydrogen production to the customer are identified: oxygen by-product, avoidance of carbon dioxide emissions, hydrogen transport costs, storage costs, availability of low-cost heat, and institutional factors. These factors imply that different hydrogen production technologies will be competitive in different markets and that the first markets for nuclear and solar hydrogen will be those markets in which they have a unique competitive advantage. These secondary economic factors are described and quantified in terms of dollars per kilogram of hydrogen. (author)

Hydrogen from algal biomass: A review of production process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Archita Sharma

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Multifariousness of biofuel sources has marked an edge to an imperative energy issue. Production of hydrogen from microalgae has been gathering much contemplation right away. But, mercantile production of microalgae biofuels considering bio-hydrogen is still not practicable because of low biomass concentration and costly down streaming processes. This review has taken up the hydrogen production by microalgae. Biofuels are the up and coming alternative to exhaustible, environmentally and unsafe fossil fuels. Algal biomass has been considered as an enticing raw material for biofuel production, these days photobioreactors and open-air systems are being used for hydrogen production from algal biomass. The formers allow the careful cultivation control whereas the latter ones are cheaper and simpler. A contemporary, encouraging optimization access has been included called algal cell immobilization on various matrixes which has resulted in marked increase in the productivity per volume of a reactor and addition of the hydrogen-production phase.

Long-term effect of inoculum pretreatment on fermentative hydrogen production by repeated batch cultivations: homoacetogenesis and methanogenesis as competitors to hydrogen production

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Luo, Gang; Karakashev, Dimitar Borisov; Xie, Li

2011-01-01

Long-term effects of inoculum pretreatments(heat, acid, loading-shock) on hydrogen production from glucose under different temperatures (378C, 558C) and initial pH (7 and 5.5) were studied by repeated batch cultivations. Results obtained showed that it was necessary to investigate the long......-term effect of inoculum pretreatment on hydrogen production since pretreatments may just temporarily inhibit the hydrogen consuming processes. After long-term cultivation, pretreated inocula did not enhance hydrogen production compared to untreated inocula under mesophilic conditions (initial pH 7 and pH 5.......5) and thermophilic conditions (initial pH 7). However, pretreatment could inhibit lactate production and lead to higher hydrogen yield under thermophilic conditions at initial pH 5.5. The results further demonstrated that inoculum pretreatment could not permanently inhibit either methanogenesis or homoacetogenesis...

Hydrogen production in a PWR during LOCA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cassette, P.

1984-01-01

Hydrogen generation during a PWR LOCA has been estimated for design basis accident and for two more severe hypothetical accidents. Hydrogen production during design basis accident is a rather slow mechanism, allowing in the worst case, 15 days to connect a hydrogen recombining unit to the containment atmosphere monitoring system. Hydrogen generated by steam oxidation during more severe hypothetical accidents was found limited by steam availability and fuel melting phenomena. Uncertainty is, however, still remaining on corium-zirconium-steam interaction. In the worst case, calculations lead to the production of 500 kg of hydrogen, thus leading to a volume concentration of 15% in containment atmosphere, assuming homogeneous hydrogen distribution within the reactor building. This concentration is within flammability limits but not within detonation limits. However, hydrogen detonation due to local hydrogen accumulation cannot be discarded. A major uncertainty subsisting on hydrogen hazard is hydrogen distribution during the first hours of the accident. This point determines the effects and consequences of local detonation or deflagration which could possibly be harmful to safeguard systems, or induce missile generation in the reactor building. As electrical supply failures are identified as an important contributor to severe accident risk, corrective actions have been taken in France to improve their reliability, including the installation of a gas turbine on each site to supplement the existing sources. These actions are thus contributing to hydrogen hazard reduction

Technology selection for hydrogen production using nuclear energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siti Alimah; Erlan Dewita

2008-01-01

The NPP can either be used to produce electricity, or as heat source for non-electric applications (cogeneration). High Temperature Reactor (HTR) with high outlet coolant temperature around 900~1000 o C, is a reactor type potential for cogeneration purposes such as hydrogen production and other chemical industry processes that need high heat. Considering the national energy policy that a balanced arrangement of renewable and unrenewable natural resources has to be made to keep environmental conservation for the sake of society prosperity in the future, hydrogen gas production using nuclear heat is an appropriate choice. Hydrogen gas is a new energy which is environmentally friendly that it is a prospecting alternative energy source in the future. Within the study, a comparison of three processes of hydrogen gas production covering electrolysis, steam reforming and sulfur-iodine cycle, have been conducted. The parameters that considered are the production cost, capital cost and energy cost, technological status, the independence of fossil fuel, the environmental friendly aspect, as well as the efficiency and the independence of corrosion-resistance material. The study result showed that hydrogen gas production by steam reforming is a better process compared to electrolysis and sulfur-iodine process. Therefore, steam reforming process can be a good choice for hydrogen gas production using nuclear energy in Indonesia. (author)

Green Hydrogen Production from Raw Biogas: A Techno-Economic Investigation of Conventional Processes Using Pressure Swing Adsorption Unit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gioele Di Marcoberardino

2018-02-01

Full Text Available This paper discusses the techno-economic assessment of hydrogen production from biogas with conventional systems. The work is part of the European project BIONICO, whose purpose is to develop and test a membrane reactor (MR for hydrogen production from biogas. Within the BIONICO project, steam reforming (SR and autothermal reforming (ATR, have been identified as well-known technologies for hydrogen production from biogas. Two biogases were examined: one produced by landfill and the other one by anaerobic digester. The purification unit required in the conventional plants has been studied and modeled in detail, using Aspen Adsorption. A pressure swing adsorption system (PSA with two and four beds and a vacuum PSA (VPSA made of four beds are compared. VPSA operates at sub-atmospheric pressure, thus increasing the recovery: results of the simulations show that the performances strongly depend on the design choices and on the gas feeding the purification unit. The best purity and recovery values were obtained with the VPSA system, which achieves a recovery between 50% and 60% at a vacuum pressure of 0.1 bar and a hydrogen purity of 99.999%. The SR and ATR plants were designed in Aspen Plus, integrating the studied VPSA model, and analyzing the behavior of the systems at the variation of the pressure and the type of input biogas. The SR system achieves a maximum efficiency, calculated on the LHV, of 52% at 12 bar, while the ATR of 28% at 18 bar. The economic analysis determined a hydrogen production cost of around 5 €/kg of hydrogen for the SR case.

Hydrogen transfer preventive device in FBR power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoshi, Yuichi.

1987-01-01

Purpose: To prevent transfer of hydrogen, etc. in FBR power plant. Constitution: Since H 2 permeates heat conduction pipes in a steam generator, it is necessary to eliminate all of permeation hydrogen, etc. by primary cold traps particularly in the case of saving the intermediate heat exchange. In view of the above, the heat conduction pipes of the steam generator are constituted as a double pipe structure and helium gases are recycled through the gaps thereof and hydrogen traps are disposed to the recycling path. H 2 released into water flowing through the inside of the inner pipe is permeated through the inner pipe and leached into the gap, but the leached H 2 is carried by the helium recycling stream to the hydrogen trap and then the H 2 stream removed with H 2 is returned to the gaps. In this way, the capacity of the primary cold traps disposed in the liquid sodium recycling circuit can be reduced remarkably and the capacity of the purifying device, if an intermediate heat exchanger is disposed, is also reduced to decrease the plant cost. Further, diffusion of deleterious gases from the primary to the secondary circuits can be prevented as well. (Kamimura, M.)

Advances in hydrogen production by thermochemical water decomposition: A review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosen, Marc A.

2010-01-01

Hydrogen demand as an energy currency is anticipated to rise significantly in the future, with the emergence of a hydrogen economy. Hydrogen production is a key component of a hydrogen economy. Several production processes are commercially available, while others are under development including thermochemical water decomposition, which has numerous advantages over other hydrogen production processes. Recent advances in hydrogen production by thermochemical water decomposition are reviewed here. Hydrogen production from non-fossil energy sources such as nuclear and solar is emphasized, as are efforts to lower the temperatures required in thermochemical cycles so as to expand the range of potential heat supplies. Limiting efficiencies are explained and the need to apply exergy analysis is illustrated. The copper-chlorine thermochemical cycle is considered as a case study. It is concluded that developments of improved processes for hydrogen production via thermochemical water decomposition are likely to continue, thermochemical hydrogen production using such non-fossil energy will likely become commercial, and improved efficiencies are expected to be obtained with advanced methodologies like exergy analysis. Although numerous advances have been made on sulphur-iodine cycles, the copper-chlorine cycle has significant potential due to its requirement for process heat at lower temperatures than most other thermochemical processes.

