Future Trends and Emerging Opportunities with Nuclear Hydrogen Production

Abstract

Nuclear hydrogen production includes technologies with both old roots and new emerging directions: nuclear power plants and hydrogen production processes. Hydrogen production from water or hydrocarbons has been established since the early twentieth century. Also, nuclear energy for commercial electricity generation at a large scale has been established over 50 years ago. Novel technologies of hydrogen production at a large scale have emerged recently such as high-temperature electrolysis and thermochemical cycles. A new generation of nuclear reactors is being developed through the Generation IV International Forum (GIF) with advanced designs and innovations for high-temperature process heat generation and advanced fuel cycles. Both fast and thermal neutron spectra are under development. In addition, nuclear fusion to generate high-temperature heat has achieved significant progress and is viewed as a major technology of the future. In this chapter, various trends and future emerging opportunities with nuclear hydrogen production are reviewed. One of the important issues is the development of advanced fuels for thermal and fast neutron spectra. TRISO fuel particles are one of the promising developments while pebble bed reactor designs are also significant. Intermediate heat exchangers will have a crucial role for heat transfer and radioactive particle isolation from the nuclear core to downstream processes. Advanced power generation cycles including combined and supercritical cycles represent an important development for effective power and hydrogen cogeneration.