Coupling nuclear and hydrogen-production applied sciences might allow reasonably priced various to fossil gas – Uplaza

Vitality infrastructure of the long run might look very completely different to the infrastructure we depend on at the moment. Analysis by a staff of specialists from the Nationwide Nuclear Laboratory reveals that powering hydrogen manufacturing utilizing nuclear vitality may very well be economically viable.

This analysis was printed within the journal New Vitality Exploitation and Software.

Mark Bankhead, Chemical Modeling Workforce Supervisor, explains the background to the analysis, “Hydrogen and hydrogen-derived various liquid fuels are a key enabler for the UK to achieve internet zero emissions by 2050. Nuclear energy might be coupled to completely different hydrogen-producing applied sciences. To tell our technique for demonstrating the worth of those applied sciences by the 2030s, we developed a mannequin that gives perception into their techno-economic efficiency.

“There are competitive advantages of thermochemical hydrogen production coupled with a High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor (HTGR), and we know there is more work to do to optimize these technologies and realize the potential of this technology.”

A brand new means of figuring out effectivity and prices

In a brand new method to figuring out the economics of those applied sciences, a ground-breaking mathematical mannequin was constructed which coupled nuclear energy to hydrogen-producing know-how. The mannequin permits completely different hydrogen manufacturing applied sciences to be coupled, which signifies that completely different situations might be in contrast.

The mannequin was constructed in two elements. First, the bodily and chemical processes of various hydrogen manufacturing applied sciences have been modeled. This offered a novel technique of figuring out the general effectivity of those industrial processes by expressing the output of the mannequin as items of hydrogen produced per unit of vitality equipped. Within the second a part of the mannequin, this measure of effectivity was fed into an financial mannequin.

Kate Taylor, a course of modeler at NNL, labored on the financial mannequin, says, “So as to decide the promoting worth of hydrogen, the mannequin combines the price of constructing and working a hydrogen plant with the price of the electrical energy and/or warmth wanted to provide it.

“We also included estimates on how hydrogen-producing technology will improve, and how building a fleet of nuclear reactors will refine our knowledge of coupling nuclear plants to these technologies. We are predicting what will happen in the future based on our current knowledge of technology development. And the predictions are very encouraging.”

Testing completely different situations

Hydrogen might be produced utilizing excessive temperature steam electrolysis which requires each warmth and electrical energy. It will also be produced utilizing a thermochemical cycle which solely requires warmth. Within the modeling, each sorts of know-how have been coupled to a excessive temperature fuel reactor, a sophisticated sort of nuclear energy.

The mannequin confirmed that top temperature steam electrolysis may very well be a cheap means of manufacturing hydrogen when coupled to a excessive temperature fuel reactor, with a value estimate of 1.24 to 2.14 £/kg, whereas, for a thermochemical cycle it’s 0.89 to 2.88 £/kg.

Steam electrolysis is a extra developed know-how than any thermochemical cycle, which signifies that, not solely is there much less variation within the estimated value, however deployment can occur sooner. In comparison with different low-carbon vitality manufacturing applied sciences that is also coupled to hydrogen manufacturing crops, these outcomes present that the prices concerned with nuclear vitality are aggressive.

The mannequin is a perfect place to begin for evaluating applied sciences. Christopher Connolly, a course of modeler at NNL and lead creator of the examine, developed fashions of the bodily and chemical processes. He explains how developments in hydrogen manufacturing applied sciences can enhance the mannequin as a result of it depends on knowledge that describes how molecules transfer about and work together with the supplies used to supply hydrogen.

Connolly says, “Predicting the effectivity of hydrogen manufacturing signifies that it’s good to mannequin the sensible processes used to separate water. Discovering dependable knowledge on the kinetics of some processes on the innovative of fabric property design generally is a problem and the know-how is bettering on a regular basis.

“For example, when we looked at high temperature steam electrolysis, we needed to build a model of the electrolysis cells which use a solid oxide as the electrolyte. The solid oxide is typically made of yttria-stabilized zirconia, but variations of this oxide are used in different designs. Ultimately, the performance of the electrolyte depends on how well it is made.”

Predicting the long run

Price-effective manufacturing of hydrogen is only one benefit of nuclear know-how. Though the examine solely modeled the effectivity of chemical and bodily processes for hydrogen-production know-how, there are different benefits in coupling these applied sciences to nuclear energy, akin to a excessive capability to supply hydrogen, flexibility in sitting near customers, and the power to scale-up deployment. Nuclear energy additionally represents a dependable, non-intermittent energy supply which would scale back the requirement for buffer storage of hydrogen.

A excessive temperature fuel reactor is already in improvement and a demonstrator is deliberate within the UK for the 2030s. Within the interim, different sorts of nuclear know-how may very well be coupled to a hydrogen manufacturing plant to assist meet internet zero targets.