Email: yan.xing@jaea.go.jp

JAEA`s Oarai R&D Center

2

1. Nuclear hydrogen production (in general)2. Hydrogen production based on HTGR3. R&D for hydrogen in JAEA

Contents

3

HeatFossil fuels

Hydro-carbon Water Water

Electricity (75%) Heat (25%)

Water Water

Electricity (~50%)Heat (~50%

Steam reforming

(500-850oC)

Waterelectrolysis

Steam electrolysis

(700~800oC)

Thermochemical water-splitting

(850oC)

Hybrid cycle water-splitting (550~850oC)

Energy input

Feed stocks

Hydrogen processes

Fission Reactors

Energy conversion->Electricity, Heat

Hydrogen, oxygen, CO2-Free

Electricity Heat (75%) Electricity (25%)

Powered by nuclear cogeneration or hybrid systems

H2, CO2

* CRC Press, USA (2011)

1. Nuclear hydrogen production – various pathways*

4

Match nuclear reactors to H2 production processesNuclear reactors and their coolant temperature ranges

Industrial process temperature range

Gen

erat

ion-

IV

Reac

tors

Existingreactors

HTGR a.k.a. VHTR

5

Water electrolysisSteam electrolysis

Hybrid cycles

Moderator (Temperature Limit)

Graphite block(2500 °C)

fuel

(Temperature Limit)

TRISO- ceramic coated particle

(1600 °C)

Fuel cladding(Temperature Limit)

Graphite(2500 °C)

Coolant

(max. temperature)

Helium gas (inert, single-phase)

(950 °C)

Neutron Spectrum Thermal neutrons

Graphite fuel block

Fuel rods &fuel compact

1.Pyrolytic Carbon

2.Silicon CarbiteBarrier Coating

3. Inner Pyrolytic Carbon

4.Porous Carbon Buffer

UO2 fuel kernel (0.6mm Dia.)

Ceramic coated particle fuel

0.92 mm

JAEA`s HTTR

Fuel particle

2. Hydrogen production based on HTGR –Reactor general features

6

JAEA`s HTGR Test Reactor – HTTR (high temperature engineering test reactor)

Main design parametersThermal power 30 MWtFuel SiC TRISO UO2 coated

particle fuel, pin in blockDesign type Prismatic coreCoolant HeliumTemperature 850~950 °CPressure 4 MPa

Containment vessel Reactor core

Reactor building Interior

Controlroom

Refuelmachine

Intermediate heat

exchanger

Dry cooling tower

7

Milestone

FYITEM

▼

▼

Commissioning test

Power-up test

Rated power operation and safety demonstration tests

Construction of reactor building & components

Criticality test

Fuel fabrication Fuel loading

1990 1991 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

First criticality (Nov 10)

Construction decided

▼30 MW, 850°C

(Dec 7)

▼

950°C(Apr 19)

19871969

▼R&Dsstart

・・・ ・・・・ ・・・

Long-term program for R&D and utilization of nuclear energy

▼Construction start

Construction

Test andOperation

2005 2010・・・

▼

950°C50 days

operation

HTTR milestones : R&D, construction and operation

Safetytest LOFC

▼

8

Reactor pressure vessel

Reactor is safely shutdown and cooled by inherent design features without reliance on any equipment or operator action in the event of loss of coolant or station blackout.

Fuel kernel TRISO ceramic coatings

Proven integrity at 1600oC

100

50

0

Temperature (oC)1000 2000 3000

No failure of fuel coating at < 1600°C

Experimental result

No explosions of H2 and vapor due to chemical inertness and absence of phase change of helium coolant

Fuel block

Fuel pin

Negative reactivity coefficient, high heat capacity and large thermal conductivity of graphite core provide for safe removal of core decay heat to external VCS.

