NUCLEAR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION : BASIC CONCEPTS Professeur Dr. André MAÏSSEU International Journal of Nuclear Hydrogen Production and Applications – IJNHPA World Council of Nuclear Workers a.maisseu@wonuc.org

ATOMS FOR PEACE COLLECTION NUCLEAR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION : BASIC CONCEPTS ATOMS FOR PEACE COLLECTION Stoos, 28 janvier 2011

NUCLEAR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION : BASIC CONCEPTS Stoos, 28 janvier 2011

NUCLEAR ENERGY AND HYDROGEN 1- WHY ? 2- HOW ? NUCLEAR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION : BASIC CONCEPTS NUCLEAR ENERGY AND HYDROGEN 1- WHY ? 2- HOW ? 3- WHEN ? Stoos, 28 janvier 2011

NUCLEAR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION : BASIC CONCEPTS THESE CONVENTIONAL ECONOMICS ANALYSIS ARE BASES ON A FUNCTION OF PRODUCTION WHICH IS ALWAYS WRITEN1 Y = f(K, L) WITH K, AS CAPITAL L, AS LABOUR (1) with some possible variations

THE CONVENTIONAL FUNCTION OF PRODUCTION Y = f(K, L) DESCRIBES A NUCLEAR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION : BASIC CONCEPTS THE CONVENTIONAL FUNCTION OF PRODUCTION Y = f(K, L) DESCRIBES A CLOSED SYSTEM OF LIMITED RESOURCES RUNS BY REVERSIBLE PROCESSES BASED ON THE USE OF AN HAMILTONIAN MOVING “NATURALLY” TO EQUILIBRIUM; SOME PARTIAL LOCAL INSTABILITITES COULD BE EXPLAINED BY NON-LINEAR MATHEMATICALS FUNCTIONS

Y = f(K(t), M(t), U(t), E(t)) NUCLEAR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION : BASIC CONCEPTS LABOR IS DUAL : OPUS & LABOR   or  &  : ENERGY AND KNOWLEDGE Y = f(K(t), M(t), U(t), E(t)) 

Y = f(K, M, U, E) THE NEW FUNCTION OF PRODUCTION GESTALTECONOMY NUCLEAR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION : BASIC CONCEPTS THE NEW FUNCTION OF PRODUCTION Y = f(K, M, U, E) GESTALTECONOMY

NUCLEAR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION : BASIC CONCEPTS

NUCLEAR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION : BASIC CONCEPTS

THE KONDRATIEFF – SCHUMPETER NUCLEAR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION : BASIC CONCEPTS THE KONDRATIEFF – SCHUMPETER CYCLES DRIVE IN EUROPE A SUCCESSION OF SOCIETAL PARADIGMS WHICH DESIGN DEVELOPMENT ... AND STOP

NUCLEAR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION : BASIC CONCEPTS

NUCLEAR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION : BASIC CONCEPTS Historical Perspective on the Age of Petroleum « La demande locale en pétrole, qui est d'environ 3,2 millions de barils par jour actuellement, doit s'élever à 8 mbj en 2028".(Ali al-Nouaïmi, Minister of Oil of Saudi Arabia, Ryad, 2011-01-24.) In 2010, Saudi Arabia exportation of oil was 8 mbj in 2010.

NUCLEAR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION : BASIC CONCEPTS

Nuclear Power Services today and tomorrow NUCLEAR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION : BASIC CONCEPTS Nuclear Power Services today and tomorrow H2 ELECTRICITY NUCLEAR POWER H2 ELECTRICITY NUCLEAR POWER

NUCLEAR ENERGY AND HYDROGEN 1- WHY ? 2- HOW ? NUCLEAR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION : BASIC CONCEPTS NUCLEAR ENERGY AND HYDROGEN 1- WHY ? 2- HOW ? 3- WHEN ? Stoos, 28 janvier 2011

NUCLEAR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION : BASIC CONCEPTS Stoos, 28 janvier 2011

