Goal of the Nuclear Hydrogen Initiative

The goal of the Nuclear Hydrogen Initiative is to demonstrate the economic, commercial-scale production of hydrogen using nuclear energy. If successful, this research could lead to a large-scale, emission-free, domestic hydrogen production capability to fuel a future hydrogen economy.

Why Use Nuclear Energy to Produce Hydrogen?

Hydrogen offers significant promise as a future energy technology, particularly for the transportation sector. The use of hydrogen in transportation would reduce U.S. dependence on foreign sources of petroleum, enhancing our national security. Significant progress in hydrogen combustion engines and fuels cells is bringing hydrogen-powered transportation closer to reality.

The primary challenge to the increased use of hydrogen as part of the Nation’s overall energy infrastructure is the cost associated with its production, storage and delivery. Hydrogen is the most common element in the universe and can be produced from readily available sources such as methane and water. However, existing hydrogen production methods are either inefficient or produce greenhouse gases. Nuclear energy has the potential to efficiently produce large quantities of hydrogen without producing greenhouse gases and hence, to play a significant role in hydrogen production.

Developing an Integrated Hydrogen Program

The President’s Hydrogen Fuel Initiative is a research and development effort to reverse America’s growing dependence on foreign oil and expand the availability of clean, abundant energy. Hydrogen is produced today on an industrial scale in the petrochemical industry by a process of steam reforming, using natural gas as both source material and heat source.

A potentially better option for the future could be the use of advanced nuclear technology to produce hydrogen. High-temperature heat from an advanced nuclear system could be supplied to a hydrogen-producing thermochemical or high-temperature electrolysis plant through an intermediate heat exchanger. Such an arrangement could provide high efficiency and avoid the use of carbon fuels. The Nuclear Hydrogen Initiative is exploring a range of hydrogen production technologies that could enable various Generation IV systems to produce hydrogen across a range of temperatures; however, high temperature processes show the greatest promise.

Significant research and development (R&D) will be required in order to complete a commercial-scale demonstration. The hydrogen production system and heat transfer components, such as intermediate heat exchangers, will require the evaluation and development of high-temperature, corrosion-resistant materials.

The Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) has developed a Nuclear Hydrogen R&D plan, which defines the objectives and goals of the Nuclear Hydrogen Initiative and identifies the R&D required to deploy the most promising technologies.

As part of the President’s Hydrogen Fuel Initiative, the Nuclear Hydrogen Initiative is being implemented in close cooperation with programs in other DOE offices that are conducting hydrogen R&D -- the Offices of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Fossil Energy, and Science. This cooperation eliminates redundancy while ensuring that R&D is complementary. NE has also established substantial cooperation in this area with its international research partners.

Program Highlights

The Nuclear Hydrogen Initiative addresses the need for greater utilization of our energy resources by developing energy conversion systems to economically produce hydrogen for use in our national transportation system.

Program milestones include:

• FY 2008: Complete construction of integrated laboratory-scale thermochemical and high-temperature electrolysis hydrogen production systems and begin testing.
  
  
• FY 2011: Select technologies to be demonstrated in the pilot-scale hydrogen production experiment.
  
  
• FY 2013: Begin operation of a pilot-scale hydrogen production system experiment.
  
  
• FY 2016: Complete the final design of a commercial-scale nuclear hydrogen production system.
  
  
• FY 2019: Complete construction and checkout of the nuclear hydrogen demonstration facility and initiate demonstration of commercial-scale hydrogen production.

FY 2006 Planned Accomplishments:

• Construct major components for the S-I cycle reaction sections in preparation for integrated laboratory-scale system operation in FY 2008.
• Operate 20-25 cell high temperature electrolysis (HTE) stack at 100 Normal liters per hour for 1000 hours.
• Complete flowsheet analysis for most promising alternative thermochemical cycles.

• Complete assembly of integrated laboratory-scale S-I thermochemical system and pre-operational testing.
• Conduct component reaction tests and design laboratory-scale experiments for most promising alternative cycles.
• Complete  assembly of  the  integrated laboratory-scale HTE system and perform pre-operational testing to verify individual component performance.
  

NHI Program

DOE Hydrogen Program