DOE: Efficient Hydrogen Production from Nuclear Energy

[The Straight Story]

DOE Researchers Demonstrate Feasibility of Efficient Hydrogen Production from Nuclear Energy

WASHINGTON, DC – In a major step toward achieving President George W. Bush’s goal of ensuring America’s energy security through innovative technologies, researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) and Ceramatec, Inc. of Salt Lake City, Utah have demonstrated the feasibility of using nuclear energy to efficiently produce hydrogen from water.

“With America’s growing demand for oil, also comes a host of environmental challenges. Because of the need to develop new energy sources in an environmentally sound way, the President and our Administration recognize that the benefits of hydrogen technologies are too great to ignore. This major breakthrough signals that we are systematically achieving our hydrogen goals,” Secretary Abraham said.

Using hydrogen to fuel our economy can reduce dependence on imported petroleum, diversify energy resources, and reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. To this end, the Department of Energy is actively exploring clean hydrogen production technologies using fossil, nuclear and renewable resources to revolutionize the way we power our Nation’s cars, homes and businesses.

This achievement demonstrates high-temperature electrolysis which utilizes heat to decrease electricity needed for splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen. Instead of conventional electrolysis, which uses only electric current to separate hydrogen from water, high-temperature electrolysis enhances the efficiency of the process by adding substantial external heat – such as high-temperature steam from an advanced nuclear reactor system. Such a high-temperature system has the potential to achieve overall hydrogen production efficiencies in the 45 to 50 percent range, compared to approximately 30 percent for conventional electrolysis. Added benefits of the nuclear energy source include the avoidance of both greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants.

The researchers have shown that hydrogen can be produced at temperatures and pressures suitable for integration with the new Generation IV nuclear reactor design being developed by the Department.

Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham stated, “The Generation IV nuclear technologies will take us to the next level in terms of efficiency, reliability, and safety. Coupling high temperature electrolyzer technology with the Gen IV reactors provides another pathway to produce hydrogen for powering future fuel cell vehicles.”

Fuel cell vehicles running on hydrogen produce no pollutants or carbon emissions.

Improvements in solid oxide electrolyzer design made by Ceramatec, Inc. will enable a 3-fold decrease in equipment size allowing greatly reduced capital costs. INEEL developed the system concept design and performed the feasibility testing.

This demonstration follows Secretary Abraham’s recent announcement of a $2 million grant to Ceramatec who is teamed with INEEL, University of Washington, and Hoeganaes Corporation in Riverton, New Jersey. The team will continue to work remaining challenges to lower costs, increase materials durability and improve efficiency of the solid oxide electrolyzer technology.

This development is a major step towards the hydrogen economy and realizing the President’s vision described in his 2003 State of the Union Address that “the first car driven by a child born today could be powered by hydrogen, and pollution-free.”

For more information on advanced nuclear energy concepts, see http://gen-iv.ne.doe.gov/. For more information on electrolyzers, see http://www.eere.energy.gov/hydrogenandfuelcells/production/technology_areas.html#electro.

http://www.energy.gov/engine/content.do?PUBLIC_ID=16901&BT_CODE=PR_PRESSRELEASES&TT_CODE=PRESSRELEASE

[NEOBuckeye]

1. There may be solutions to Oil, but none will come, as long as Bush reigns

I don't put any faith in anything that comes out of this administration. These people are out for themselves and themselves alone. Everyone else be damned.

[The Straight Story]

2. Maybe they should be only out for themselves

On an evolutionary scale anyway. No morals, no god, nothing more than here and now and this life (which you live and then there is nothing more). Why not screw over all you can if it means a better life for yourself?

Some sarcasm there, but just a thought :)

[da_chimperor]

3. So that means it only takes twice as much energy rather than three times

as much. Wow . . . not. I'll be impressed if they get it above 100%.

[AndyTiedye]

4. How About Making Hydrogen With Solar Energy?

[RafterMan]

5. Solar to electric is currently about 17% efficient,

and electric to hydrogen is about 30%, so the overall process is only 5% efficient.

I agree that we should keep persuing solar energy, but it's just not efficient enough now -- parallel tracks are the best way to go for the time being.

[AndyTiedye]

7. 5% Isn't Bad When the Input is Free and Renewable

unless the maintenance is a killer.

[UdoKier]

6. Oh thank GOODNESS!

I was afraid they would do something with that awful RENEWABLE energy or CONSERVATION.

We can all rest easy knowing that there will be wonderful, emission-free nuke plants making wonderful, pollution-free hydrogen for our cars.

The only tiny worries will be the fact that tanks full of hydrogen will make every car a potential MOAB bomb, and the little thing about tons of deadly nuclear wast with a half-life of 100,000 years. But it';s okay, we'll just pour some concrete on it and pretend it doesn't exist. That always works great, right?



"ME LOVE 'MERICA! ME LOVE NUKULAR POWER!"