Title: Analysis of the viability of the 2 × 250 MWth HTR-PM project for the hydrogen production by the high temperature electrolysis and the Cu-Cl cycle

Authors: Daniel González Rodríguez; Fernando Roberto De Andrade Lima; Carlos Alberto Brayner De Oliveira Lira; Carlos Rafael García Hernández

Addresses: Centro Regional de Ciências Nucleares do Nordeste, CRCN-NE, 28610-974 Recife, PE, Brazil ' Centro Regional de Ciências Nucleares do Nordeste, CRCN-NE, 28610-974 Recife, PE, Brazil ' Centro Regional de Ciências Nucleares do Nordeste, CRCN-NE, 28610-974 Recife, PE, Brazil ' Instituto Superior de Tecnologías y Ciencias Aplicadas (InSTEC), Universidad de la Habana, Avenida Salvador Allende Esq. Luaces, CP:10400 La Habana, Cuba

Abstract: The work describes two proposals for hydrogen production using the HTR-PM reactor as an energy source. Both proposals take advantage of the high output temperatures of the 2 × 250 MWth HTR-PM project to increase the efficiency of hydrogen production processes. Two proposals are analysed, the hydrogen production through the Cu-Cl cycle and the high temperature electrolysis process. To evaluate the efficiency of the proposed conceptual designs, two computational models were developed in a chemical process simulator. A determination of the efficiency of the hydrogen production process coupled to the HTR-PM was carried out using the computational model developed. The high temperature electrolysis (HTE) process can produce 0.7821 kg/s of hydrogen with 27.37% of efficiency. The Cu-Cl process, although producing less hydrogen, 0.5637 kg/s, has higher overall efficiency (32.12%) than the HTE, mainly due to less global exergy destruction and higher exergetic efficiency.

Keywords: nuclear hydrogen production; Cu-Cl cycle; high temperature electrolysis; HTE; efficiency; exergy.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEX.2021.113007

International Journal of Exergy, 2021 Vol.34 No.2, pp.225 - 254

Received: 22 Feb 2020
Accepted: 08 Jul 2020
Published online: 15 Feb 2021 *

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