Production of bioplastics and hydrogen gas by photosynthetic microorganisms

Science.gov (United States)

Yasuo, Asada; Masato, Miyake; Jun, Miyake

1998-03-01

Our efforts have been aimed at the technological basis of photosynthetic-microbial production of materials and an energy carrier. We report here accumulation of poly-(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB), a raw material of biodegradable plastics and for production of hydrogen gas, and a renewable energy carrier by photosynthetic microorganisms (tentatively defined as cyanobacteria plus photosynthetic bateria, in this report). A thermophilic cyanobacterium, Synechococcus sp. MA19 that accumulates PHB at more than 20% of cell dry wt under nitrogen-starved conditions was isolated and microbiologically identified. The mechanism of PHB accumulation was studied. A mesophilic Synechococcus PCC7942 was transformed with the genes encoding PHB-synthesizing enzymes from Alcaligenes eutrophus. The transformant accumulated PHB under nitrogen-starved conditions. The optimal conditions for PHB accumulation by a photosynthetic bacterium grown on acetate were studied. Hydrogen production by photosynthetic microorganisms was studied. Cyanobacteria can produce hydrogen gas by nitrogenase or hydrogenase. Hydrogen production mediated by native hydrogenase in cyanobacteria was revealed to be in the dark anaerobic degradation of intracellular glycogen. A new system for light-dependent hydrogen production was targeted. In vitro and in vivo coupling of cyanobacterial ferredoxin with a heterologous hydrogenase was shown to produce hydrogen under light conditions. A trial for genetic trasformation of Synechococcus PCC7942 with the hydrogenase gene from Clostridium pasteurianum is going on. The strong hydrogen producers among photosynthetic bacteria were isolated and characterized. Co-culture of Rhodobacter and Clostriumdium was applied to produce hydrogen from glucose. Conversely in the case of cyanobacteria, genetic regulation of photosynthetic proteins was intended to improve conversion efficiency in hydrogen production by the photosynthetic bacterium, Rhodobacter sphaeroides RV. A mutant acquired by

Hydrogen production by high-temperature gas-cooled reactor. Conceptual design of advanced process heat exchangers of the HTTR-IS hydrogen production system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakaba, Nariaki; Ohashi, Hirofumi; Sato, Hiroyuki; Hara, Teruo; Kato, Ryoma; Kunitomi, Kazuhiko

2008-01-01

Nuclear hydrogen production is necessary in an anticipated hydrogen society that demands a massive quantity of hydrogen without economic disadvantage. Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) has launched the conceptual design study of a hydrogen production system with a near-term plan to connect it to Japan's first high-temperature gas-cooled reactor HTTR. The candidate hydrogen production system is based on the thermochemical water-splitting iodine sulphur (IS) process.The heat of 10 MWth at approximately 900degC, which can be provided by the secondary helium from the intermediate heat exchanger of the HTTR, is the energy input to the hydrogen production system. In this paper, we describe the recent progresses made in the conceptual design of advanced process heat exchangers of the HTTR-IS hydrogen production system. A new concept of sulphuric acid decomposer is proposed. This involves the integration of three separate functions of sulphuric acid decomposer, sulphur trioxide decomposer, and process heat exchanger. A new mixer-settler type of Bunsen reactor is also designed. This integrates three separate functions of Bunsen reactor, phase separator, and pump. The new concepts are expected to result in improved economics through construction and operation cost reductions because the number of process equipment and complicated connections between the equipment has been substantially reduced. (author)

Thermophilic anaerobic co-digestion of organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) with food waste (FW): Enhancement of bio-hydrogen production.

Science.gov (United States)

Angeriz-Campoy, Rubén; Álvarez-Gallego, Carlos J; Romero-García, Luis I

2015-10-01

Bio-hydrogen production from dry thermophilic anaerobic co-digestion (55°C and 20% total solids) of organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) and food waste (FW) was studied. OFMSW coming from mechanical-biological treatment plants (MBT plants) presents a low organic matter concentration. However, FW has a high organic matter content but several problems by accumulation of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) and system acidification. Tests were conducted using a mixture ratio of 80:20 (OFSMW:FW), to avoid the aforementioned problems. Different solid retention times (SRTs) - 6.6, 4.4, 2.4 and 1.9 days - were tested. It was noted that addition of food waste enhances the hydrogen production in all the SRTs tested. Best results were obtained at 1.9-day SRT. It was observed an increase from 0.64 to 2.51 L H2/L(reactor) day in hydrogen productivity when SRTs decrease from 6.6 to 1.9 days. However, the hydrogen yield increases slightly from 33.7 to 38 mL H2/gVS(added). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Safety considerations and countermeasures against fire and explosion at an HTGR-hydrogen production system. Proposal of safety design concept

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishihara, T.; Hada, K.; Shibata, T.; Shiozawa, S.

1996-01-01

Establishment of safety design concept and countermeasures against fire and explosion accidents is among key safety-related issues in an HTGR-hydrogen production system. We propose the different safety design concepts depending upon the origin of fire and explosion which may happen in the HTGR-hydrogen production plant. Against fire and explosion originated outside the reactor building (R/B), namely in the area of hydrogen production plant, the safety design concept is primarily to take a safe distance for preventing the damage on safety-related items or a proof wall if necessary. Because the hydrogen production plant is designed in the same safety level as a conventional chemical plant. The safe distance is proposed to limit an incident overpressure to 10 kPa so as not to suffer any damage on the items and to limit a wall-averaged temperature of concrete structures of the R/B to 175degC according to the current regulation. On the other hand, against a potential possibility of explosion originated inside the R/B, the safety design concept is to minimize the possibility of explosion low enough to assume no occurrence inside the R/B. That is, the measure is to exclude a simultaneous failure of a secondary helium piping and an endothermic chemical reactor. Furthermore, in severe accident condition in which the explosion may be postulated a priori, an incidental overpressure of explosion inside the reactor containment vessel (C/V) should be limited so as not to fail the C/V through restricting the amount of combustible gas ingress into the C/V by means of a combination of C/V isolation valve installed in the helium piping and emergency shut off valve in the process feed gas line. (author)

Proceedings of the fourth information exchange meeting on nuclear production of hydrogen

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-01-01

scientific and technical challenges associated with the production of hydrogen using heat and/or electricity from nuclear power plants, with special emphasis on recent developments in high-temperature electrolysis and the use of different chemical thermodynamic processes. Economics and market analysis as well as safety aspects of the nuclear production of hydrogen are also discussed

Multi-fuel multi-product operation of IGCC power plants with carbon capture and storage (CCS)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cormos, Ana-Maria; Dinca, Cristian; Cormos, Calin-Cristian

2015-01-01

This paper investigates multi-fuel multi-product operation of IGCC plants with carbon capture and storage (CCS). The investigated plant designs co-process coal with different sorts of biomass (e.g. sawdust) and solid wastes, through gasification, leading to different decarbonised energy vectors (power, hydrogen, heat, substitute natural gas etc.) simultaneous with carbon capture. Co-gasification of coal with different renewable energy sources coupled with carbon capture will pave the way towards zero emissions power plants. The energy conversions investigated in the paper were simulated using commercial process flow modelling package (ChemCAD) in order to produce mass and energy balances necessary for the proposed evaluation. As illustrative cases, hydrogen and power co-generation and Fischer–Tropsch fuel synthesis (both with carbon capture), were presented. The case studies investigated in the paper produce a flexible ratio between power and hydrogen (in the range of 400–600 MW net electricity and 0–200 MW th hydrogen considering the lower heating value) with at least 90% carbon capture rate. Special emphasis were given to fuel selection criteria for optimisation of gasification performances (fuel blending), to the selection criteria for gasification reactor in a multi-fuel multi-product operation scenario, modelling and simulation of whole process, to thermal and power integration of processes, flexibility analysis of the energy conversion processes, in-depth techno-economic and environmental assessment etc. - Highlights: • Assessment of IGCC-based energy vectors poly-generation systems with CCS. • Optimisation of gasification performances and CO 2 emissions by fuel blending. • Multi-fuel multi-product operation of gasification plants

South Africa's nuclear hydrogen production development programme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Ravenswaay, J.P.; Van Niekerk, F.; Kriek, R.J.; Blom, E.; Krieg, H.M.; Van Niekerk, W.M.K.; Van der Merwe, F.; Vosloo, H.C.M.

2010-01-01

In May 2007 the South African Cabinet approved a National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies R and D and Innovation Strategy. The strategy will focus on research, development and innovation for: i) wealth creation through high value-added manufacturing and developing platinum group metals catalysis; ii) building on the existing knowledge in high temperature gas-cooled reactors (HTGR) and coal gasification Fischer-Tropsch technology, to develop local cost-competitive hydrogen production solutions; iii) to promote equity and inclusion in the economic benefits from South Africa's natural resource base. As part of the roll-out strategy, the South African Department of Science and Technology (DST) created three Competence Centres (CC), including a Hydrogen Infrastructure Competence Centre hosted by the North-West University (NWU) and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). The Hydrogen Infrastructure CC is tasked with developing hydrogen production, storage, distribution as well as codes and standards programmes within the framework of the DST strategic objectives to ensure strategic national innovation over the next fifteen years. One of the focus areas of the Hydrogen Infrastructure CC will be on large scale CO 2 free hydrogen production through thermochemical water-splitting using nuclear heat from a suitable heat source such as a HTGR and the subsequent use of the hydrogen in applications such as the coal-to-liquid process and the steel industry. This paper will report on the status of the programme for thermochemical water-splitting as well as the associated projects for component and technology development envisaged in the Hydrogen Infrastructure CC. The paper will further elaborate on current and future collaboration opportunities as well as expected outputs and deliverables. (authors)

40 CFR 415.330 - Applicability; description of the carbon monoxide and by-product hydrogen production subcategory.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... carbon monoxide and by-product hydrogen production subcategory. 415.330 Section 415.330 Protection of... MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Carbon Monoxide and By-Product Hydrogen Production Subcategory § 415.330 Applicability; description of the carbon monoxide and by-product hydrogen production subcategory. The provisions...

