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Powering the Cars of the FutureClean hydrogen fuel cells are moving closer to reality with help from emissions-free nuclear power
“You’ve probably heard of the very appealing attributes of hydrogen as the fuel of the future, including the fact that it is the most abundant element on the planet,” says Dr. Bill Summers, manager for SRNL’s Hydrogen Production Program. “The catch is, almost all of that hydrogen is locked up in water or other compounds, and it takes energy to get it out. Nuclear reactors are an excellent means to provide this energy because they avoid using fossil fuels and emit no greenhouse gases during operation.”
The first step uses a unique electrolyzer (a device that uses electric current to split water into hydrogen and oxygen), built and tested by SRNL. This sulfur dioxide depolarized electrolyzer, or SDE, uses significantly less electricity than conventional electrolyzers. It produces hydrogen at one pole of the device. High-temperature heat drives the thermochemical reaction to regenerate the sulfur dioxide and releases the oxygen. About one-fourth of the energy used would be electrical energy, and three-fourths would be high-temperature thermal energy. So far, SRNL has demonstrated the technology with a single-cell version of the electrolyzer, including a successful 100-hour test showing that it can operate continuously. The laboratory is now testing a multi-cell version, designed and constructed in a partnership with Giner Electrochemical Systems LLC, capable of producing 100 liters per hour of hydrogen. The information gained from this work will be used to design and construct an integrated system that combines the SDE and thermochemical portions of the process. The long-term goal is to build an engineering demonstration of the Hybrid Sulfur Process that can be operated in conjunction with planned Next Generation Nuclear Plant, scheduled for operation after 2017 at the Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory. When ultimately put into use for full-scale production, an advanced reactor plant combined with the Hybrid Sulfur Process will produce enough hydrogen to power more than one million fuel cell cars. “We’re actually building on work from the 1970s, when the nation first became interested in reducing our reliance on foreign oil,” Dr. Summers says. “That’s when Westinghouse Electric Corporation initially invented the process, known at the time as the Westinghouse Sulfur Cycle. Technology advances, as well as the huge increase in fuel costs, now make this process more attractive than ever.” “Achieving the goal of clean, domestically-fueled hydrogen cars for the American family is going to require large, large quantities of hydrogen. I am very excited to be part of a program that could be a major contributor to making that goal a reality.” Media Contact: Department of Energy Public Affairs (202) 586-4940 Related DOE links:
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