Hydrogen, nuclear energy, and the advanced high-temperature reactor

Abstract

Nuclear energy has been proposed as an energy source to produce hydrogen (H 2) from water. An examination of systems issues in this paper indicates that the infrastructure of H 2 consumption is now compatible with the production of H 2 by nuclear reactors. Alternative H 2 production processes were examined to define the requirements such processes would impose on the nuclear reactor. These requirements include supplying heat at a near-constant high temperature, providing a low-pressure interface with the H 2 production processes, isolating the nuclear plant from the chemical plant, and avoiding tritium contamination of the H 2 product. A reactor concept—the advanced high-temperature reactor—was developed to match these requirements for H 2 production.