Hydrogen Production Using Process Heat From an SCW NPP via a Double-pipe Heat Exchanger

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 co-generation. The Copper-Chlorine (Cu-Cl) cycle is a prospective thermochemical cycle with a maximum temperature requirement of ~530°C. Preliminary thermalhydraulic calculations are presented for a double-pipe counter-flow heat exchanger located downstream of an SCWR with no-steam- reheat cycle and with SCW coolant flowing through the inner pipe and steam flowing to the Cu- Cl cycle facility through the annulus.