NUCLEAR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION : BASIC CONCEPTS Stoos, 28 janvier 2011

NUCLEAR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION : BASIC CONCEPTS Stoos, 28 janvier 2011

NUCLEAR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION : BASIC CONCEPTS

NUCLEAR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION : BASIC CONCEPTS

NUCLEAR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION : BASIC CONCEPTS GENERATION 4 Generation IV will tend to have closed fuel cycles and burn the long-lived actinides now forming part of spent fuel. Fission products are the only high-level waste. Many will be fast neutron reactors. Reactor types suitable for thermochemical hydrogen production include helium gas-cooled reactors, heavy metal-cooled reactors such as lead-bismuth, and molten salt-cooled reactors. Helium gas-cooled reactors have, unlike other reactor designs demonstrated high temperature capabilities. Stoos, 28 janvier 2011

NUCLEAR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION : BASIC CONCEPTS Stoos, 28 janvier 2011

NUCLEAR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION : BASIC CONCEPTS Very High Temperature Reactor The Very High Temperature Reactor is a Generation IV reactor concept that uses a graphite-moderated nuclear reactor with a once-through uranium fuel cycle. This reactor design envisions an outlet temperature of 1000°C. The reactor core can be either a “prismatic block” or a “pebble-bed” core. The high temperatures enable applications such as process heat or hydrogen production via the thermochemical sulfur-iodine cycle. Stoos, 28 janvier 2011

NUCLEAR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION : BASIC CONCEPTS Supercritical water reactor (SCWR) The Supercritical water reactor (SCWR) uses supercritical water as the working fluid. SCWRs are basically LWRs operating at higher pressure and temperatures with a direct, once-through cycle. As most commonly envisioned, it would operate on a direct cycle, much like a BWR, but since it uses supercritical water as the working fluid, would have only one phase present, like the PWR. It could operate at much higher temperatures and pressure than both current PWRs and BWRs. They would have high thermal efficiency (i.e., 45% vs. 33% for current LWR and plant simplification. The main mission of the SCWR is generation of low-cost electricity. Stoos, 28 janvier 2011

NUCLEAR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION : BASIC CONCEPTS Molten salt reactor (MSR) A molten salt reactor (MSR) is a type of nuclear fission reactor where the primary coolant is a molten salt mixture, which can run at high temperatures (for higher thermodynamic efficiency) while staying at low vapor pressure for reduced mechanical stress and increased safety, and is less reactive than molten sodium coolant. The nuclear fuel may be solid fuel rods, or dissolved in the coolant itself, which eliminates fuel fabrication, simplifies reactor structure, equalizes burnup, and allows online reprocessing. MSR is also known as a liquid fluoride thorium reactor (LFTR), and pronounced "lifter“. Stoos, 28 janvier 2011

NUCLEAR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION : BASIC CONCEPTS Gas-Cooled Fast Reactor (GFR) The Gas-Cooled Fast Reactor (GFR) system is a fast-neutron spectrum and closed fuel cycle for efficient conversion of fertile uranium and management of actinides. The reference reactor design is a helium-cooled system operating with an outlet temperature of 850°C using a direct Brayton cycle gas turbine for high thermal efficiency. Several fuel forms are being considered for their potential to operate at very high temperatures and to ensure an excellent retention of fission products: composite ceramic fuel, advanced fuel particles, or ceramic clad elements of actinide compounds. Core configurations are being considered based on pin- or plate-based fuel assemblies or prismatic blocks, which allows for better coolant circulation than traditional fuel assemblies. The reactors are intended for use in nuclear power plants to produce electricity, while at the same time; producing (breeding) new nuclear fuel, respectively Stoos, 28 janvier 2011

NUCLEAR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION : BASIC CONCEPTS Sodium-cooled fast reactor or SFR The Sodium-cooled fast reactor or SFR is a Generation IV reactor project to design an advanced fast neutron reactor. It builds on two closely related existing projects, the LMFBR and the Integral Fast Reactor, with the objective of producing a fast-spectrum, sodium-cooled reactor and a closed fuel cycle for efficient management of actinides and conversion of fertile uranium-238. Stoos, 28 janvier 2011

