IAEA s Technical Meeting to Examine the Role of Nuclear Hydrogen Production in the Context of the Hydrogen Economy Vienna, 17-19 July 2017 Techniques for Hydrogen Production at High Temperature R. Boudries
Hydrogen production High temperature solar hydrogen production High temperature nuclear hydrogen production Possibilities of high temperature hydrogen production using hybrid solar-nuclear systems Conclusion 1 2
Need for Hydrogen Production
Interest in hydrogen It stems from: The big demand for hydrogen as a chemical feedstock in the industry sector: Fast increase in hydrogen needs in the refinery sector because of the stringent regulation in the conventional fuel production Flat glass manufacturing using float glass technique Petrochemical sector needs (ammonia, ethanol, etc.) The big interest in developing hydrogen as an energy vector: Could solve the problem related to the conventional energy source: pollution and the limited resources Could be used in different sectors: transport, energy, domestic, etc. Versatility in its use The big in role in the energy transition Power to Gas 4
Hydrogen production Hydrogen exists in nature mainly in combination with other elements Must be produced by dissociation (water, hydrocarbons, etc.)
Hydrogen Generation Process Energy Clean hydrogen production Clean energy sources Renewable Energy Nuclear Energy Nuclear Energy Any reactors, providing electrical and/or thermal energy can be coupled to hydrogen production process. Renewable Energy Most of RE, providing electrical and/or thermal energy can be used in the hydrogen production process.
Hydrogen Generation Process Energy Nuclear Energy Technologies Technology Temperature Very high temperature Reactor 1000 C Gas cooled fast reactor 850 C Sodium cooled fast reactor 550 C Liquid metal cooled reactor 550 C Water cooled reactor 320 C
Hydrogen Generation Process Energy Solar Energy technologies Technology Form of Energy Temperature Solar PV electricity 50 C CPV Electricity + heat Depends on concentrator Solar parabolic trough Electricity + heat 300 C - 400 C Solar central receiver Electricity + heat 800 C - 1000 C Dish Heat 1000 C
Energy form requirement Hydrogen Generation Process Electrical form: Thermal form: Conventional electrolysis Thermo-chemical cycle Thermal and electrical form HTSE HyS cycle 9
High Temperature Process: HTSE Heat vaporizes the water and brings it to the electrolysis temperature Electricity Water splitting Theoretically: Water electrolysis E = H = G + T S Real case: we have to add losses E = H Energie (Wh/mole) / η 75 60 45 30 15 e G T S H 0 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 Temperature ( C) 10
High Temperature Process: Thermo-chemical cycle Heat for process operation on each cycle ~900 o C H 2 SO 4 -------> SO 2 + H 2 O + 1/2 O 2 O 2 H 2 O H 2 SO 4 Regeneration SO 2 + I 2 + 2H 2 O ~120-----> H 2 SO 4 + o C 2HI SO 2 & H 2 O I 2 regeneration HI ~400 o C H2 2HI---------> H 2 + I 2
High Temperature Solar Hydrogen Production
CPV-electrolysis system Energy source: solar Feedstock: water Production Process: Electrolysis Energy form: Electric for electrolysis Thermal for steam generation
CPV-electrolysis system Concentrator Type of technology Reflective (mirror) Type of mirror Parabolic trough Size of concentration 20 to 100 Cell Technology Type Advanced silicon cell Efficiency 14% to 20 %
CPV-electrolysis system Parameters values Optical efficiency 85 % Cell efficiency 14 % -20% Module efficiency 0.85xcell efficiency BOS efficiency 85 % Electrolyzer efficiency 85 % Temperature effect 75 % Factors values BOS cost ($/m²) 114 BOS power cost ($/Wp) 1.61 Tracking cost ($/m²) 159 Module cost ($/m²) 290 O&M cost PV lifetime 2% X capital cost 30 years
CPV-electrolysis system Electrolyzer characteristics Factor Value Coupling efficiency 0.85 lifetime 20 years Rated current (ma/cm²) 134 Rated voltage (V) 1.74 Operating current (ma/cm²) 268 Capital cost ($/kw) 800
CPV-electrolysis system 4,0 cost of hydrogen ($/kg) 3,5 3,0 2,5 2,0 1,5 PV efficiency: 14% 16% 20% 26% DNI = 2350 kwh/m 2 year 4 1,0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 concentration cost of hydrogen ($/kg) 3 2 PV efficiency: 14% 16% 20% 26% DNI = 1850 kwh/m 2 year 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 concentration Evolution of hydrogen cost with concentration for different values of the PV cell efficiency.