Hydrogen production from the monomeric sugars hydrolyzed from hemicellulose by Enterobacter aerogenes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ren, Yunli; Wang, Jianji; Liu, Zhen; Ren, Yunlai; Li, Guozhi [School of Chemical Engineering and Pharmaceutics, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471039, Henan (China)

2009-12-15

Relatively large percentages of xylose with glucose, arabinose, mannose, galactose and rhamnose constitute the hydrolysis products of hemicellulose. In this paper, hydrogen production performance of facultative anaerobe (Enterobacter aerogenes) has been investigated from these different monomeric sugars except glucose. It was shown that the stereoisomers of mannose and galactose were more effective for hydrogen production than those of xylose and arabinose. The substrate of 5 g/l xylose resulted in a relative high level of hydrogen yield (73.8 mmol/l), hydrogen production efficiency (2.2 mol/mol) and a maximum hydrogen production rate (249 ml/l/h). The hydrogen yield, hydrogen production efficiency and the maximum hydrogen production rate reached 104 mmol/l, 2.35 mol/mol and 290 ml/l/h, respectively, on a substrate of 10 g/l galactose. The hydrogen yields and the maximum hydrogen production rates increased with an increase of mannose concentrations and reached 119 mmol/l and 518 ml/l/h on the culture of 25 g/l mannose. However, rhamnose was a relative poor carbon resource for E. aerogenes to produce hydrogen, from which the hydrogen yield and hydrogen production efficiency were about one half of that from the mannose substrate. E. aerogenes was found to be a promising strain for hydrogen production from hydrolysis products of hemicellulose. (author)

On-Board Hydrogen Gas Production System For Stirling Engines

Science.gov (United States)

Johansson, Lennart N.

2004-06-29

A hydrogen production system for use in connection with Stirling engines. The production system generates hydrogen working gas and periodically supplies it to the Stirling engine as its working fluid in instances where loss of such working fluid occurs through usage through operation of the associated Stirling engine. The hydrogen gas may be generated by various techniques including electrolysis and stored by various means including the use of a metal hydride absorbing material. By controlling the temperature of the absorbing material, the stored hydrogen gas may be provided to the Stirling engine as needed. A hydrogen production system for use in connection with Stirling engines. The production system generates hydrogen working gas and periodically supplies it to the Stirling engine as its working fluid in instances where loss of such working fluid occurs through usage through operation of the associated Stirling engine. The hydrogen gas may be generated by various techniques including electrolysis and stored by various means including the use of a metal hydride absorbing material. By controlling the temperature of the absorbing material, the stored hydrogen gas may be provided to the Stirling engine as needed.

Probabilistic analysis of safety of a production plant of hydrogen using nuclear energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Flores F, A.; Nelson E, P.F.; Francois L, J.L.

2005-01-01

The present work makes use of the Probabilistic Safety analysis to evaluate and to quantify the safety in a plant producer of hydrogen coupled to a nuclear reactor of high temperature, the one which is building in Japan. It is had the description of systems and devices of the HTTR, the pipe diagrams and instrumentation of the plant, as well as the rates of generic faults for the components of the plant. The first step was to carry out a HAZOP study (Hazard and Operability Study) with the purpose of obtaining the initiator events; once obtained these, it was developed a tree of events by each initiator event and for each system it was developed a fault tree; the data used for the quantification of the failure probability of the systems were obtained starting from several generic sources of information. In each tree of events different final states were obtained and it stops each one, their occurrence frequency. The construction and evaluation of the tree of events and of failures one carries out with the SAPHIRE program. The results show the safety of the shutdown system of the HTTR and they allow to suggest modifications to the auxiliary system of refrigeration and to the heat exchanger helium/water pressurized. (Author)

Experimental investigations relevant for hydrogen and fission product issues raised by the Fukushima accident

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sanjeev Gupta

2015-02-01

Full Text Available The accident at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in March 2011, caused by an earthquake and a subsequent tsunami, resulted in a failure of the power systems that are needed to cool the reactors at the plant. The accident progression in the absence of heat removal systems caused Units 1-3 to undergo fuel melting. Containment pressurization and hydrogen explosions ultimately resulted in the escape of radioactivity from reactor containments into the atmosphere and ocean. Problems in containment venting operation, leakage from primary containment boundary to the reactor building, improper functioning of standby gas treatment system (SGTS, unmitigated hydrogen accumulation in the reactor building were identified as some of the reasons those added-up in the severity of the accident. The Fukushima accident not only initiated worldwide demand for installation of adequate control and mitigation measures to minimize the potential source term to the environment but also advocated assessment of the existing mitigation systems performance behavior under a wide range of postulated accident scenarios. The uncertainty in estimating the released fraction of the radionuclides due to the Fukushima accident also underlined the need for comprehensive understanding of fission product behavior as a function of the thermal hydraulic conditions and the type of gaseous, aqueous, and solid materials available for interaction, e.g., gas components, decontamination paint, aerosols, and water pools. In the light of the Fukushima accident, additional experimental needs identified for hydrogen and fission product issues need to be investigated in an integrated and optimized way. Additionally, as more and more passive safety systems, such as passive autocatalytic recombiners and filtered containment venting systems are being retrofitted in current reactors and also planned for future reactors, identified hydrogen and fission product issues will need to be coupled

Hydrogen production from sewage sludge by steam gasification

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aye, L.; Klinkajorn, P. [Melbourne Univ. International Technologies Centre, Melbourne, Victoria (Australia). Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering

2006-07-01

Because of the shortage of energy sources in the near future, renewable energy, such as biomass, has become an important source of energy. One of the most common approaches for producing gaseous fuels from biomass is gasification. The main product gases of gasification are hydrogen, carbon monoxide, methane and low molecular weight hydrocarbons. Because of the capability of very low emission at the point of use, the interest in using hydrogen for electrical power generation and in electric-vehicles has been increasing. Hydrogen from biomass steam gasification (SG) is a net zero green house gas emission fuel. Sewage sludge (SS) has a potential to produce hydrogen-rich gaseous fuel. Therefore, hydrogen production from sewage sludge may be a solution for cleaner fuel and the sewage sludge disposal problem. This paper presented the results of a computer model for SSSG by using Gibbs free energy minimization (GFEM) method. The computer model developed was used to determine the hydrogen production limits for various steam to biomass ratios. The paper presented an introduction to renewable energy and gasification and discussed the Gibbs free energy minimization method. The study used a RAND algorithm. It presented the computer model input parameters and discussed the results of the stoichiometric analysis and Gibbs free energy minimization. The energy requirement for hydrogen production was also presented. 17 refs., 1 tab., 6 figs.

IEA hydrogen agreement, task 15: photobiological hydrogen production - an international collaboration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lindblad, P.; Asada, Y.; Benemann, J.; Hallenbeck, P.; Melis, A.; Miyake, J.; Seibert, M.; Skulberg, O.

2000-01-01

Biological hydrogen production, the production of H 2 by microorganisms, has been an active field of basic and applied research for many years. Realization of practical processes for photobiological hydrogen production from water using solar energy would result in a major, novel source of sustainable and renewable energy, without greenhouse gas emissions or environmental pollution. However, development of such processes requires significant scientific and technological advances, and long-term basic and applied R and D. This International Energy Agency (lEA) Task covers research areas and needs at the interface of basic and applied R and D which are of mutual interest to the countries and researchers participating in the lEA Hydrogen Agreement. The overall objective is to sufficiently advance the basic and early-stage applied science in this area of research over the next five years to allow an evaluation of the potential of such a technology to be developed as a practical renewable energy source for the 21st Century. (author)

Photobiological hydrogen production : photochemical efficiency and bioreactor design

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Akkerman, I.; Janssen, M.; Rocha, J.; Wijffels, R.H.

2002-01-01

Biological production of hydrogen can be carried out by photoautotrophic or photoheterotrophic organisms. Here, the photosystems of both processes are described. The main drawback of the photoautotrophic hydrogen production process is oxygen inhibition. The few efficiencies reported on the

Development status on hydrogen production technology using high-temperature gas-cooled reactor at JAEA, Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shiozawa, Shusaku; Ogawa, Masuro; Hino, Ryutaro

2006-01-01

the next milestone. Based on the pilot scale test results, in the future, JAEA plans to couple the IS Process to the HTTR in order to demonstrate feasibility of the hydrogen production using nuclear heat from HTGR, making it possible to deploy a commercial HTGR plant for hydrogen production in around 2020. In the lecture, the necessity of the new energy source of hydrogen and its production using HTGR is briefly explained, and the overview of the HTTR project is given with emphasis on the hydrogen production system development, followed by proposal of possible international cooperation in this field. (authors)

Prediction of hydrogen distribution in the reactor building in CANDU6 plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jin, Y.; Song, Y.

