Study of two innovative hydrogen and electricity co-production systems based on very-high-temperature gas-cooled reactors

Hang Ni, Xinhe Qu, Wei Peng, Gang Zhao and Ping Zhang

Energy, 2023, vol. 273, issue C

Abstract: The coupling of the iodine-sulfur (IS) cycle and the very-high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (VHTR) is an advanced nuclear hydrogen production process. This study proposes two innovative hydrogen and electricity co-production systems based on VHTRs using the IS cycle and the helium closed Brayton cycle to produce hydrogen and to generate electricity. A thermodynamic model is established, and the influence of crucial parameters on system performance are analyzed. The optimal combination of these parameters under certain constraints is studied to maximize the hydrogen-electricity efficiency, and the thermodynamic performance of the two schemes is compared. The results show that the suggested control ranges of mass flow rate ratio for Schemes 1 and 2 are 0.031–0.75 and 0.075–0.70, and the corresponding hydrogen production rates are 17.4–295.6 and 42.2–319.6 mol/s. The net output work of the two schemes is close, and the reactor inlet temperature of Scheme 2 is usually higher than that of Scheme 1. As the hydrogen production rate increases, the hydrogen-electricity and exergy efficiencies of both schemes decrease. Scheme 2 has an advantage over Scheme 1 in overall efficiency owing to its high cycle efficiency, and the advantage is greater with an increasing hydrogen production rate.

Keywords: Nuclear hydrogen production; Very-high-temperature gas-cooled reactor; Iodine-sulfur cycle; Helium closed Brayton cycle; Hydrogen and electricity co-production (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:energy:v:273:y:2023:i:c:s036054422300600x

DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2023.127206

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