Title: The sulphur–iodine and other thermochemical process studies at CEA

Authors: Pascal Anzieu, Philippe Carles, Alain Le Duigou, Xavier Vitart, Florent Lemort

Addresses: Commissariat a l'energie atomique, Program manager 'Systems, operation and safety', DEN/DDIN/Nuclear Future Systems, CEA/Saclay, 91190 Gif sur Yvette, France. ' Commissariat a l'energie atomique, Program manager 'Systems, operation and safety', DEN/DDIN/Nuclear Future Systems, CEA/Saclay, 91190 Gif sur Yvette, France. ' Commissariat a l'energie atomique, Program manager 'Systems, operation and safety', DEN/DDIN/Nuclear Future Systems, CEA/Saclay, 91190 Gif sur Yvette, France. ' Commissariat a l'energie atomique, Program manager 'Systems, operation and safety', DEN/DDIN/Nuclear Future Systems, CEA/Saclay, 91190 Gif sur Yvette, France. ' Commissariat a l'energie atomique, Program manager 'Systems, operation and safety', DEN/DDIN/Nuclear Future Systems, CEA/Saclay, 91190 Gif sur Yvette, France

Abstract: The thermochemical sulphur–iodine process is studied by CEA with the objective of massive hydrogen production using the heat coming from a high temperature reactor. A two-fold programme was set up in 2000. The main part is devoted to the study of the basic process, including optimisation of a detailed flow-sheet, thermodynamics measurements and industrial plant evaluation. In parallel, an operating flow-sheet was set-up that gives the best efficiency possible today, i.e. 35%. An innovative programme was derived that should raise the efficiency up to 50%. In parallel, international collaborations are used to develop laboratory loops to get experience from materials and components. A Bunsen section is under construction in CEA/Marcoule to be coupled later on to a sulphuric acid decomposer and a HI distiller, built in the US by SNL and GA respectively. On the other hand, several cycles are presented with a first set of analysis: the hybrid sulphur cycle, the UT_3 cycle and cerium–chloride cycle.

Keywords: efficiency; iodine; measurements; nuclear energy; nuclear power; sulphur; thermochemistry; hydrogen production; high temperature reactors; hydrogen energy; thermodynamics; cerium–chloride.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNHPA.2006.011248

International Journal of Nuclear Hydrogen Production and Applications, 2006 Vol.1 No.2, pp.144 - 153

Published online: 07 Nov 2006 *

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