Energy Security
Associate Laboratory Director for Energy Security:
Dr. Joette G. Sonnenberg

The expertise of the Savannah River National Laboratory is a valuable resource for leading the nation to new, clean, safe, secure methods of obtaining energy. In particular, hydrogen, which is central to SRNL’s history, is proving to have tremendous potential for providing energy for our vehicles, homes and industries. In addition, SRNL has uncommon expertise related to nuclear technology, materials science, and microbiology and biotechnology, all of which contribute to helping the nation meet the crucial need for energy independence.

Since the earliest years of the laboratory, hydrogen experts have supported the Savannah River Site’s work with tritium, the radioactive form of hydrogen used in national defense. That experience has led to the development of technologies for the safe, cost-effective handling of hydrogen – technologies that are equally applicable to hydrogen as an energy source. Today, SRNL’s 80-plus hydrogen researchers (the largest assembly of hydrogen talent in the country) are involved in work related to the most important challenges that must be addressed to make the hydrogen economy a reality: safe, clean production of hydrogen without the use of fossil fuels; light-weight, cost-effective storage of hydrogen; hydrogen separation.

Putting Science to Work for Energy Security:

Nuclear Production of Hydrogen
Hydrogen is plentiful across the planet, but is usually found
locked up in water or other compounds. Efficient methods are
needed to split water, making the hydrogen available for use.
A study led by SRNL has shown that using hydrogen produced by the heat of a nuclear plant to fuel our cars would be a viable part of an overall future energy strategy for the nation. The study was the first phase of a multi-year project to evaluate the technical and economic issues surrounding nuclear production of hydrogen.  In a related effort, SRNL is developing the Hybrid Sulfur Process for use with an advanced nuclear reactor or solar receiver to produce hydrogen directly from water.  The electrochemical step in this process uses a unique electrolyzer, which uses one-third of the electrical energy required by traditional water electrolyzers.  SRNL conducted its first successful demonstration of the electrolyzer in 2005.  Current work focuses on improving cell design and operating at higher temperature and pressure

Hydrogen Storage Device
SRNL’s patented hydrogen storage device uses metal hydrides – metal granules that hold hydrogen in an inherently safe, easily-handled solid state, releasing it based on temperature. Safe, compact, reliable, and efficient, this device has been used to power a public transit bus and an industrial fuel cell vehicle. SRNL has long been a leader in the development and use of metal hydrides, with various patents for hydride compositions and their applications. The laboratory is now at the forefront of research into new classes of lighter-weight hydride materials, which may expand the technology’s applicability for powering vehicles.

Glass Microspheres
SRNL researchers are at the forefront of research and development of glass microspheres (tiny glass “bubbles” less than 100 microns in diameter) for glass storage, combining two of the laboratory’s celebrated areas of expertise: glass formulation and hydrogen. Researchers have successfully produced microspheres with porous walls, allowing them to load the “bubbles” with hydrogen-absorbing materials. In addition to its potential as a safe, easy-to-handle method of storing hydrogen for energy use, this technology also offers great potential in a wide range of other fields, where the microspheres could be filled with other materials as used as a storage or delivery system.

Regenerative Fuel Cell System for Backup Power Applications
SRNL is working with the Aiken County’s  Center for Hydrogen Research (CHR)and industrial partners to develop and demonstrate a regenerative fuel cell system that will have the capability to provide back up power in the event of a power outage.  The system is being evaluated for cell tower, uninterruptible power supplies and other small-scale backup power applications.

Biofuels
SRNL is a founding member of a collaboration, the South Carolina Bioenergy Research Collaborative, to demonstrate the economic feasibility of using non-food crops, such as switchgrass, trees and sorghum, to make ethanol. The collaborative is building a biofuels research pilot plant designed to “scale up” new biofuel technologies, a crucial step between small laboratory experiments and full-scale production. Ethanol made from cellulosic feedstocks, such as switchgrass, has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 86 percent compared to gasoline. Biofuels have the added benefit of providing a "carbon sink." As crops grow to produce the feedstocks for making the biofuel, they absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Papers by SRNL researchers on a variety of topics are available
through the DOE Information Bridge.