2008-01-01

The CANDU plants have a lot of zircaloy. The fuel cladding, calandria tubes and pressure tubes are made of zircaloy. The zircaloy can be oxidized and hydrogen is generated during severe accident progression. The detonation or deflagration to detonation transition (DDT) due to hydrogen combustion may occur if the local hydrogen concentration or global hydrogen concentration exceeds certain value. The detonation may result in the rupture of the reactor building. The inside of the reactor building of CANDU plants is complex. So prediction of hydrogen distribution in the reactor building is important. This prediction is made using ISAAC code and GOTHIC code. ISAAC code partitioned the reactor building in to 7 compartments. GOTHIC code modeled the CANDU6 reactor building using 12 nodes. The hydrogen concentrations in the various compartments in the reactor building are compared. GOTHIC code slightly underpredicts hydrogen concentration in the F/M rooms than ISAAC code, but trend is same. The hydrogen concentration in the boiler room and the moderator room shows almost same as for both codes. (author)

Two dimensional simulation of hydrogen iodide decomposition reaction using fluent code for hydrogen production using nuclear technology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chi, Jung Sik [The Institute of Machinery and Electronic Technology, Mokpo National Maritime University, Mokpo (Korea, Republic of); Shin, Young Joon; Lee, Ki Young [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Choi, Jae Hyuk [Division of Marine Engineering System, Korea Maritime and Ocean University, Busan (Korea, Republic of)

2015-06-15

The operating characteristics of hydrogen iodide (HI) decomposition for hydrogen production were investigated using the commercial computational fluid dynamics code, and various factors, such as hydrogen production, heat of reaction, and temperature distribution, were studied to compare device performance with that expected for device development. Hydrogen production increased with an increase of the surface-to-volume (STV) ratio. With an increase of hydrogen production, the reaction heat increased. The internal pressure and velocity of the HI decomposer were estimated through pressure drop and reducing velocity from the preheating zone. The mass of H2O was independent of the STV ratio, whereas that of HI decreased with increasing STV ratio.

Hydrogen Production from Optimal Wind-PV Energies Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tafticht, T.; Agbossou, K. [Institut de recherche sur l hydrogene, Universite du Quebec - Trois-Rivieres, C.P. 500, Trois-Rivieres, (Ciheam), G9A 5H7, (Canada)

2006-07-01

Electrolytic hydrogen offers a promising alternative for long-term energy storage of renewable energies (RE). A stand-alone RE system based on hydrogen production has been developed at the Hydrogen Research Institute and successfully tested for automatic operation with designed control devices. The system is composed of a wind turbine, a photovoltaic (PV) array, an electrolyser, batteries for buffer energy storage, hydrogen and oxygen storage tanks, a fuel cell, AC and DC loads, power conditioning devices and different sensors. The long-term excess energy with respect to load demand has been sent to the electrolyser for hydrogen production and then the fuel cell has utilised this stored hydrogen to produce electricity when there were insufficient wind and solar energies with respect to load requirements. The RE system components have substantially different voltage-current characteristics and they are integrated on the DC bus through power conditioning devices for optimal operation by using the developed Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) control method. The experimental results show that the power gain obtained by this method clearly increases the hydrogen production and storage rate from wind-PV systems. (authors)

Hydrogen Production from Optimal Wind-PV Energies Systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

T Tafticht; K Agbossou

2006-01-01

Electrolytic hydrogen offers a promising alternative for long-term energy storage of renewable energies (RE). A stand-alone RE system based on hydrogen production has been developed at the Hydrogen Research Institute and successfully tested for automatic operation with designed control devices. The system is composed of a wind turbine, a photovoltaic (PV) array, an electrolyzer, batteries for buffer energy storage, hydrogen and oxygen storage tanks, a fuel cell, AC and DC loads, power conditioning devices and different sensors. The long-term excess energy with respect to load demand has been sent to the electrolyser for hydrogen production and then the fuel cell has utilised this stored hydrogen to produce electricity when there were insufficient wind and solar energies with respect to load requirements. The RE system components have substantially different voltage-current characteristics and they are integrated on the DC bus through power conditioning devices for optimal operation by using the developed Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) control method. The experimental results show that the power gain obtained by this method clearly increases the hydrogen production and storage rate from wind-PV systems. (authors)

Hydrogen Production from Optimal Wind-PV Energies Systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tafticht, T.; Agbossou, K.

2006-01-01

Electrolytic hydrogen offers a promising alternative for long-term energy storage of renewable energies (RE). A stand-alone RE system based on hydrogen production has been developed at the Hydrogen Research Institute and successfully tested for automatic operation with designed control devices. The system is composed of a wind turbine, a photovoltaic (PV) array, an electrolyser, batteries for buffer energy storage, hydrogen and oxygen storage tanks, a fuel cell, AC and DC loads, power conditioning devices and different sensors. The long-term excess energy with respect to load demand has been sent to the electrolyser for hydrogen production and then the fuel cell has utilised this stored hydrogen to produce electricity when there were insufficient wind and solar energies with respect to load requirements. The RE system components have substantially different voltage-current characteristics and they are integrated on the DC bus through power conditioning devices for optimal operation by using the developed Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) control method. The experimental results show that the power gain obtained by this method clearly increases the hydrogen production and storage rate from wind-PV systems. (authors)

Hydrogen Production from Optimal Wind-PV Energies Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

T Tafticht; K Agbossou [Institut de recherche sur l hydrogene, Universite du Quebec - Trois-Rivieres, C.P. 500, Trois-Rivieres, (Ciheam), G9A 5H7, (Canada)

2006-07-01

Electrolytic hydrogen offers a promising alternative for long-term energy storage of renewable energies (RE). A stand-alone RE system based on hydrogen production has been developed at the Hydrogen Research Institute and successfully tested for automatic operation with designed control devices. The system is composed of a wind turbine, a photovoltaic (PV) array, an electrolyzer, batteries for buffer energy storage, hydrogen and oxygen storage tanks, a fuel cell, AC and DC loads, power conditioning devices and different sensors. The long-term excess energy with respect to load demand has been sent to the electrolyser for hydrogen production and then the fuel cell has utilised this stored hydrogen to produce electricity when there were insufficient wind and solar energies with respect to load requirements. The RE system components have substantially different voltage-current characteristics and they are integrated on the DC bus through power conditioning devices for optimal operation by using the developed Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) control method. The experimental results show that the power gain obtained by this method clearly increases the hydrogen production and storage rate from wind-PV systems. (authors)

Assessing the Life-Cycle Performance of Hydrogen Production via Biofuel Reforming in Europe

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Susmozas

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Currently, hydrogen is mainly produced through steam reforming of natural gas. However, this conventional process involves environmental and energy security concerns. This has led to the development of alternative technologies for (potentially green hydrogen production. In this work, the environmental and energy performance of biohydrogen produced in Europe via steam reforming of glycerol and bio-oil is evaluated from a life-cycle perspective, and contrasted with that of conventional hydrogen from steam methane reforming. Glycerol as a by-product from the production of rapeseed biodiesel and bio-oil from the fast pyrolysis of poplar biomass are considered. The processing plants are simulated in Aspen Plus® to provide inventory data for the life cycle assessment. The environmental impact potentials evaluated include abiotic depletion, global warming, ozone layer depletion, photochemical oxidant formation, land competition, acidification and eutrophication. Furthermore, the cumulative (total and non-renewable energy demand is calculated, as well as the corresponding renewability scores and life-cycle energy balances and efficiencies of the biohydrogen products. In addition to quantitative evidence of the (expected relevance of the feedstock and impact categories considered, results show that poplar-derived bio-oil could be a suitable feedstock for steam reforming, in contrast to first-generation bioglycerol.

Production of hydrogen by thermocatalytic cracking of natural gas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Muradov, N. [Florida Solar Energy Center, Cocoa, FL (United States)

1996-10-01

The conventional methods of hydrogen production from natural gas (for example, steam reforming and partial oxidation) are complex, multi-step processes that produce large quantities of CO{sub 2}. The main goal of this project is to develop a technologically simple process for hydrogen production from natural gas (NG) and other hydrocarbon fuels via single-step decomposition of hydrocarbons. This approach eliminates or significantly reduces CO{sub 2} emission. Carbon is a valuable by-product of this process, whereas conventional methods of hydrogen production from NG produce no useful by-products. This approach is based on the use of special catalysts that reduce the maximum temperature of the process from 1400-1500{degrees}C (thermal non-catalytic decomposition of methane) to 500-900{degrees}C. Transition metal based catalysts and various forms of carbon are among the candidate catalysts for the process. This approach can advantageously be used for the development of compact NG reformers for on-site production of hydrogen-methane blends at refueling stations and, also, for the production of hydrogen-rich gas for fuel cell applications. The author extended the search for active methane decomposition catalysts to various modifications of Ni-, Fe-, Mo- and Co-based catalysts. Variation in the operational parameters makes it possible to produce H{sub 2}-CH{sub 4} blends with a wide range of hydrogen concentrations that vary from 15 to 98% by volume. The author found that Ni-based catalysts are more effective at temperatures below 750{degrees}C, whereas Fe-based catalysts are effective at temperatures above 800{degrees}C for the production of hydrogen with purity of 95% v. or higher. The catalytic pyrolysis of liquid hydrocarbons (pentane, gasoline) over Fe-based catalyst was conducted. The author observed the production of a hydrogen-rich gas (hydrogen concentration up to 97% by volume) at a rate of approximately 1L/min.mL of hydrocarbon fuel.

