Fourth Information Exchange Meeting РНЦ

"Курчатовский
институт"

on the Nuclear Production of Hydrogen

The Concept of Nuclear Hydrogen

production based on MHR-T Reactor

N.Ponomarev-Stepnoy, A.Stolyarevskiy
(RRC “Kurchatov Institute”),
N.Kodochigov (OKBM “Afrikantov”)

Chicago, Illinois, USA

14-16 April 2009
 THE POTENTIAL FOR NUCLEAR POWER DEPLOYMENT 2

Transport
(13%)
Industry
(32%) Centralized heating
(24%)

Total consumption and share of primary energy

sources used for electricity generation [2]
NPP share
(4%) Electricity
generation 1997 2000 2010 2020
(31%)
Region Total Electricity NPP Total Electricity NPP Total Electricity NPP Total Electricity NPP
consu- genera- share, consu- genera- share, consu- genera- share, consu- genera- share,
mption, tion , % % mption, tion , % % mption, tion , % % mption, tion , % %
Consumption of primary EJ (1018J) EJ (1018J) EJ (1018J) EJ (1018J)
fuel by economy sectors in
North 113 36 5,8 123 36 4,8 131 38 3,1
1997 [1] 108,7 35,9 6,3
America 117 36 5,7 139 36 4,7 157 39 5,3
30,4 32 4,6 32,0 36,5 8,0 33,3 43 12,0
Russia 31 31 4,1
30,4 32 4,6 34,5 36,0 7,9 41,0 41 11,5

 ~65% of the total consumed primary energy sources are used in nonelectric
applications[2].
 The potential scale of HTGR deployment in nonelectric applications is as large as
in electricity generation.
[1] “The Conception of Energy Policy in Russia in New Economic Situation”, P., TsNII atom. inform, 1993.
[2] The Strategy of Nuclear Power Development in Russia in the First Half of the XXI Century, 2000
 HYDROGEN DEMAND 3

The innovative technology of high-temperature gas cooled reactors (HTGR) opens

new perspectives for non-electric application of nuclear energy, and provides
entry in a new market sector, which is hydrogen production
87.5 Mt 13 Mt 27.5 Mt
Ammonia Other Oil processing
production consumers and refining
3 Mt 20 Mt 13 Mt
Methanol Ammonia Methanol
production production production 32 Mt
Metallurgy
3 Mt
Metallurgy
180 Mt
Production of
synthetic fuels

11 Mt
Oil processing
and refining <3 Mt
Other
consumers 450 Mt
Fuel for motor
transport

Structure of hydrogen consumption for Perspective structure of hydrogen consumption

2006 (total consumption 50 Mt) for 2100 (total consumption ~ 800 Mt)

By 2050, there can be 150 MHR-T units working within this market sector in Russia
for hydrogen production.
 METHODS OF HYDROGEN PRODUCTION USING HTGR 4

 Electrolysis
- efficiency ~ 36 %
- proven technology
- source of hydrogen: water
 Steam methane conversion

- efficiency > 80 % at > 800 оС

- proven technology
- source of hydrogen: natural gas and water
High temperature electrolysis Контур теплоносителя
Высокотемпературный электролиз –высокотемпературный
топливный элемент

Турбина Электрогенератор

- efficiency up to ~ 50 % at ~ 900 оС
- developing technology ВТГ
Р

- source of hydrogen: water Парогенератор

Кислород Электроэнергия к
потребителю

Вода Водород к потребителю

Водород

Termochemical water splitting Кислород Вода

Водород

- efficiency ~ 50 % at ~ 900 оС
100 1/2O2
0
(кислород)

ый аппарат
Реакционн
Тепло от МГР-
МГР- Т

Бунзена
H2SO4=
H2O+SO2+1/2O2
800 (разложение серной кислоты) (гелий с Т=950 оС)

- developing technology

Ректификационная

Декомпозер йодистого

Температура , оС
600 H2 ( водород
водород))

колонна

водорода
- source of hydrogen: water
Десульфатор
Концентратор

серного газа
Декомпозер
кислоты
серной

400 H2O испарение HI 2HI=

Сепаратор
жидкости
H2+I2
4

перегонка
SO2 H2SO4 HIx

отделение
кислоты
Сепарато

водорода
200
xI2+SO2+H2O=

р
0 2HIx+H2SO 4
Реакция Бунзена

0 H2O Разложение
йодистоводородной кислоты
 REQUIREMENTS FOR THE HTGR 5

•Main requirements for the power source were determined based on

the preliminary data on the efficiency of hydrogen production
technologies depending on temperatures
120
80%

100 70%

Energy Input (MJ/kgH2)

