Integrated Energy Systems for Hydrogen and Chemicals Production

Integrated Energy Systems for Hydrogen & Chemicals Production

Idaho National Laboratory

Shannon Bragg-Sitton, Ph.D. NE Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Energy Lead, Integrated Energy Systems Annual Merit Review Nuclear Science & Technology Directorate

May 2020 Richard Boardman, Ph.D. ChE Technology Development Lead for Integrated Energy Systems Energy and Environmental Sciences & Technology Directorate DESIGNING OUR FUTURE ENERGY SYSTEMS

What goals are we trying to achieve?

How will energy be used?

What role(s) will nuclear fill?

2 INNOVATIVE NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGIES FOR CURRENT AND FUTURE ENERGY SYSTEMS ADVANCED REACTORS

Benefits: • Enhanced safety • Versatile applications • Reduced waste • Apply advanced manufacturing to reduce costs INTEGRATED ENERGY SYSTEMS Maximizing the contribution of carbon-free energy generation for electricity, industry, and transportation – while supporting a resilient grid and converting valuable resources to higher value products Integrated Energy Systems: A Key Opportunity for Nuclear Energy

Today Potential Future Energy System Electricity-only focus Integrated grid system that leverages contributions from nuclear fission beyond electricity sector

Large Light Water Reactors

Small Modular Reactors Heat Industry

Micro Reactors Hydrogen for Vehicles and Industry Advanced New Reactors Chemical Clean Water Processes

Flexible Generators  Advanced Processes  Revolutionary Design Cross-cutting Energy System Modeling, Analysis, and Evaluation

Graded approach to identify design, and evaluate hybrid system architectures

Aspen Plus® and HYSYS® Modelica®, RAVEN Process Models Aspen Dynamics® (INL System Optimization)

Process modeling addresses System modeling technical and economic Dynamic modeling addresses addresses whole-system value proposition technical and control coordination feasibility

7 INL Experimental Demonstration of Integrated Systems

INL Dynamic Energy Transport and Integration Laboratory (DETAIL) Establishing the experimental capability to demonstrate coordinated, controlled, and efficient transient distribution of electricity and heat for power generation, storage, and industrial end uses.

Data Links to DETAIL Components and Unit Operations: System-Level Controller to Unit-Level Controllers

A/D Converter

Vin B1 SET System Integration Lab Microgrid Components System Monitoring S Q GND R CLR Q Flow- EV and & Control Vref B8 Wind Sign PV Solar Through Battery Chemical Charging

ENB Batteries Digital Real-Time Simulator Stations

Simulated Nuclear Other Power Steam or Gas Reactor Intermediate Generation Operations Power Grid Turbine Heat Exch. Dynomometer or ARTIST Community Power

Programmable Future Baseload Power Heating Elements Gen Capability

High Temperature Power Thermal Steam Electrolysis Converter Energy Thermal Energy Storage Distribution System (TEDS) O2 H2

Storage

TEDS: Thermal Energy Distribution System Carbon Feedstocks Chemicals / Fuels CO2, Biomass MAGNET: Microreactor Agile Nonnuclear Experiment Testbed Synthesis Natural Gas, Coal HTSE: High Temperature Steam Electrolysis INL Experimental Demonstration of Integrated Systems

Energy Storage Vehicles Hydrogen Power Systems Battery Testing Wireless High Temp Grid (out of picture) Charging Electrolysis Emulation

Fast Thermal Energy Delivery System & Synthesis Distributed Charging Microreactor Test Bed (in procurement) Reactor Energy Ion Ore

Scrap Metals Recycle Power Transactions with Grid Electric Arc Furnace Coordinated Energy Systems Metals & Metals Products Electricity Grid Load 1

• Holistic Integration of the Electricity Storage y energy system Giga-Watt Batteries Load 2 Plastics Recycle • Involve electrical, thermal, and Plastics, Fibers chemical networks & Commodity Products Electrochemical • Utilize energy storage on Variable Renewable Energy Sources Polymers Plant Wind various scales Solar • Provide reliable, sustainable, Renewable Biomass Ammonia & Fertilizer Fertilizer low-emissions, most affordable Production

energy Davis-Besse Nuclear Plant

Transport Hydrogen Industries

Steam Hydrogen

Electricity Bypass Thermal Energy Tightly Coupled Hybrid Systems Transmission Process Offgas CO2 Storage Regional Ethanol Plants • Involve thermal, electrical, and H2 O2