Elapsed time (day)

0

3000

1000

Simulation of loss-of-coolant

2000 Fuel design limit 1600oC

2. Inert helium coolant

1. Ceramic (SiC) coated fuel particle

3. Graphite core

0 1 4 5 6 732

Fuel

tem

pera

ture

(o C)Fa

ilure

frac

tion

of c

oatin

g (%

)

Air Air

Underground building

Core

Vessel cooling system (VCS)

1600

Earth

Fuel temperature

Heat radiation Heat

conduction

9

HTGR passive safety eases co-location to hydrogen processes : reduce heat transmission loss and cost

GTHTR300 coupling to industrial cogeneration

H2 cogeneration plant

MSF desalinationcogeneration plant

Reactor thermal power 600 MWtReactor temperature 850-950oCProduction rates (not simultaneous)• Hydrogen production 120 t/d• Power generation 300 MWe• Desalination (cogenerated w/power) 55,000 m3/d• Steel (CO2 free steelmaking) 0.65 million t/yr

Reactor primary system

Reactor

Reactor

10

Production parameters

Heat transmission piping: 50~200 m distance

Heat transmission piping

Hydrogen Production - Methane Steam Reforming

Steam reforming reaction (endothermic, ~850oC)CH4 + H2O → CO + 3H2, ΔH=206 kJ/mol

Water gas shift reaction (exothermic)CO + H2O → CO2 + H2, ΔH=−41 kJ/mol

widely practiced in the world

35% methane is used as fuel for endothermic reaction

HTGR

Methane

HTGR coupled reforming: save methane and reduce CO2

by 35%

deployable early because reforming process is relatively developed

Steam reforming plant

11

Water

Conventional Reforming:

H2

Nuclear methane steam reforming developed in JAEA

Existing

Helium heated steam reforming facility operated in 2005

Coupling to be built !

12

Hydrogen production – iodine-sulfur (IS) thermochemicalwater-splitting process

Heat(HTGR)

400~500oCH2

H2O

I2

I2

H2+ 2HI H2SO4

SO2 + H2O

1/2O2+

2HI + H2SO4

I2 + SO2 + 2H2OHydrogen iodide

(HI) decomposition

reaction

Sulfuric acid (H2SO4) decomposition reaction

SO2+

H2O

O2

Bunsen reaction (HI and H2SO4 production)

800~900oC

I S

o IS process consists of 3 chemical reactionso It requires high temperature heat at 400-900oCo The process is free of CO2 emission

13

o Heat and mass balance for 31,860 Nm3/h-H2 (225 MWt)o Thermal efficiency 50.2%

Sulfuric acid

decomp.

SO3 decomp.

Liq-liq phase

separator

0.3 MPa100oC

Bunsen reactor

0.3 MPa100oC

HI decomp.

Purifier & concentrate

1.2 MPa270oC

Purifier & concentrate

½ O2 H2O H2

H2SO4(L)→SO3(g)+H2O(g)

SO3(g)→SO2(g)+0.5O2(g) SO2(g)+I2(L)+2H2O→H2SO4+2HI 2HI→H2(g)+I2(g)

SO2, H2O I2, H2O

(H2O)

H2SO4 H2SO4

HIxHI

SO3, H2O

1.2 MPa850oC

1.2 MPa468oC

1.2 MPa395oC

1.2 MPa435oC

(H2O)

(H2O)

I2He894oC

73.3MWt

He610oC

53.0MWt

He726oC

19.0 MWt

He486oC

29.7MWtElectricity15.3MWe

16,050 Nm3/h 31,863 Nm3/h (1.2MPa)25.8 t/h

Utilities electricity12.2MWe

*S. Kasahara, et al., Conceptual design of the iodine–sulfur process flowsheet with more than 50% thermal efficiency for hydrogen production, Nuclear Engineering and Design 329 (2018) 213–222 14

IS process flowsheet for commercial plant*

JAEA development for IS-process hydrogen production

Bench-scale test 1999～2004

HTTR-GT/H2 test

Lab-scale test ~1997

R&D on elemental technologies2005～2009

Commercialdeployment

Technology transfer to private sector

• 1-week continuous H2production by glass apparatus (0.03 Nm3/h-H2)

Establishment of base technology

HTTR

Helium gas turbine power generation

H2 facility

PresentH2 production test facility（～0.1 Nm3/h scale）

• Fluoroplastic lining Bunsen reactor

• SiC (Silicon carbide) H2SO4 decomposer

• Ni base alloy HI decomposer

Continuous H2 production testDevelopment of industrial material components

Industrial material component test

2010～1.3 m

15

Integrated IS process loop constructed of industrial materials 100 L/h H2 design capacity

Closed cycle operations are being carried at increased production rates and periods: 2016.2: 10 L/h, 8 hours, 2016.10: 20 L/h, 31 hours 2019.01: 30L/h, 150 hours (latest test)

IS process facility operated in JAEA

Buns

en

HI d

ecom

p.

