Use of a Supercritical Water-Cooled Reactor for Process Heat to Support Thermochemical Hydrogen Production

Abstract

The SuperCritical Water-cooled nuclear Reactor (SCWR) is one of six Generation-IV nuclear-reactor concepts currently under development worldwide. It is designed to operate at pressures of 25 MPa and temperatures up to 625°C. These operating conditions make an SCW Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) suitable to support thermochemical-based hydrogen production. The Copper-Chlorine (Cu-Cl) cycle is a prospective thermochemical cycle with a maximum temperature requirement of ~530°C. Thermalhydraulic calculations are presented for a double-pipe counter-flow heat exchanger with smooth pipe conditions and enhanced local heat transfer coefficients of 25%, 50% and 75% above smooth pipe cases.