process intermediates For mic Dispatchable Electrolysis Acid integration Co-Electrolysis Natural Gas/H2 Power Gen: Local H2 Users Hybrid Carbon Conversion Formic Acid/Formate • More complex than co- Gas H2 and Formic Electrochemcial Process Formic Acid Separation Acid Derivative 2 generation, poly-generation, or Fuel Cells Chemicals CO Energy Retention In Feedstocks: Feedstocks: In Retention Energy Recycle In-Situ Reservoir Storage Energy Another combined heat and power Gas Turbines Formic Acid Hydrogenation Decomposer Plastics Recycling • May exploit the economics of & Municipal Waste Electricity Natural Gas Hydrogen Biomass Upgrading coordinated energy systems Supply & Chemicals Production Methanol

• May provide grid services Hydrogen Derivative Chemicals through demand response Formic Acid

Storage (import or export) Enhancing Natural Gas Power Tank 10 Methanol Synthesis Process Offgas CO2

Recent Hydrogen Production Analyses for Current Fleet LWRs

INL issued public-facing reports on in FY19 that provide the foundation for demonstration of using LWRs to produce non-electric products: • Evaluation of Hydrogen Production Feasibility for a Light Water Reactor in the Midwest Repurposing existing Exelon plant for H2 production via high temperature electrolysis; use of produced hydrogen for multiple off-take industries (ammonia and fertilizer production, steel manufacturing, and fuel cells) (INL/EXT-19-55395)

• Evaluation of Non-electric Market Options for a Light-water Reactor in the Midwest LWR market opportunities for LWRs with a focus on H2 production using low-temperature and high-temperature **H2@Scale is a complementary, collaborating program electrolysis; initial look at polymers, chemicals, and supported by the DOE Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy Fuel Cell Technologies Office. synfuels (INL/EXT-19-55090)

11 Light Water Nuclear Reactor with HTE Process Heat Integration

High-temperature Recuperation

Nuclear process heat HTSE Vessel Boundary

SOEC Cathode side Stacks

Anode side 12

Nuclear Topping Heat process heat

Low-temperature Low-temp. Nuclear High-temp. Electrical Electrolysis Recuperation recup. heat recup. topping Heat 24ºC 160ºC 271ºC 684ºC 800ºC 800ºC (75ºF) (320ºF) (520ºF) (1263ºF) (1472ºF) (1472ºF)

12 INL Preliminary Process Design Reference

 Thermal heat from LWR

 Electricity from LWR

 Membranes separations processes in design

13 13 Nuclear Power Plant Hydrogen Production Demonstration Projects

• Purpose & Scope • Project Funding 1. Demonstrate hydrogen production using direct electrical Exelon: $8 M, EERE Fuel Cell Technology Office & NE Crosscutting power offtake from a nuclear power plant for a commercial, Technology Integrated Energy System Program cost-shared joint funding 1-3 MWe, low-temperature (PEM) electrolysis module Energy Harbor Partnership: $12.5 million, Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program cost shared; includes $1.6 M for Xcel Energy and APS 2. Acquaint NPP operators with monitoring and controls techno-economic assessments, with FCTO H2@Scale Analysis support procedures and methods for scaleup to large commercial- scale hydrogen plants • Project Schedule 3. Evaluate power offtake dynamics on NPP power 6 months — project planning, PEM provider due diligence, procurement/joint research agreements transmission stations to avoid NPP flexible operations 6 months — Exelon: Select nuclear plant for demonstration 4. Evaluate power inverter control response to provide grid 6-18 months — electrical tie-in engineering, site preparation, PEM module contingency (inertia and frequency stability), ramping manufacturing, agency notifications, plant engineers, and operator training 18-24 months — Exelon: Commence testing and hydrogen supply reserves, and volt/reactive control reserve 24-30 months — Energy Harbor: Commence testing and hydrogen supply 5. Produce hydrogen for captive use by NPPs Example Test for Non-Spinning Reserve: Electrolyzer 6. Produce hydrogen for first movers of clean hydrogen; fuel- ramps down in 10 mins while NPP dispatches electricity electrolysis cell buses, heavy-duty trucks, forklifts, and industrial users to the grid; plant load Site for demonstration then returns profile • Two projects: (1) Exelon, (2) Energy Harbor under consideration to full load Partnership with Xcel Energy and APS after one hour. • INL and NREL role: Support utilities with project test Davis-Bess Plant in Ohio NPP dispatches to gird planning, controls and monitoring environment implementation and testing, data collection, systems performance evaluation, and project reporting. Water Splitting and Power Thermodynamics

