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The 2006 hydrogen technology information project provided a report describing and evaluating the status and future prospect for generating hydrogen for use as an automotive fuel using energy derived from fission nuclear reactors. The work focused on hydrogen generation and reactor technologies that have a reasonable likelihood of being deployed within the next 50 years in the United States of America (USA). The work also considered international programs for developing the hydrogen economy in which the USA plays a major role. Scope of Hydrogen Information Work:The scope of work was divided into the tasks described below: Task 1: Hydrogen Technology ReviewThe prospects for generating hydrogen for use as an automotive fuel using energy derived from fission nuclear reactors depend on integrating appropriate hydrogen generation technologies with appropriate nuclear reactor technologies. In broad terms, technologies for generating hydrogen can be classified as thermo-chemical and electrolytic. These technologies place specific demands on the nuclear reactor in terms of operating temperature and opportunities for co-generation of electrical power.
Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) reviewed the publicly available technical literature to identify hydrogen generation technologies currently under consideration that would be compatible with or require energy from a nuclear reactor. The review was limited to determining the heat and operating cycles for these technologies as they relate to the design and operating characteristics of the supporting nuclear reactor. A detailed evaluation of the technical and economic feasibility of specific hydrogen generation technologies was beyond the scope of this work.
SwRI then reviewed the fission reactor design and operating parameters that would be compatible with the various hydrogen generation technologies. The type of fission reactor was determined by the requirements of the hydrogen generating technology and the proposed deployment strategy. The evaluation focused on reactor designs that were judged to dominate the available and demonstrable technologies for the 50-year time horizon being evaluated. For this reason, fission reactor requirements were evaluated in terms of:
Fission Reactor DesignFor the reactor design, SwRI considered such features as:
The reactor requirements and developmental status were evaluated based on the publicly available technical literature, coupled with insights based on the technical expertise of SwRI staff. Based on this evaluation, SwRI prepared tables and charts cross-referencing reactor designs with potential hydrogen generation technologies and deployment options.
A detailed evaluation of the technical and economic feasibility of specific reactor designs was beyond the scope of this work. Task 2: Identification of Economic and Infrastructure ConsiderationsThe various possible combinations of hydrogen generation technologies, reactor designs, deployment strategies, and infrastructure demands for producing hydrogen as an automotive fuel will affect the prospects for developing such facilities. SwRI identified the issues that need to be considered to more fully characterize the prospect for actual deployment of such facilities, including the anticipated evolution of the associated technologies and availability of nuclear fuel, and provided insights as to the likely future course or courses of action. This evaluation focused on economic and societal conditions in the USA that could accelerate, limit, or delay deployment of the infrastructure for large-scale availability of hydrogen for automotive fuel. Quantitative economic evaluations, fuel resource evaluations, and detailed engineering evaluation of these issues were outside the scope of work. Task 3: Energy Policy, Permitting Requirements, and Environmental ConsiderationsSwRI provided a summary of U.S. Department of Energy research programs that relate to nuclear power generators and hydrogen production, and evaluated how these programs might support realization of hydrogen automotive fuel infrastructure in the USA. Programs to be considered included the Nuclear Energy Research Initiative and the International Partnership for the Hydrogen Economy. SwRI identified the permitting requirements and regulatory factors that would likely control the long-term prospect for development of a large-scale hydrogen fuel infrastructure in the USA. Although full deployment of a hydrogen fuel infrastructure would involve permitting and regulatory programs other than those dealing directly with nuclear power, such as pipeline safety and environmental impacts, the scope of work was limited to consideration of nuclear programs. Task 4: ReportThe work product of this project was a report summarizing the results of the SwRI evaluation of the prospects of generating hydrogen as an automotive fuel using fission nuclear reactors. 2006 Hydrogen Technology Information ServiceSubscriptions are still available to receive the 2006 Hydrogen Technology Information Service report "Prospects for Generation of Hydrogen as an Automotive Fuel Using Nuclear Fission Reactors in the United States."
For more information about the 2006 hydrogen technology information program, or how you can contract with SwRI, please contact Cheuk Ng at cng@swri.org or (210) 522-3311.
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| Engine and Vehicle R&D Department | Engine, Emissions & Vehicle Research Division | SwRI Home | |
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Southwest Research Institute® (SwRI®), headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, is a multidisciplinary, independent, nonprofit, applied engineering and physical sciences research and development organization with 11 technical divisions. |
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March 07, 2013 |
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