Hydrogen production by alkaline water electrolysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diogo M. F. Santos

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Water electrolysis is one of the simplest methods used for hydrogen production. It has the advantage of being able to produce hydrogen using only renewable energy. To expand the use of water electrolysis, it is mandatory to reduce energy consumption, cost, and maintenance of current electrolyzers, and, on the other hand, to increase their efficiency, durability, and safety. In this study, modern technologies for hydrogen production by water electrolysis have been investigated. In this article, the electrochemical fundamentals of alkaline water electrolysis are explained and the main process constraints (e.g., electrical, reaction, and transport are analyzed. The historical background of water electrolysis is described, different technologies are compared, and main research needs for the development of water electrolysis technologies are discussed.

Bio-hydrogen production from renewable organic wastes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shihwu Sung

2004-04-30

Methane fermentation has been in practice over a century for the stabilization of high strength organic waste/wastewater. Although methanogenesis is a well established process and methane--the end-product of methanogenesis is a useful energy source; it is a low value end product with relatively less energy content (about 56 kJ energy/g CH{sub 4}). Besides, methane and its combustion by-product are powerful greenhouse gases, and responsible for global climate change. So there is a pressing need to explore alternative environmental technologies that not only stabilize the waste/wastewater but also generate benign high value end products. From this perspective, anaerobic bioconversion of organic wastes to hydrogen gas is an attractive option that achieves both goals. From energy security stand point, generation of hydrogen energy from renewable organic waste/wastewater could substitute non-renewable fossil fuels, over two-third of which is imported from politically unstable countries. Thus, biological hydrogen production from renewable organic waste through dark fermentation represents a critically important area of bioenergy production. This study evaluated both process engineering and microbial physiology of biohydrogen production.

Concepts for Large Scale Hydrogen Production

OpenAIRE

Jakobsen, Daniel; Åtland, Vegar

2016-01-01

The objective of this thesis is to perform a techno-economic analysis of large-scale, carbon-lean hydrogen production in Norway, in order to evaluate various production methods and estimate a breakeven price level. Norway possesses vast energy resources and the export of oil and gas is vital to the country s economy. The results of this thesis indicate that hydrogen represents a viable, carbon-lean opportunity to utilize these resources, which can prove key in the future of Norwegian energy e...

Technical Integration of Nuclear Hydrogen Production Technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Ki Young; Park, J. K.; Chang, J. H.

2009-04-01

These works focus on the development of attainment indices for nuclear hydrogen key technologies, the analysis of the hydrogen production process and the performance estimation for hydrogen production systems, and the assessment of the nuclear hydrogen production cost. For assessing the degree of attainments in comparison with the final goals of VHTR technologies in progress of researches, subdivided are the prerequisite items confirmed to the NHDD concepts. We developed and applied R and D quality management methodology to meet 'Development of Key Technologies for Nuclear Hydrogen' project. And we also distributed R and D QAM and R and D QAP to each teams and are in operation. The preconceptual flow diagrams of SI, HTSE, and HyS processes are introduced and their material and energy balances have been proposed. The hydrogen production thermal efficiencies of not only the SI process as a reference process but also the HTSE and HyS processes were also estimated. Technical feasibility assessments of SI, HTSE, and HyS processes have been carried out by using the pair-wise comparison and analytic hierarchy process, and it is revealed that the experts are considering the SI process as the most feasible process. The secondary helium pathway across the SI process is introduced. Dynamic simulation codes for the H2S04vaporizer, sulfuric acid and sulfur trioxide decomposers, and HI decomposer on the secondary helium pathway and for the primary and secondary sulfuric acid distillation columns, HIx solution distillation column, and preheater for HI vapor have been developed and integrated

Hydrogen production by aqueous phase catalytic reforming of glycerine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ozguer, Derya Oncel; Uysal, Bekir Zuehtue

2011-01-01

Hydrogen is believed to be the one of the main energy carriers in the near future. In this research glycerine, which is produced in large quantities as a by-product of biodiesel process, was converted to hydrogen aiming to contribute to clean energy initiative. Conversion of glycerol to hydrogen was achieved via aqueous-phase reforming (APR) with Pt/Al 2 O 3 catalyst. The experiments were carried out in an autoclave reactor and a continuous fixed-bed reactor. The effects of reaction temperature (160-280 o C), feed flow rate (0.05-0.5 mL/dak) and feed concentration (5-85 wt-% glycerine) on product distribution were investigated. Optimum temperature for hydrogen production with APR was determined as 230 o C. Maximum gas production rate was found at the feed flow rates around 0.1 mL/min. It was also found that hydrogen concentration in the gas product increased with decreasing glycerol concentration in the feed.

A novel biological hydrogen production system. Impact of organic loading

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hafez, Hisham; Nakhla, George; El Naggar, Hesham [Western Ontario Univ. (Canada)

2010-07-01

The patent-pending system comprises a novel biohydrogen reactor with a gravity settler for decoupling of SRT from HRT. Two biohydrogenators were operated for 220 days at 37 C, hydraulic retention time 8 h and solids retention time ranged from 1.4 to 2 days under four different glucose concentrations of 2, 8, 16, 32, 48 and 64 g/L, corresponding to organic loading rates of 6.5-206 kg COD/m{sup 3}-d, and started up using anaerobically-digested sludge from the St. Marys wastewater treatment plant (St.Mary, Ontario, Canada) as the seed. The system steadily produced hydrogen with no methane. A maximum hydrogen yield of 3.1 mol H{sub 2} /mol glucose was achieved in the system for all the organic loading rates with an average of 2.8mol H{sub 2} /mol glucose. Acetate and butyrate were the main effluent liquid products at concentrations ranging from 640-7400 mg/L and 400-4600 mg/l, respectively, with no lactate detection. Microbial community analysis using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) confirmed the absence of lactate producing bacteria Lactobacillus fermentum and other non-hydrogen producing species, and the predominance of various Clostridium species. Biomass concentrations in the biohydrogenators were steady, during the runs, varying form 1500 mg/L at the OLR of 6.5 kg COD/m{sup 3}-d to 14000 mg/L at the 104 kg COD/m{sup 3}-d, thus emphasizing the potential of this novel system for sustained stable hydrogen production and prevention of biomass washout. (orig.)

Hydrogen production from steam methane reforming and electrolysis as part of a near-term hydrogen infrastructure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roberts, K.

2003-01-01

Building a complete hydrogen infrastructure for a transportation system based on Fuel Cells (FC) and hydrogen is a risky and expensive ordeal, especially given that it is not known with complete certainty that Fuel Cells will indeed replace the gasoline ICE. But how can we expect the diffusion of an automotive technology if there is no infrastructure to support its fuel needs? This gives rise to a chicken and egg type problem. One way to get around this problem is to produce hydrogen when and where it is needed. This solves the problems of high costs associated with expensive pipeline distribution networks, the high energy-intensities associated with liquefaction of hydrogen and the high costs of cryogenic equipment. This paper will consider the advantages and disadvantages of two such hydrogen production mechanisms, namely, onsite production of hydrogen from Electrolysis and onsite production of hydrogen from Steam Methane Reforming (SMR). Although SMR hydrogen may be more economical due to the availability and low cost of methane, under certain market and technological conditions onsite electrolytic hydrogen can be more attractive. The paper analyses the final price of delivered hydrogen based on its sensitivity to market conditions and technology developments. (author)

Hydrogen production from small hyropower sites. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1980-04-01

A synergistic relationship was not found to exist between low-head hydropower and electrolytic hydrogen production. The storageability of hydrogen was expected to mitigate problems of hydrogen generation variability associated with the use of low-head hydropower as the power source. The expense of gaseous hydrogen storage equipment effectively eliminates storage as a means to decouple hydrogen demand and power/hydrogen production. From the opposite perspective, the availability of a low and stable cost of power from low-head hydro was expected to improve the competitiveness of electrolysis. In actuality, the results indicated that hydroelectric power from small dams would be comparatively expensive by current grid power standards (mid-1979). Electrolysis, in the capacity range considered here, is less sensitive to the cost of the power than originally presumed. Other costs including depreciation and capital related charges are more significant. Due to power generation variability, sole reliance on low-head hydropower to provide electricity to the cells would reduce the utilization of the hydrogen production investment, resulting in an increase in unit production costs. These factors were paramount in the Air Products recommendation to discontinue the study before continuing to more detailed stages of analysis, including an analysis of a site specific facility and the construction of a demonstration facility. Another major factor was the unavailability of a pipeline hydrogen supply situation which, because of lower distribution and capital costs, could have been commercially viable. An unfavorable judgment on the combined facility should not be misinterpreted and extended to the component systems. Although a detailed analysis of the individual prospects for electrolysis and low-head hydropower was beyond the study scope, the reader will realize, as the study is reviewed, that each is worthy of individual consideration.