CPV-electrolysis system 4,0 3,5 Concentration: 20 40 60 100 cost of hydrogen ($/kg) 3,0 2,5 2,0 1,5 1,0 DNI = 2350 kwh/m 2 year 15 18 21 24 PV cell efficiency (%) cost of hydrogen ($/kg) 5 Concentration: 20 40 60 100 4 3 2 DNI = 1850 kwh/m 2 year 1 15 18 21 24 PV cell efficiency (%) Evolution of hydrogen cost with PV cell efficiency for different values of concentration
CPV-electrolysis system 100 Power generation fractional cost (%) 80 60 40 20 DNI = 2350 kwh/m 2 year PV eficiency: 14 % PV eficiency: 20 % 20 40 60 80 100 Concentration Power generation fractional cost (%) 100 80 60 40 DNI = 1850 kwh/m 2 year PV efficiency: 14 % PV efficiency: 20 % 20 20 40 60 80 100 Concentration Fractional hydrogen production cost related to the CPV power generation
CSP-electrolysis system Solar field Power Plant unit Thermodynamic unit AC/DC Solar field technology: parabolic trough Electrolyzer unit
CSP-electrolysis system Solar field characteristics Parameters Reflector shape Incident angle efficiency values Parabolic trough 87.5 % Optical efficiency 75 % Receiver thermal efficiency 73. % Thermodynamic unit characteristics Parameters Thermal to power plant efficiency Gross steam cycle efficiency values 95.0 % 37.5 % Parasitics* 85. % Solar field availability 99.% Piping thermal losses 96.5 % Low insolation losses 99.6 % Plant availability 98 % Solar capacity factor 25 % *(1-%auxiliary power consumed by plant)
CSP-electrolysis system Solar unit economics Power Plant unit economics Components (capital cost) Values ($/m 2 ) Reflector 40 Receiver capital cost 43 Concentrator (structure + erection) 61 Thermodynamic unit economics Components (capital cost) Values ($/kw) Structure 73 Steam generator 100 Tracking system 13 Electric power generating system 367 Interconnecting & header pipes 17 others 60 Balance of system 213 O&M factor 2 % O&M factor 2 %
CSP-electrolysis system Electrolysis unit Electrolyzer characteristics Factor Value Coupling efficiency 0.85 lifetime 20 years Rated current (ma/cm²) 134 Rated voltage (V) 1.74 Operating current (ma/cm²) 268 Capital cost ($/kw) 800 Capacity factor 70 %
CSP-electrolysis system Fractional hydrogen cost related to STPP (%) 88 87 86 1,5 2,0 2,5 3,0 3,5 DNI (MWh/m 2.year) Fractional hydrogen production cost related to solar thermal power plant
CSP-electrolysis system 7,2 Hydrogen production cost ($/kg) 6,9 6,6 6,3 6,0 1,5 2,0 2,5 3,0 3,5 DNI (MWh/m 2.year) Evolution of hydrogen production cost with DNI
CSP-electrolysis system 0,08 Relative collector area (m 2 /kg. H 2 ) 0,07 0,06 0,05 0,04 0,03 1,5 2,0 2,5 3,0 3,5 DNI (MWh/m 2.year) Evolution of relative collector area with DNI
High Temperature Nuclear Hydrogen Production
Nuclear Power Plant High Temperature Process Nuclear reactor Thermodynamic unit Nuclear Power Plant Heat AC/DC Nuclear reactor technology: HTR Electrolyzer/SI unit
Nuclear Power Plant High Temperature Process Nuclear Power Plant : case of no cogeneration HTSE SI Reactor type HTGR HTGR Thermal rating (MWth/unit) 250 250 Heat for H2 plant (MWth/unit) 250 250 Electricity rating (Mwe/unit) 0 0 Nombre of units 2 2 Initial fuel load (kg/unit) 2950 2950 Annual fuel feed (kg/unit) 1155 1155 Capital cost (10 6 $/unit) 416 395 Capital cost fraction for electricity generating 0 0 infrastructure (%) Fuel cost ($/kg) 4800 4800 O&M cost ( in % of capital cost) 3.1 3.1 Decommissioning cost ( in % of capital cost 6.3 6.3
Nuclear Power Plant High Temperature Process Hydrogen Generation Plant : case of no cogeneration Process type HTSE SI Hydrogen generation per unit (10 6 kg/year) 506 68 Heat consumption (MWth/unit ) 500 500 Electricity required (MWe/unit ) 1975 16.5 Number of units 1 1 Capital cost (10 6 $) 1720 340 Other O&M cost ( in % of capital cost) 9.15 7.5 Decommissioning costs (in % of capital cost) 10 10 Temperature 850 C 900 C
