A couple of months ago, this editor had the opportunity while attending a conference in Boulder, Colo., to test-drive a hydrogen-powered vehicle that combines a gasoline engine with an electric motor to create what manufacturer Toyota Corp. calls an environmentally advanced, fuel-efficient hybrid.
And fuel cell-powered cars have been touted as an environmentally friendly alternative to the internal combustion engine. Practical use of this technology for transportation remains out of reach today.
International collaboration
But in April, US Sec. of Energy Spencer Abraham called for international collaboration in advanced research and development that will support the deployment of hydrogen energy technologies (OGJ Online, Apr. 28, 2003).
The US has committed $1.7 billion for the first 5 years of a development program for hydrogen infrastructure, fuel cell, and hybrid-vehicle technologies. Additionally, the European Union has committed as much as 2 billion euros over this period for the research and development of renewable and hydrogen energy technologies.
Other countries, including Australia, Italy, the UK, Singapore, and Canada, also have fuel cell and hydrogen technology research and development programs in place. Japan's program has been growing since 1995, and China has organized a program to build and operate fuel cell vehicles.
The ultimate goal of the International Partnerships for the Hydrogen Economy is to give participating countries' consumers the option to purchase a hydrogen-powered vehicle at a competitive price and to be able to easily refuel it.
Meanwhile, nuclear energy is losing some of its share in the total US energy market, as shown in OGJ's Midyear Forecast special report, beginning on p. 32. But nuclear energy could be the key to commercializing hydrogen energy technologies.
Nuclear energy role
Widespread adoption of clean hydrogen as the fuel of the future is dependent on creating a significant quantity of hydrogen. This is a challenge to accomplish in both an economic manner and in a way that reduces overall emissions, as the current methods of producing hydrogen also create carbon dioxide.
So says a white paper, "Hydrogen Production by Nuclear Heat," by MPR Associates Inc., an engineering firm based in Alexandria, Va. The authors, Leanne M. Crosbie and Douglas M. Chapin, compare and contrast three technologies for mass production of hydrogen and speculate as to which of the processes is the best candidate to start the "hydrogen economy."
The three hydrogen production processes under development for the industrial production of hydrogen using nuclear energy are advanced electrolysis, steam reforming, and sulfur-iodine water-splitting cycle. Each of these technologies requires large quantities of electric or thermal energy, both of which can be readily and cleanly provided by nuclear reactors, say the authors.
Using electricity to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen, advanced electrolysis is currently the most recognized and well-known means of producing hydrogen. Although it is less efficient than other processes, it is the simplest and is ideal for remote locations.
Steam reforming produces hydrogen and a variety of byproducts by mixing high-temperature steam with methane. This process offers high-efficiency production of hydrogen, but it requires a source of light hydrocarbons and produces CO2, therefore negating some of its benefits. Testing of this process by the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute is scheduled for 2008.
The most complex of the three approaches, the (SI) water-splitting cycle, relies on a thermochemical cycle to create reactions between sulfur, iodine, and water to produce hydrogen and oxygen.
The SI process appears to be the best long-term candidate for hydrogen production with nuclear heat, the study concluded. It offers higher efficiency than electrolysis without the production of CO2 or the use of fossil fuels. While the SI process has theoretically low production costs, it is still in the early stages of development. Test production with a nuclear reactor is not expected for at least 10 years.
Still in infancy
Crosbie and Chapin conclude that large-scale nuclear-based hydrogen production technologies are still in their infancy and that the market for large hydrogen production facilities is still small.
So it remains to be seen whether hydrogen will replace fossil fuels and electricity as our primary energy supplies, for our vehicles or otherwise.
