High-temperature nuclear reactor power plant cycle for hydrogen and electricity production – numerical analysis

Abstract

Abstract. High temperature gas-cooled nuclear reactor (called HTR or HTGR) for both electricity generation and hydrogen production is analysed. The HTR reactor because of the relatively high temperature of coolant could be combined with a steam or gas turbine, as well as with the system for heat delivery for high-temperature hydrogen production. However, the current development of HTR's allows us to consider achievable working temperature up to 750 o C. Due to this fact, industrial-scale hydrogen production using copper-chlorine (Cu-Cl) thermochemical cycle is considered and compared with high-temperature electrolysis. Presented calculations show and confirm the potential of HTR's as a future solution for hydrogen production without CO 2 emission. Furthermore, integration of a hightemperature nuclear reactor with a combined cycle for electricity and hydrogen production may reach very high efficiency and could possibly lead to a significant decrease of hydrogen production costs.

Thermodynamic Analysis of Advanced Gas Turbine Combined Cycle Integration with a High-Temperature Nuclear Reactor and Cogeneration Unit

“…The HTR coupled with a gas turbine combined cycle with 3P HRSG and inter-stage steam superheated system.The calculations were made by using software provided by Steag Energy Services-Ebsilon Professional. A mathematical model for the key components of a high-temperature nuclear reactor coupled with the advanced gas turbine combined cycle is presented inTables 3 and 4[37][38][39][40][41].…”