Goal of the Nuclear Hydrogen Initiative

The goal of the Nuclear Hydrogen Initiative (NHI) is to demonstrate the economic, commercial-scale production of hydrogen using nuclear energy. If successful, this research could lead to a large-scale, emission-free, domestic hydrogen production capability necessary to support the production of chemical feedstocks, liquid petroleum products, and a future transition to a hydrogen production economy.

Why Use Nuclear Energy to Produce Hydrogen?

Hydrogen forms the backbone of our industrial and transportation sectors. From an industrial perspective, hydrogen is used in the refining of petroleum into transportation fuels, especially heavy crude oils that are deficient in their hydrogen content. Almost as important is the use of hydrogen in the creation of chemical feedstocks needed in the manufacturing of plastics and thousands of consumer products. In addition to conventional hydrocarbon transportation fuels, hydrogen offers significant promise as a direct energy carrier for the transportation sector. The direct use of hydrogen in transportation would reduce U.S. dependence on foreign sources of petroleum, while enhancing our national security. Significant progress in hydrogen combustion engines and fuel cells is bringing hydrogen-powered transportation closer to reality.

The primary challenge to the increased use of hydrogen as part of the Nation’s overall energy infrastructure is the cost associated with its production, storage and delivery. Hydrogen is the most common element in the universe and can be produced from readily available sources such as methane and water. However, existing hydrogen production methods are either inefficient or produce greenhouse gases. Nuclear energy has the potential to efficiently produce large quantities of hydrogen without producing greenhouse gases and hence, to play a significant role in hydrogen production.

Developing an Integrated Hydrogen Program

NHI is a component of the research and development effort to reverse America’s growing dependence on foreign oil and expand the availability of clean, abundant energy. Hydrogen is produced today on an industrial scale in the petrochemical industry by a process of steam reforming, using natural gas as both source material and heat source.

A potentially better option for the future could be the use of advanced nuclear technology to produce hydrogen. High temperature heat from an advanced nuclear system could be supplied to a hydrogen-producing thermochemical or high temperature electrolysis (HTE) plant through an intermediate heat exchanger. Such an arrangement could provide high efficiency and avoid the use of carbon fuels. NHI is exploring a range of hydrogen production technologies that could enable various Generation IV systems to produce hydrogen across a range of temperatures; however, high temperature processes show the greatest promise. High temperature process heat would be available from the Generation IV reactor concept of the Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR), which is being developed in the U.S. as the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP).

Significant research and development (R&D) will be required in order to complete a commercial-scale demonstration. The hydrogen production system and heat transfer components, such as intermediate heat exchangers, will require the evaluation and development of high-temperature, corrosion-resistant materials.

NHI is being implemented in close cooperation with programs in other DOE offices that are conducting hydrogen R&D -- the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Fossil Energy, and Science. This cooperation eliminates redundancy while ensuring that R&D is complementary. NE has also established substantial cooperation in this area with its international research partners.

Program Highlights

NHI addresses the need for greater utilization of our energy resources by developing energy conversion systems to economically produce hydrogen for use in our national transportation system.

Program milestones include:

• FY 2009: Select a single nuclear hydrogen production technology for use with the NGNP and on which to focus development activities.
  
  
• FY 2010 – FY 2011: Resolve technical barriers to scale-up of selected technology.
  
  
• FY 2011 – FY 2013: Design and construct pilot-scale experiment.
  
  
• FY 2014: Demonstrate the selected nuclear hydrogen production technology in a pilot-scale experiment.
  
  
• FY 2014 – FY 2016: Design and construct engineering-scale hydrogen production system.
  
  
• FY 2017: Demonstrate the engineering-scale hydrogen production system in order to establish the viability of the production module size for a commercial-scale plant.

FY 2008 Accomplishments:

• Conducted HTE integrated laboratory-scale experiment operation consisting of three 240-cell modules at 5 kWe power level each and 15 kWe total.
• Operated solid oxide electrolysis cell stacks at prototypic temperatures (750 – 900 C) to confirm efficiency and demonstrate cell sealing and interconnect technologies.
• Conducted integrated laboratory-scale experiments on Sulfur-Iodine (SI) thermochemical system to confirm the technical viability of the integrated system.
• Conducted tests of multi-cell electrolyzers for the Hybrid Sulfur thermochemical cycle.

• Continue HTE experiments begun in FY 2008 to investigate long-term cell operability and thermal cycling issues.
• Perform operation and testing of the SI integrated laboratory-scale thermochemical experiment to assess long-term process stability and component durability.
• Evaluate the impact of improved electrolyzer membranes on long-term operability of the Hybrid Sulfur thermochemical cycle.
• Select a single nuclear hydrogen production technology for use with the NGNP on which to focus development activities.
• Continue international collaborations through the Generation IV International Forum VHTR Hydrogen Production Project Arrangement. (The U.S. chairs this collaboration.)

NHI Program

DOE Hydrogen Program