Nuclear Engineering and Technology

Korean Nuclear Society (한국원자력학회)
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Uranium thermochemical cycle used for hydrogen production

  • Chen, Aimei (Center for Excellence in TMSR Energy System, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences) ;
  • Liu, Chunxia (Center for Excellence in TMSR Energy System, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences) ;
  • Liu, Yuxia (Center for Excellence in TMSR Energy System, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences) ;
  • Zhang, Lan (Center for Excellence in TMSR Energy System, Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences)
  • Received : 2018.04.25
  • Accepted : 2018.08.21
  • Published : 2019.02.25
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Abstract

Thermochemical cycles have been predominantly used for energy transformation from heat to stored chemical free energy in the form of hydrogen. The thermochemical cycle based on uranium (UTC), proposed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory, has been considered as a better alternative compared to other thermochemical cycles mainly due to its safety and high efficiency. UTC process includes three steps, in which only the first step is unique. Hydrogen production apparatus with hectogram reactants was designed in this study. The results showed that high yield hydrogen was obtained, which was determined by drainage method. The results also indicated that the chemical conversion rate of hydrogen production was in direct proportion to the mass of $Na_2CO_3$, while the solid product was $Na_2UO_4$, instead of $Na_2U_2O_7$. Nevertheless the thermochemical cycle used for hydrogen generation can be closed, and chemical compounds used in these processes can also be recycled. So the cycle with $Na_2UO_4$ as its first reaction product has an advantage over the proposed UTC process, attributed to the fast reaction rate and high hydrogen yield in the first reaction step.

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References

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