Mechanical
Engineering Design
Day
Nuclear Hydrogen Production
Objective
• The need for more power generation
capability, inexpensive clean energy, and
the ability to replace foreign dependence
on oil supply. Therefore, a cogeneration
plant could produce power as well as
hydrogen gas.
Bah.M, Jones.G, Konoza.A, Mangle.J, Tenaglia.M, Wedlock.W
PWR (1)
Market Size:
• Nuclear Energy supplies 2.1% of the
world’s electricity
• 10,500 metric tons of hydrogen
produced annually
Engineering Characteristics Include:
• Steam Temperature
• Coolant Flow Rate
• Number of Fuel Assemblies
• Efficiency of Hydrogen Production
• Efficiency of Electrical Production
•Safety
• Plant Reliability
• Safety Systems
• Electricity Output
• Hydrogen Output
• Carbon Emissions
Concept Generation
• Outlet Steam
275°C
• Hydrogen
produced through
Electrolysis
• Power production
split
Electrolysis (2)
Customer Requirements Include:
Final Design
Innovation:
•Environmentally Friendly
•Independent of Fossil Fuels
Date: April 27, 2010
HTGR (3)
• Outlet Steam from
850°C-1000°C
• S-I Process
• U
and
Th
Dicarbides
Fuel
Generator
• Limited efficiency of
electrical generation
• Lower costs
LMFBR (4)
Test Results and Future Work
Design Specifications
Hydrogen Production
Tradeoffs:
•Expensive
•Early Development
Phase
•Corrosive Reactants
Reservoir
(6)
Production Efficiency:
Electrolysis < SI < Steam
Reform
(7)
ENME472 - Integrated Product and Process Design and Development
Steam Reformation (5)
• High Efficiency
• Dependent on Fossil Fuel
•Produces CO2
• Outlet Steam from
S-I Process
500°C-800°C
• No CO2 emissions
• Hydrogen produced
through Steam Reformation • Corrosive Reactants
η=55
%
Calculations of
coolant flow rate
using:
Q=mcpΔT
Efficiency
based on
Brayton Cycle
(8)
Recommendations:
•Research of Physical Plant
Elements
•Future Design Calculations
•Introduction of Design to Market
and Commercialization
Things to consider
•Design materials to
withstand the corrosive
properties of the SI cycle
•Design new control rod
materials to withstand high
temperatures
Mechanical
Engineering Design
Day
Nuclear Hydrogen Production
Date: April 27, 2010
Bah.M, Jones.G, Konoza.A, Mangle.J, Tenaglia.M, Wedlock.W
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission was created as an independent agency
by Congress in 1974 to enable the nation to safely use radioactive materials for
beneficial civilian purposes while ensuring that people and the environment are
protected.
General Design Criteria for Nuclear Power Plants
Title 10 Part 50 Appendix A of the code of federal regulations (CFR) provides the
minimum requirement for the principal design of nuclear power plants.
•Reactors: Commercial reactors for generating electric power and research and
test reactors used for research, testing, and training
•Materials : Uses of nuclear materials in medical, industrial, and academic
settings and facilities that produce nuclear fuel
•Waste : Transportation, storage, and disposal of nuclear materials and waste,
and decommissioning of nuclear facilities from service
Overall Requirements- Criteria #3: Fire Protection
•Construction with noncombustible heat resistant
materials in the construction of structures, systems and
important safety components.
•Interior fire detection and suppression systems will be
implemented into plant design.
•Strict control over handling and storage of combustible
materials.
•Establishment of onsite fire teams trained and equipped
for fire fighting to ensure adequate manual capabilities
in the event fire protection system failure.
Protection and Reactivity Control Systems- Criterion #
24: Separation of protection and control systems:
•The protection and control system must be separate so
that the failure of any one system will not cause the
other to fail.
•The protective system will be independent of the
control system. If one was to fail, the other will still
function. This will be accomplished by redundant
control systems in line with each protection system.
Appendix A consists of 54 criteria under six subsections listed below:
• Overall Requirements
• Protection by Multiple Fission Product Barriers
• Protection and Reactivity Control Systems
• Fluid Systems
• Reactor Containment
• Fuel & Radioactivity Control
Appendix Criteria and Solutions
Protection by Multiple Fission
Product Barriers- Criterion # 11:
Reactor Inherent Protection
•Reactor design will provide a process
whereby negative reactivity feedback
effects allow for the decrease in
fission reactions spontaneously in the
case of a rapid increase in reactivity
and/or temperature of the core.
•Systems will be verified through the
completion of necessary testing to
confirm the above stated claim.
•Manual monitoring of reactivity
levels will be conducted in order to
mitigate negative effects of rapid
increase through the use of reactor
poisons.
ENME472 - Integrated Product and Process Design and Development
Fluid Systems- Criterion # 31:
Fracture Prevention of Reactor
Coolant Pressure Boundary:
•When stressed under operating,
maintenance, testing, and postulated
accident conditions, the reactor
coolant pressure boundary must
behave in a non-brittle manner, and
the probability of rapidly propagating
fracture is minimized.
•Materials that show strength and
ductile behavior and do not show
radiation hardening or embrittlement
will be chosen for construction.
•To ensure a full life-cycle, samples
will be placed near areas of high
irradiation that can be tested regularly
to ensure the system is within
specifications.
Reactor Containment--Criterion # 52:
Capability for Containment Leakage Rate
Testing
•The reactor containment must be able to be
tested to see if any of the radioactive material is
leaking into the atmosphere or other systems of
the plant. Radiation detection devices will be
installed inside and outside of the containment
boundary.
Fuel and Radioactivity -Criterion # 63:
Monitoring fuel and waste storage
•Spent fuel and waste will initially be moved to
onsite large pools of water for heat removal.
•The containers will be drop tested and extreme
impact tested to assure that no transportation
accident would result in a release of radioactive
particles.
•The spent fuel is stored in containers which
shield the outside environment from the inside
radiation.