Production, storage, transporation and utilization of hydrogen

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akiba, E.

1992-01-01

Hydrogen is produced from water and it can be used for fuel. Water is formed again by combustion of hydrogen with oxygen in the air. Hydrogen is an ideal fuel because hydrogen itself and gases formed by the combustion of hydrogen are not greenhouse and ozone layer damaging gases. Therefore, hydrogen is the most environmental friendly fuel that we have ever had. Hydrogen gas does not naturally exist. Therefore, hydrogen must be produced from hydrogen containing compounds such as water and hydrocarbons by adding energy. At present, hydrogen is produced in large scale as a raw material for the synthesis of ammonia, methanol and other chemicals but not for fuel. In other words, hydrogen fuel has not been realized but will be actualized in the near future. In this paper hydrogen will be discussed as fuel which will be used for aircraft, space application, power generation, combustion, etc. Especially, production of hydrogen is a very important technology for achieving hydrogen energy systems. Storage, transportation and utilization of hydrogen fuel will also be discussed in this paper

Hydrogen storage by carbon materials synthesized from oil seeds and fibrous plant materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sharon, Maheshwar; Bhardwaj, Sunil; Jaybhaye, Sandesh [Nanotechnology Research Center, Birla College, Kalyan 421304 (India); Soga, T.; Afre, Rakesh [Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Nagoya (Japan); Sathiyamoorthy, D.; Dasgupta, K. [Powder Metallurgy Division, BARC, Trombay 400 085 (India); Sharon, Madhuri [Monad Nanotech Pvt. Ltd., A702 Bhawani Tower, Powai, Mumbai 400 076 (India)

2007-12-15

Carbon materials of various morphologies have been synthesized by pyrolysis of various oil-seeds and plant's fibrous materials. These materials are characterized by SEM and Raman. Surface areas of these materials are determined by methylene blue method. These carbon porous materials are used for hydrogen storage. Carbon fibers with channel type structure are obtained from baggas and coconut fibers. It is reported that amongst the different plant based precursors studied, carbon from soyabean (1.09 wt%) and baggas (2.05 wt%) gave the better capacity to store hydrogen at 11kg/m{sup 2} pressure of hydrogen at room temperature. Efforts are made to correlate the hydrogen adsorption capacity with intensities and peak positions of G- and D-band obtained with carbon materials synthesized from plant based precursors. It is suggested that carbon materials whose G-band is around 1575cm{sup -1} and the intensity of D-band is less compared to G-band, may be useful material for hydrogen adsorption study. (author)

Hydrogen Production Costs of Various Primary Energy Sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Jae Hyuk; Tak, Nam Il; Kim, Yong Hee; Park, Won Seok

2005-11-01

Many studies on the economical aspects of hydrogen energy technologies have been conducted with the increase of the technical and socioeconomic importance of the hydrogen energy. However, there is still no research which evaluates the economy of hydrogen production from the primary energy sources in consideration of Korean situations. In this study, the hydrogen production costs of major primary energy sources are compared in consideration of the Korean situations such as feedstock price, electricity rate, and load factor. The evaluation methodology is based on the report of the National Academy of Science (NAS) of U.S. The present study focuses on the possible future technology scenario defined by NAS. The scenario assumes technological improvement that may be achieved if present research and development (R and D) programs are successful. The production costs by the coal and natural gas are 1.1 $/kgH 2 and 1.36 $/kgH 2 , respectively. However, the fossil fuels are susceptible to the price variation depending on the oil and the raw material prices, and the hydrogen production cost also depends on the carbon tax. The economic competitiveness of the renewable energy sources such as the wind, solar, and biomass are relatively low when compared with that of the other energy sources. The estimated hydrogen production costs from the renewable energy sources range from 2.35 $/kgH 2 to 6.03 $/kgH 2 . On the other hand, the production cost by nuclear energy is lower than that of natural gas or coal when the prices of the oil and soft coal are above $50/barrel and 138 $/ton, respectively. Taking into consideration the recent rapid increase of the oil and soft coal prices and the limited fossil resource, the nuclear-hydrogen option appears to be the most economical way in the future

Enhanced thermophilic fermentative hydrogen production from cassava stillage by chemical pretreatments.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Wen; Luo, Gang; Xie, Li; Zhou, Qi

2013-01-01

Acid and alkaline pretreatments for enhanced hydrogen production from cassava stillage were investigated in the present study. The result showed that acid pretreatment was suitable for enhancement of soluble carbohydrate while alkaline pretreatment stimulated more soluble total organic carbon production from cassava stillage. Acid pretreatment thereby has higher capacity to promote hydrogen production compared with alkaline pretreatment. Effects of pretreatment temperature, time and acid concentration on hydrogen production were also revealed by response surface methodology. The results showed that the increase of all factors increased the soluble carbohydrate production, whereas hydrogen production was inhibited when the factors exceeded their optimal values. The optimal conditions for hydrogen production were pretreatment temperature 89.5 °C, concentration 1.4% and time 69 min for the highest hydrogen production of 434 mL, 67% higher than raw cassava stillage.

Economical hydrogen production by electrolysis using nano pulsed DC

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dharmaraj, C.H. [Tangedco, Tirunelveli, ME Environmental Engineering (India); Adshkumar, S. [Department of Civil Engineering, Anna University of Technology Tirunelveli, Tirunelveli - 627007 (India)

2012-07-01

Hydrogen is an alternate renewable eco fuel. The environmental friendly hydrogen production method is electrolysis. The cost of electrical energy input is major role while fixing hydrogen cost in the conventional direct current Electrolysis. Using nano pulse DC input makes the input power less and economical hydrogen production can be established. In this investigation, a lab scale electrolytic cell developed and 0.58 mL/sec hydrogen/oxygen output is obtained using conventional and nano pulsed DC. The result shows that the nano pulsed DC gives 96.8 % energy saving.

Bio-hydrogen production by Enterobacter asburiae SNU-1 isolated from a landfill

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jong-Hwan Shin; Jong Hyun Yoon; Tai Hyun Park [School of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-744, (Korea, Republic of)

2006-07-01

A new fermentative hydrogen-producing bacterium was isolated from a landfill, and it was identified as Enterobacter asburiae strain using a genomic DNA hybridization method. Environmental factors and metabolic flux influencing the hydrogen production were investigated, including pH, initial glucose and formate concentrations. The major hydrogen production pathway of this strain is considered to be a formate pathway by using formate hydrogen lyase (FHL). Optimum pH for the hydrogen production was pH 7.0 in PYG medium, at which hydrogen production/unit volume and overall hydrogen productivity were 2615 ml/l and 174 ml H{sub 2}/l/hr, respectively, at 25 g glucose/l. The maximum hydrogen productivity was estimated to be 417 ml H{sub 2}/l/hr at 15 g glucose/l. This strain produced bio-hydrogen mostly in the stationary phase, in which formate concentration was high. In this paper, hydrogen production was tried in formate medium after cell harvest. (authors)

Bio-hydrogen production by Enterobacter asburiae SNU-1 isolated from a landfill

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jong-Hwan Shin; Jong Hyun Yoon; Tai Hyun Park

2006-01-01

A new fermentative hydrogen-producing bacterium was isolated from a landfill, and it was identified as Enterobacter asburiae strain using a genomic DNA hybridization method. Environmental factors and metabolic flux influencing the hydrogen production were investigated, including pH, initial glucose and formate concentrations. The major hydrogen production pathway of this strain is considered to be a formate pathway by using formate hydrogen lyase (FHL). Optimum pH for the hydrogen production was pH 7.0 in PYG medium, at which hydrogen production/unit volume and overall hydrogen productivity were 2615 ml/l and 174 ml H 2 /l/hr, respectively, at 25 g glucose/l. The maximum hydrogen productivity was estimated to be 417 ml H 2 /l/hr at 15 g glucose/l. This strain produced bio-hydrogen mostly in the stationary phase, in which formate concentration was high. In this paper, hydrogen production was tried in formate medium after cell harvest. (authors)

Solar photochemical production of HBr for off-peak electrolytic hydrogen production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heaton, H. [Solar Reactor Technologies Inc., Miami, FL (United States)

1996-10-01

Progress is reported on the development of a unique and innovative hydrogen production concept utilizing renewable (Solar) energy and incorporating energy storage. The concept is based on a solar-electrolytic system for production of hydrogen and oxygen. It employs water, bromine, solar energy, and supplemental electrical power. The process consumes only water, sunlight and off-peak electricity, and produces only hydrogen, oxygen, and peaking electrical power. No pollutants are emitted, and fossil fuels are not consumed. The concept is being developed by Solar Reactor Technologies, Inc., (SRT) under the auspices of a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

Substrate and product inhibition of hydrogen production by the extreme thermophile, Caldicellulosiruptor saccharolyticus

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Niel, van E.W.J.; Claassen, P.A.M.; Stams, A.J.M.