100% S-CO2 Opt η He Brayton Opt η 60.0 Air Brayton Opt η Rankine Opt η 90% AFR Supcrt Rankine AFR Subcrt Rankine AFR S-CO2 AFR He Brayton AFR Air Brayton AHTR Subcrt Rankine 50.0 AE 80% AHTR Supcrt Rankine AHTR S-CO2

) AHTR He Brayton AHTR Air Brayton

2 PEM

H VHTR Subcrt Rankine VHTR S-CO2 - 40.0 70% VHTR He Brayton VHTR Air Brayton 100% eff. steam splitting 100% eff. water splitting VHTR S-CO2/Rankine Combined VHTR He Brayton/Rankine Combined η PWR Rankine 30.0 HTSE LWR with 60% VTGR with Heat Recov. HTSE Heat Recov. thermal 20.0 & Cell Heating neutral 50%

Total Energy (kWh/kg Energy Total operating point 10.0 40% LocalThermal Efficiency,

0.0 30% 0.85 0.94 1.03 1.12 1.21 1.30 1.39 1.48 1.57 1.66 1.75 Operating Voltage 20%

LWR HTSE: 30% more efficient than PEM 10% VTGR HTSE: 37% more efficiency than PEM 0% 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000 Temperature of Working Fluid at Exit of Gas Heater or Steam Generator (°C)

15 Electrolysis Efficiencies vs Nuclear Reactor Type

Electrolysis Over Thermal Energy T-Out Power Carnot Reactor Type Power Cycle Electricity Efficiency for H2 (Celsius) Cycle Eff. Eff. (kWh/kg-H2) Production LWR N/A Rankine 32% 50% 39 (PEM) 26% LWR 300 Rankine 32% 50% 32 (HTSE) 38% Sodium Fast Supercritical 500 44% 63% 30 (HTSE) 54% Reactor (SFR) Rankine Advanced High Temp Reactor (AHTR) 700 Sup-crit. CO2 50% 70% 29.5 (HTSE) 62% (Molten Salt Reactor, MSR) Very High Temp 900 Air Brayton 56% 75% 29 (HTSE) 70% Reactor (VHTR) Thermal efficiency gain; LWR-PEM vs VHTR-HTSE = 169 %

16 Flexible Plant Operations & Generation Timeline to Bolster U.S. Nuclear Reactors

2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 - 2030 1. Techno/Economic Assessments Case Specific TEAs for Additional Opportunity: Holistic Systems Evaluations LWRS Several reactors

PRA: H2 & Thermal Systems PRA: Chemical Plants & Fuels Synthesis producing: 2. • 2-5 MMT H2/yr Licensing Considerations with Engineering Measures • 2-4 MMT Ethylene/yr • 5 GWt heat delivery to Interface Development & Verification industrial parks 3. Engineering and case-specific thermal integration » 20-30 Reactors

2-3 MWe LTE Demos 50 - 100 MWe Plants 200 – 500 MWe Plants GWe Plants 250 kWe HTE Demos 1 – 10 HTE MWe Plants 50-100 MWe Plants GWe Plants 4. > 50 MW Thermal Integ. > 500 MW Thermal Integration Fuels Synthesis Demos Scale-up to Market Potential Electrochemical Polymers 500 – 1,000 MWe Plants • Objective: The GAIN Clean Nuclear Energy for Industry Webinar Series highlights the innovations in nuclear energy and associated integrated-energy options that may be beneficial to a wide range of industrial energy applications. The intent is to develop connections between the nuclear community and the energy end- use community to communicate the benefits of clean, reliable, and resilient nuclear energy. • Part 1: Introduction (April 16, 2020) • Part 2: Advanced Nuclear Technologies (May 29, 2020) • Part 3: The Case for SMRs and Microreactors in Puerto Rico (June 18, 2020) • Visit https://gain.inl.gov/SitePages/GAINWebinarSeries.aspx to view previous webinars in this series and to register for upcoming webinars. What might the future entail for nuclear?

Image courtesy of GAIN and ThirdWay, inspired by Nuclear Energy Reimagined concept led by INL.

Download this and other energy park concept images at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/thirdwaythinktank/sets/721576653728 89289/ 19 For more information, contact: [email protected]