Nuclear Power Plant High Temperature Process Nuclear Power Plant: cogeneration case HTSE SI Reactor type HTGR -co HTGR -co Thermal rating (MWth/unit) 250 250 Heat for H2 plant (MWth/unit) 19.5 234 Electricity rating (Mwe/unit) 89.5 16.5 Nombre of units 2 2 Initial fuel load (kg/unit) 2950 2950 Annual fuel feed (kg/unit) 762 1000 Capital cost (10 6 $/unit) 416 395 Capital cost fraction for electricity generating 10 10 infrastructure (%) Fuel cost ($/kg) 4800 4800 O&M cost ( in % of capital cost) 3.1 3.1 Decommissioning cost ( in % of capital cost 6.3 6.3
Nuclear Power Plant High Temperature Process Hydrogen Generation Plant: cogeneration case Process type HTSE -co SI co Hydrogen generation per unit (10 6 kg/year) 46 49.6 Heat consumption (MWth/unit ) 39 467 Electricity required (MWe/unit ) 179 0 Number of units 1 1 Capital cost (10 6 $) 156 168 Other O&M cost ( in % of capital cost) 9.15 7.5 Decommissioning costs (in % of capital cost) 10 10 Temperature 850 C 900 C
Nuclear Power Plant High Temperature Process SI conventional cogeneration SI HTSE HTSE 0,0 0,5 1,0 1,5 2,0 2,5 3,0 Hydrogen production cost ($/kg H 2 ) Nuclear hydrogen production cost for HTSE and SI production process
Nuclear Power Plant High Temperature Process SI conventional co-generation SI SI HTSE HTSE 0 20 40 60 80 100 Fractional hydrogen cost related to NPP (%) Fractional hydrogen production cost related to nuclear power plant
Possible hybrid solar-nuclear hydrogen production systems
Hybrid Solar-Nuclear Hydrogen Production Systems A solar-nuclear hybrid hydrogen production system comprises: a solar-nuclear hybrid energy system a hydrogen production unit Solar -nuclear hybrid energy system offers the opportunity for a better use of nuclear and solar energy resources. It is intended as a flexible energy system that is more reliable and more efficient. Solar nuclear hybrid energy system includes several subsystems: a nuclear reactor one of more solar sources (PV, CSP or both) one power generation an energy storage device
Hybrid Solar-Nuclear Hydrogen Production Systems Hybrid system configurations There are numerous configurations, depending on: the technical specifications the economic constraints the local solar resources For high temperature hydrogen production, there is a need for: a high temperature nuclear reactor and/or a CSP
Hybrid Solar-Nuclear Hydrogen Production Systems PV module High Temperature Reactor Power Generation AC/DC Hydrogen Generation unit DC/DC Heat lines Electricity lines
Hybrid Solar-Nuclear Hydrogen Production Systems CSP system PV module High Temperature Reactor Power Generation AC/DC Hydrogen Generation unit DC/DC Heat lines Electricity lines
Hybrid Solar-Nuclear Hydrogen Production Systems CSP system High Temperature Reactor Power Generation AC/DC Heat lines Electricity lines Hydrogen Generation unit
Hybrid Solar-Nuclear Hydrogen Production Systems A solar nuclear hybrid energy system offer the opportunities for the: production of clean energy increase in energy conversion efficiency optimal use of equipments increase in profitability optimization of the system reliability stability in energy supply. fast solar energy market penetration
Conclusion
Conclusions As a clean source of energy, Nuclear can play an important role in the development of a sustainable hydrogen economy Nuclear energy can produce energy under different forms and so it can be used to drive different hydrogen production processes Techno-economic studies have shown that nuclear based hydrogen production is economically competitive In combination with solar energy, nuclear offers better opportunities for hydrogen economy development
Conclusions SMR, by their properties of: Modularity Suitability for remote areas Shorter construction time Fewer operators Lower investment costs. High availability ( 90%). Could play an important role not only in the energy transition by also for the development of the hydrogen economy
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