2003-01-01

Substrate and product inhibition of hydrogen production during sucrose fermentation by the extremely thermophilic bacterium Caldicellulosiruptor saccharolyticus was studied. The inhibition kinetics were analyzed with a noncompetitive, nonlinear inhibition model. Hydrogen was the most severe

Isolation of non-sulphur photosynthetic bacterial strains efficient in hydrogen production at elevated temperatures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Singh, S.P.; Srivastava, S.C. (Banaras Hindu Univ., Varanasi (IN). Centre of Advanced Study in Botany)

1991-01-01

Four strains of non-sulphur photosynthetic bacteria were isolated from root zone associations of aquatic plants like Azolla, Salvinia and Eichhornia, as well as the deep-water rice. Based on the gross cell morphology and pigmentation, the isolates resembled Rhodopseudomonas sp. and have been designated as BHU strains 1 to 4, respectively. When subjected to elevated temperature (from 33-45{sup o}C), substantial growth/hydrogen production could be observed only in strains 1 and 4. Strains 2 and 3 on the other hand, showed diminished growth and negligible hydrogen photoproduction. The BHU strains 1 and 4 have been selected as the most active (thermostable) hydrogen producing strains of local origin as far as the Indian tropical climate is concerned. (author).

Primary energy sources for hydrogen production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hassmann, K.; Kuehne, H.M.

1993-01-01

The costs for hydrogen production through water electrolysis are estimated, assuming the electricity is produced from solar, hydro-, fossil, or nuclear power. The costs for hydrogen end-use in the power generation, heat and transportation sectors are also calculated, based on a state of the art technology and a more advanced technology expected to represent the state by the year 2010. The costs for hydrogen utilization (without energy taxes) are shown to be higher than current prices for fossil fuels (including taxes). Without restrictions imposed on fossil fuel consumption, hydrogen shall not gain a significant market share in either of the cases discussed. 2 figs., 3 tabs., 4 refs

Production of hydrogen by microbial fermentation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roychowdhury, S.; Cox, D.; Levandowsky, M.

1988-01-01

Production of hydrogen by defined and undefined bacterial cultures was studied, using pure sugars (glucose and maltose) or natural sources rich in either pure sugars or polysaccharides. The latter included sugar cane juice, corn pulp (enzymatically treated or untreated), and enzymatically treated paper. Mixed microbial flora from sewage and landfill sediments, as well as pure and mixed cultures of known coliform bacteria produced mixtures of hydrogen and carbon dioxide at 37/sup 0/C and 55/sup 0/C, with hydrogen concentrations as high as 87%. In the case of the pure glucose substrate, an average yield of 0.7 mol hydrogen per mol glucose was obtained.

Economic analysis of the hydrogen production by means of the thermo-chemistry process iodine-sulfur with nuclear energy; Analisis economico de la produccion de hidrogeno mediante el proceso termoquimico yodo-azufre con energia nuclear

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Solorzano S, C.; Francois L, J. L., E-mail: cuausos@comunidad.unam.mx [UNAM, Facultad de Ingenieria, Departamento de Sistemas Energeticos, Paseo Cuauhnahuac No. 8532, Col. Progreso, 62550 Jiutepec, Morelos (Mexico)

2011-11-15

In this work an economic study was realized about a centralized plant of hydrogen production that works by means of a thermo-chemistry cycle of sulfur-iodine and uses heat coming from a nuclear power plant of IV generation, with base in the software -Hydrogen Economic Evaluation Programme- obtained through the IAEA. The sustainable technology that is glimpsed next for the generation of hydrogen is to great scale and based on processes of high temperature coupled to nuclear power plants, being the most important the cycle S-I and the electrolysis to high temperature, for what objective references are presented that can serve as base for the taking of decisions for its introduction in Mexico. After detailing the economic models that uses the software for the calculation of the even cost of hydrogen production and the characteristics, so much of the nuclear plant constituted by fourth generation reactors, as of the plant of hydrogen production, is proposed a -base- case, obtaining a preliminary even cost of hydrogen production with this process; subsequently different cases are studied starting from which are carried out sensibility analysis in several parameters that could rebound in this cost, taking into account that these reactors are still in design and planning stages. (Author)

The US department of energy programme on hydrogen production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paster, M.D.

2004-01-01

Clean forms of energy are needed to support sustainable global economic growth while mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and impacts on air quality. To address these challenges, the U.S. President's National Energy Policy and the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Strategic Plan call for expanding the development of diverse domestic energy supplies. Working with industry, the Department developed a national vision for moving toward a hydrogen economy - a solution that holds the potential to provide sustainable clean, safe, secure, affordable, and reliable energy. In February 2003, President George W. Bush announced a new Hydrogen Fuel Initiative to achieve this vision. To realize this vision, the U.S. must develop and demonstrate advanced technologies for hydrogen production, delivery, storage, conversion, and applications. Toward this end, the DOE has worked with public and private organizations to develop a National Hydrogen Energy Technology Road-map. The Road-map identifies the technological research, development, and demonstration steps required to make a successful transition to a hydrogen economy. One of the advantages of hydrogen is that it can utilize a variety of feedstocks and a variety of production technologies. Feedstock options include fossil resources such as coal, natural gas, and oil, and non-fossil resources such as biomass and water. Production technologies include thermochemical, biological, electrolytic and photolytic processes. Energy needed for these processes can be supplied through fossil, renewable, or nuclear sources. Hydrogen can be produced in large central facilities and distributed to its point of use or it can be produced in a distributed manner in small volumes at the point of use such as a refueling station or stationary power facility. In the shorter term, distributed production will play an important role in initiating the use of hydrogen due to its lower capital investment. In the longer term, it is likely that centralized

Hydrogen production through small capacity water electrolysis systems; Production d'hydrogene par electrolyse de l'eau. Application a des systemes de petite capacite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schulz, Ph. [TotalFinaElf, la Defense 6, 92 - Courbevoie (France)

2002-01-01

Less than 1 % of the world's hydrogen is produced by electrolysis of water, in large plants mainly in connection with hydropower. For users requiring extremely pure hydrogen, electrolysis can be a convenient mean of obtaining the required hydrogen quality, where cheap electricity is available. This paper aims at presenting the latest technical developments of small capacity electrolyzers, that could fuel hydrogen cells or internal combustion engines. (author)

Techno-economic study of hydrogen production by high temperature electrolysis coupled with an EPR-water steam production and coupling possibilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tinoco, R. R.; Bouallou, C.; Mansilla, C.; Werkoff, F.

2007-01-01

the emission of hazard materials and electrolyser damage. Further information about electric and thermal energy production cost, electrolyser cost, heat exchangers costs, etc. has been considered and used in the technoeconomic study. Concerning the electrolyser, we considered that electric needs are supplied by the electric network. An optimisation method, based on genetic algorithms has been used to estimate the lowest hydrogen production cost. Results from the optimisation method were confronted with potential steam water production, using or drawing off an EPR, to find the best coupling for hydrogen production. The drawing off of EPR secondary circuit seems to be more viable than total water production. Even pilot plant court-dated construction could be considered. Besides, the cost of 1 kilogramme of hydrogen for different water steam conditions has been estimated, being between 2.26 and 2.50 euros. This cost production seems to be near to the international goal of 2 euros. References (1) Palier W-1300, Centrale de Nogent, Tranches 1-2, Region d'equipement Paris. EDF, France. December 1986 (2) L'EPR, AREVA, France. January 2006, (3) http://www.areva-np.com/scripts/info/publigen/content/templates/show.asp? P=494 and LFR and SYNC=Y and ID C AT=305, date accessed: 15/11/2006 (4) IAEA-TECDOC-1505 Data processing technologies and diagnostics for water chemistry and corrosion control in nuclear power plants (DAWAC) Report of a coordinated research project 2001-2005, Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Materials Section, Austria. June 2006 (5) Jon SIGURVINSSON, Christine MANSILLA et al. Heat transfer problems for the production of hydrogen from geothermal energy. Energy Conversion and Management 47 (2006) 3543-3551 (6) Christine MANSILLA et al. Heat management for hydrogen production by high temperature steam electrolysis, Energy (2006), doi:10.1016/j.energy.2006.07.033 (7) DGEMP-DIDEME. Couts de reference de la production electrique. Secretariat d'Etat a l'Industrie-Ministere de l

Hydrogen behavior in light-water reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berman, M.; Cummings, J.C.

1984-01-01

The Three Mile Island accident resulted in the generation of an estimated 150 to 600 kg of hydrogen, some of which burned inside the containment building, causing a transient pressure rise of roughly 200 kPa (2 atm). With this accident as the immediate impetus and the improved safety of reactors as the long-term goal, the nuclear industry and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission initiated research programs to study hydrogen behavior and control during accidents at nuclear plants. Several fundamental questions and issues arise when the hydrogen problem for light-water-reactor plants is examined. These relate to four aspects of the problem: hydrogen production; hydrogen transport, release, and mixing; hydrogen combustion; and prevention or mitigation of hydrogen combustion. Although much has been accomplished, some unknowns and uncertainties still remain, for example, the rate of hydrogen production during a degraded-core or molten-core accident, the rate of hydrogen mixing, the effect of geometrical structures and scale on combustion, flame speeds, combustion completeness, and mitigation-scheme effectiveness. This article discusses the nature and extent of the hydrogen problem, the progress that has been made, and the important unresolved questions

Energy efficacy used to score organic refuse pretreatment processes for hydrogen anaerobic production.