NUCLEAR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION : BASIC CONCEPTS Lead-cooled fast reactor The lead-cooled fast reactor is a nuclear power Generation IV reactor that features a fast neutron spectrum, molten lead or lead-bismuth eutectic coolant, and a closed fuel cycle. Options include a range of plant ratings, including a number of 50 to 150 Mwe units featuring long-life, pre-manufactured cores. Plans include modular arrangements rated at 300 to 400 MW, and a large monolithic plant rated at 1,200 MW. The fuel is metal or nitride-based containing fertile uranium and transuranics. The LFR is cooled by natural convection with a reactor outlet coolant temperature of 550 °C, possibly ranging over 800 °C with advanced materials. Temperatures higher than 830 °C are high enough to support thermochemical production of hydrogen. Stoos, 28 janvier 2011

NUCLEAR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION : BASIC CONCEPTS Using nuclear heat for steam reforming of natural gas is an energy-intensive process where a fraction of the natural gas is used to provide heat at temperatures of up to 900°C. These processes can potentially be driven with waste heat from a G/VCR electrical power plant because the waste heat temperature is very high and meets most requirements for high-T H2 production.

NUCLEAR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION : BASIC CONCEPTS Stoos, 28 janvier 2011

NUCLEAR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION : BASIC CONCEPTS MEDIUM AND LONG TERM OPTION Stoos, 28 janvier 2011

NUCLEAR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION : BASIC CONCEPTS Stoos, 28 janvier 2011

HIGH TEMPERATURE HEAT SOURCE NUCLEAR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION : BASIC CONCEPTS HIGH TEMPERATURE HEAT SOURCE Stoos, 28 janvier 2011

NUCLEAR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION : BASIC CONCEPTS Stoos, 28 janvier 2011

NUCLEAR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION : BASIC CONCEPTS Stoos, 28 janvier 2011

THE GENERATION IV REACTOR SOLVES NUCLEAR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION : BASIC CONCEPTS THE GENERATION IV REACTOR SOLVES THE PROBLEM OF THE FIRST GENERATION REACTORS Stoos, 28 janvier 2011

MHD DESIGN HAS A PASSIVELY SAFE DECAY HEAT REMOVAL NUCLEAR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION : BASIC CONCEPTS MHD DESIGN HAS A PASSIVELY SAFE DECAY HEAT REMOVAL Stoos, 28 janvier 2011

SIMPLER DESIGN - LESS EQUIPMENT NUCLEAR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION : BASIC CONCEPTS SIMPLER DESIGN - LESS EQUIPMENT Stoos, 28 janvier 2011

NUCLEAR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION : BASIC CONCEPTS Stoos, 28 janvier 2011

NUCLEAR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION : BASIC CONCEPTS Stoos, 28 janvier 2011

NUCLEAR ENERGY AND HYDROGEN 1- WHY ? 2- HOW ? NUCLEAR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION : BASIC CONCEPTS NUCLEAR ENERGY AND HYDROGEN 1- WHY ? 2- HOW ? 3- WHEN ? Stoos, 28 janvier 2011

IN THE POLITICAL-ACADEMIC-CORRECT SPEAKING LANGUAGE, NUCLEAR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION : BASIC CONCEPTS IN THE POLITICAL-ACADEMIC-CORRECT SPEAKING LANGUAGE, ENERGY IS LOOKED AS A COMMODITY SHORT TERM DECISION BUT ENERGY IS A FUNCTION OF PRODUCTION LONG TERM DECISION Stoos, 28 janvier 2011

NUCLEAR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION : BASIC CONCEPTS CONCLUSIONS Stoos, 28 janvier 2011

NUCLEAR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION : BASIC CONCEPTS Stoos, 28 janvier 2011

NUCLEAR HYDROGEN PRODUCTION : BASIC CONCEPTS Stoos, 28 janvier 2011