Nuclear-based hydrogen production with a thermochemical copper-chlorine cycle and supercritical water reactor

Efficient and sustainable methods of clean fuel production are needed in Ontario (and elsewhere) in the face of depleting oil reserves and the need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. With commitments for a hydrogen village, a hydrogen airport and a hydrogen corridor, Ontario has already begun to move toward a hydrogen-fueled economy. However, a key missing element is a large-scale method of hydrogen production. As a carbon-based technology, the predominant existing process (steam-methane reforming (SMR)) is unsuitable. The two main alternatives are electrolysis and thermochemical decomposition of water. This article describes a thermochemical cycle driven by nuclear heat from Canada's Generation IV reactor (SCWR), which is a CANDU derivative using Super-Critical Water cooling. The copper-chlorine (Cu-Cl) cycle has been identified by AECL as the most promising cycle for thermochemical hydrogen production with SCWR. Water is decomposed into hydrogen and oxygen through intermediate Cu-Cl compounds. This paper outlines the primary challenges, design issues and current status of hydrogen production with a Cu-Cl cycle coupled to Canada's nuclear reactors. (author)