H 2SO

4de

com

p.

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

水素製造量

酸素製造量

Time [h]

Prod

uctio

n of

H2

and

O2

[NL]

Rate of H2(ca. 20 L/h)

H2

O2Oct. 2016

16

Technical challenges for IS process

Chemical engineering—Separating products from reactants, by-products—Purification to remove impurity

Process engineering—Process monitoring and automation—Thermal efficiency

Practical engineering— Reduce construction cost – developing new metals (to replace SiC)

for corrosion resistance— Scale up to practical plants

17

Nuclear power/H2 + renewables for zero emission grid

18

＋o Supply 66% electricity demand (in Japan) while

load following VRE for grid stability (GF/LFC)o HTGR produces hydrogen when

demand for electricity is low (EDC)HTGR+H2 Solar/Wind

Nuclear + VREhybrid power Generation

HTGR power/H2 cogeneration

Peak load Demand

• H2 Fuel cell• H2 gas

turbine

Daily hoursHydro

nuclear power baseload

Load Demand

Nuclear + VRE hybrid system

Zero emission grid simulation : Japan nationwide

19

Generation mix %Solar 19Wind 7Hydro 8

Biomass －LNG with CCS －

HTGR 33SFR 33

Power generated：592TWh@6.7¥/kWh H2 co-produced : 13.5Mt or 29%

Japan`s demand in 2050 (@25¥/Nm3)

24 hours

0

5000

10000

15000

20000高温ガス炉 太陽光 高速炉

水力 風力 需要

0

5000

10000

15000

20000高温ガス炉 太陽光 高速炉

水力 風力 需要

2018/3/24

Elec

tric

ity [M

W]

Elec

tric

ity [M

W] HTGR

LNGSolarWind

SFRDemand

2018/7/17

3. R&D for hydrogen in JAEA

HTTR

(1) HTTR test reactor

Developed technologies of fuel, graphite, superalloy and gained experience of operation, and maintenance.

(2) BOP application technology

(3) Commercial plant design

GTHTR300

Develop GTHTR300 plant design for power generation, cogeneration of hydrogen,steelmaking, desalination, and for hybrid system with renewable energy

Establish safety standards for commercial plants.

R&D of nuclear helium gas turbine

R&D on IS process hydrogen production

JAEA built and operated the 30 MWt and 950oC prismatic core HTGR test reactor (Operation from 1998 to present)

He compressor

(4) Connection technology Demonstration of

nuclear hydrogen cogeneration on HTTR

Completed pre-licensing basic design for an HTTR-GT/H2 test plant.

HTTR-GT/H2

20

Nuclear hydrogen production – HTTR-GT/H2 test plan

Objectives• To demonstrate nuclear hydrogen and electricity cogeneration

system performance and cost • To license nuclear hydrogen production coupling to HTGR

Reactor

Containment vessel

PPWC

Coupling – high temperature heat transport loop with isolation valves

1. Gas turbine power generator set

3. Heat exchanger for potential heat applications (steam supply, desalination, etc)

Dry cooling tower

HTTR Building（existing facility） 2. Hydrogen production

(IS process) plant

H2SO4 decomposer

Bunsen reactor

IHX Multiple cogeneration capabilities（New facility for demonstration)

HI decomposer

21

Summary - Nuclear production of H2

1. It is practical today• Nuclear + water electrolysis

2. Current R&D goals are safer, more economical, more

sustainable, flexible system, based on:• Advanced reactors• Advanced hydrogen producing processes• Cogeneration and hybrid systems

3. Deployment by 2050• Demonstration - coupling of nuclear to industrial heat

process plants• Establish regulatory requirements

22