Electrical 60%
80 Energy input

Efficiency,% %
50%

Эффективность,
60
Efficiency,%

40%

Thermal Energy 30%

40
input
20%
20
10%

0 0%
100 300 500 700 900 600 700 800 900 1000

Temperature, оС Температура (оС) оС

Temperature,
Temperature, оС
Steam methane High-temperature Thermochemical water
reforming (SMR) [1] electrolysis (HTE) [2] splitting (TWS) [1]

•Required temperature of helium exiting the reactor core:

- for SMR: 850 оС
- for HTE: 900-950 оС [1] “High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactors for the Production of Hydrogen”, EPRI, Final
Report, February 2003
- for TWS: 950 оС [2] “Processes of hydrogen production, coupled with nuclear reactors: economic perspectives”,
Francois Werkoff (CEA), France; Sophie Avril, (CEA), France; Christine Mansilla, (CEA),
France; Jon Sigurvinsson, (CEA), France, European Nuclear Conference, 2005
 MAIN REQUIREMENTS TO THE HTGR IN HYDROGEN
PRODUCTION APPLICATIONS 6

 GENERATION OF HIGH-GRADE HEAT WITH THE

TEMPERATURE AS HIGH AS 950 °C

 NO HYDROGEN CONTAMINATION WITH RADIOACTIVE

SUBSTANCES, OR ACCEPTABLY LOW LEVEL OF SUCH
CONTAMINATION

 SAFETY OF THE POWER COMPLEX

 HYDROGEN PRODUCTION AT LOWER COSTS AS COMPARED

WITH THE CONVENTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES
 MHR-T ENGINEERING CONCEPT 7

The MHR-T reactor plant was developed based

on the GT-MHR reactor design

Main technical characteristics (HTE option)

Thermal power, MW 600

Temperature at the reactor
outlet, 0С 950

Power for hydrogen production

- electric, MW 205.5
- thermal, MW 160
Hydrogen output,
thousand tons / year 54.05
Life time, years 60

Power conversion High-temperature heat

unit Reactor exchangers
 OPTION OF NPP GENERAL PLAN AND HYDROGEN PRODUCTION 8

 Hydrogen
production site

 Electrolyzer
building

 Main building of  NPP site

4-module NPP
MGR-T DIAGRAM (FOR SMR APPLICATION - HYDROGEN 99,99%) 9

Chemical-engineering Reactor
plant plant

Hydrogen production processes require adaptation to the nuclear

energy source
 METANE-HYDROGEN MIXTURE PRODUCTION BY SMR
TECHNOLOGY (HYDROGEN ~ 50%) 10

Heat from MHR-T

Thermal conversion (heating to 700 оC)
unit
4
CO2
Water
steam
CEP
5 9 10 Product
removal
Methane- (H2)
HTHE
2 hydrogen
Dry converted mixture
Raw
gas product
6 Water (Н2 content supply
(H2O,CH4)
to 50%) SG
1 STP
7 8
Natural
gas Methane-hydrogen mixture production unit

1 – compressor; 2 – sulfur removal unit; 3 – MHR-T RP; 4 – steam-gas fluid heating; 5 – reactor;
6 – steam generator; 7 – condenser; 8 – moisture separator; 9 – СО2 removal unit; 10 – receivers.
SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL ISSUES RELATED TO ESTABLISHMENT 11
OF NUCLEAR POWER-TECHNOLOGICAL COMPLEXES
 Development of safety regulations for nuclear power-
technological stations with high-temperature modular helium
reactors

 Improvement of the fuel design for operation at high

temperatures

 Development of reliable heat exchange equipment for operation

at high temperatures

 Study and optimization of process flows, parameters, and

operating modes of the modular helium reactor coupled with
hydrogen production facilities

 Research, selection and optimization of hydrogen production

technology

 Research and development on hydrogen production equipment

 THE OUTLOOK FOR DEPLOYMENT OF NUCLEAR- 12
HYDROGEN COMPLEXES IN RUSSIA

1. ~150 MGR-T UNITS IN THE MID-TERM PERSPECTIVE, BY 2050.

REDUCTION IN NATURAL GAS DEMAND BY OVER 80 BILLION M3
2. THE MOST SUITABLE HYDROGEN PRODUCTION PROCESS IN
RUSSIA IS STEAM METHANE REFORMING COUPLED WITH A
HTGR REACTOR.
3. IT IS NECESSARY TO DEVELOP THE TECHNOLOGY OF HIGH-
TEMPERATURE SOLID OXIDE WATER ELECTROLYSIS ON THE
EXISTING BASIS FOR FURTHER LARGE-SCALE DEPLOYMENT
OF HYDROGEN POWER ENGINEERING.