Science.gov (United States)

Ruggeri, Bernardo; Luongo Malave, Andrea C; Bernardi, Milena; Fino, Debora

2013-11-01

The production of hydrogen through Anaerobic Digestion (AD) has been investigated to verify the efficacy of several pretreatment processes. Three types of waste with different carbon structures have been tested to obtain an extensive representation of the behavior of the materials present in Organic Waste (OW). The following types of waste were selected: Sweet Product Residue (SPR), i.e., confectionary residue removed from the market after the expiration date, Organic Waste Market (OWM) refuse from a local fruit and vegetable market, and Coffee Seed Skin (CSS) waste from a coffee production plant. Several pretreatment processes have been applied, including physical, chemical, thermal, and ultrasonic processes and a combination of these processes. Two methods have been used for the SPR to remove the packaging, manual (SPR) and mechanical (SPRex). A pilot plant that is able to extrude the refuse to 200atm was utilized. Two parameters have been used to score the different pretreatment processes: efficiency (ξ), which takes into account the amount of energy produced in the form of hydrogen compared with the available energy embedded in the refuse, and efficacy (η), which compares the efficiency obtained using the pretreated refuse with that obtained using the untreated refuse. The best result obtained for the SPR was the basic pretreatment, with η=6.4, whereas the thermal basic pretreatment gave the highest value, η=17.0 for SPRex. The best result for the OWM was obtained through a combination of basic/thermal pretreatments with η=9.9; lastly, the CSS residue with ultrasonic pretreatment produced the highest quantity of hydrogen, η=5.2. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hydrogen Production from Sea Wave for Alternative Energy Vehicles for Public Transport in Trapani (Italy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vincenzo Franzitta

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The coupling of renewable energy and hydrogen technologies represents in the mid-term a very interesting way to match the tasks of increasing the reliable exploitation of wind and sea wave energy and introducing clean technologies in the transportation sector. This paper presents two different feasibility studies: the first proposes two plants based on wind and sea wave resource for the production, storage and distribution of hydrogen for public transportation facilities in the West Sicily; the second applies the same approach to Pantelleria (a smaller island, including also some indications about solar resource. In both cases, all buses will be equipped with fuel-cells. A first economic analysis is presented together with the assessment of the avoidable greenhouse gas emissions during the operation phase. The scenarios addressed permit to correlate the demand of urban transport to renewable resources present in the territories and to the modern technologies available for the production of hydrogen from renewable energies. The study focuses on the possibility of tapping the renewable energy potential (wind and sea wave for the hydrogen production by electrolysis. The use of hydrogen would significantly reduce emissions of particulate matter and greenhouse gases in urban districts under analysis. The procedures applied in the present article, as well as the main equations used, are the result of previous applications made in different technical fields that show a good replicability.

Hydrogen-oxygen steam generator applications for increasing the efficiency, maneuverability and reliability of power production

Science.gov (United States)

Schastlivtsev, A. I.; Borzenko, V. I.

2017-11-01

The comparative feasibility study of the energy storage technologies showed good applicability of hydrogen-oxygen steam generators (HOSG) based energy storage systems with large-scale hydrogen production. The developed scheme solutions for the use of HOSGs for thermal power (TPP) and nuclear power plants (NPP), and the feasibility analysis that have been carried out have shown that their use makes it possible to increase the maneuverability of steam turbines and provide backup power supply in the event of failure of the main steam generating equipment. The main design solutions for the integration of hydrogen-oxygen steam generators into the main power equipment of TPPs and NPPs, as well as their optimal operation modes, are considered.

Modelling of hydrogen permeability of membranes for high-purity hydrogen production

Science.gov (United States)

Zaika, Yury V.; Rodchenkova, Natalia I.

2017-11-01

High-purity hydrogen is required for clean energy and a variety of chemical technology processes. Different alloys, which may be well-suited for use in gas-separation plants, were investigated by measuring specific hydrogen permeability. One had to estimate the parameters of diffusion and sorption to numerically model the different scenarios and experimental conditions of the material usage (including extreme ones), and identify the limiting factors. This paper presents a nonlinear mathematical model taking into account the dynamics of sorption-desorption processes and reversible capture of diffusing hydrogen by inhomogeneity of the material’s structure, and also modification of the model when the transport rate is high. The results of numerical modelling allow to obtain information about output data sensitivity with respect to variations of the material’s hydrogen permeability parameters. Furthermore, it is possible to analyze the dynamics of concentrations and fluxes that cannot be measured directly. Experimental data for Ta77Nb23 and V85Ni15 alloys were used to test the model. This work is supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (Project No. 15-01-00744).

A hydrogen production experiment by the thermo-chemical and electrolytic hybrid hydrogen production in lower temperature range. System viability and preliminary thermal efficiency estimation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takai, Toshihide; Nakagiri, Toshio; Inagaki, Yoshiyuki

2008-10-01

A new experimental apparatus by the thermo-chemical and electrolytic Hybrid-Hydrogen production in Lower Temperature range (HHLT) was developed and hydrogen production experiment was performed to confirm the system operability. Hydrogen production efficiency was estimated and technical problems were clarified through the experimental results. Stable operation of the SO 3 electrolysis cell and the sulfur dioxide solution electrolysis cell were confirmed during experimental operation and any damage which would be affected solid operation was not detected under post operation inspection. To improve hydrogen production efficiency, it was found that the reduction of sulfuric acid circulation and the decrease in the cell voltage were key issues. (author)

Hydrogen Production from Semiconductor-based Photocatalysis via Water Splitting

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeffrey C. S. Wu

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Hydrogen is the ideal fuel for the future because it is clean, energy efficient, and abundant in nature. While various technologies can be used to generate hydrogen, only some of them can be considered environmentally friendly. Recently, solar hydrogen generated via photocatalytic water splitting has attracted tremendous attention and has been extensively studied because of its great potential for low-cost and clean hydrogen production. This paper gives a comprehensive review of the development of photocatalytic water splitting for generating hydrogen, particularly under visible-light irradiation. The topics covered include an introduction of hydrogen production technologies, a review of photocatalytic water splitting over titania and non-titania based photocatalysts, a discussion of the types of photocatalytic water-splitting approaches, and a conclusion for the current challenges and future prospects of photocatalytic water splitting. Based on the literatures reported here, the development of highly stable visible–light-active photocatalytic materials, and the design of efficient, low-cost photoreactor systems are the key for the advancement of solar-hydrogen production via photocatalytic water splitting in the future.

Efficiency analysis of hydrogen production methods from biomass

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ptasinski, K.J.

2008-01-01

Abstract: Hydrogen is considered as a universal energy carrier for the future, and biomass has the potential to become a sustainable source of hydrogen. This article presents an efficiency analysis of hydrogen production processes from a variety of biomass feedstocks by a thermochemical method –

Dibenzazepin hydrochloride as a new spectrophotometric reagent for determination of hydrogen peroxide in plant extracts.

Science.gov (United States)

Nagaraja, P; Prakash, J S; Asha, S C; Bhaskara, B L; Kumar, S Anil

2012-10-01

A rapid, simple, accurate, and sensitive visible spectrophotometric method for the determination of trace amounts of hydrogen peroxide in acidic buffer medium is reported. The proposed method is based on the oxidative coupling of Ampyrone with dibenzazepin hydrochloride by hydrogen peroxide in the buffer medium of pH 4.0 which is catalyzed by ferrous iron. The blue-colored product formed with maximum absorption at 620 nm was found to be stable for 2 h. Beer's law is obeyed for hydrogen peroxide concentration in the range of 0.03-0.42 μg ml(-1). The optimum reaction conditions and other important optical parameters are reported. The molar absorptive and Sandell's sensitivity are found to be 5.89 × 10(4) mol(-1) cm(-1) and 0.57 g/cm(2), respectively. The interference due to diverse ions and complexing agents was studied. The method is successfully applied to the determination of hydrogen peroxide in green plants satisfactorily.

Hydrogen energy based on nuclear energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-06-01

A concept to produce hydrogen of an energy carrier using nuclear energy was proposed since 1970s, and a number of process based on thermochemical method has been investigated after petroleum shock. As this method is used high temperature based on nuclear reactors, these researches are mainly carried out as a part of application of high temperature reactors, which has been carried out at an aim of the high temperature reactor application in the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute. On October, 2000, the 'First International Conference for Information Exchange on Hydrogen Production based on Nuclear Energy' was held by auspice of OECD/NEA, where hydrogen energy at energy view in the 21st Century, technology on hydrogen production using nuclear energy, and so on, were published. This commentary was summarized surveys and researches on hydrogen production using nuclear energy carried out by the Nuclear Hydrogen Research Group established on January, 2001 for one year. They contains, views on energy and hydrogen/nuclear energy, hydrogen production using nuclear energy and already finished researches, methods of hydrogen production using nuclear energy and their present conditions, concepts on production plants of nuclear hydrogen, resources on nuclear hydrogen production and effect on global environment, requests from market and acceptability of society, and its future process. (G.K.)