College of Engineering Unit:
Chemical, Biological, and Environmental Engineering
Project Team Member(s):
None Listed
Physical Location at Expo:
Community Plaza
Project ID:
CHE.08
Project Description:
Our project aims to improve the economic viability of hydrogen fuel cells through the design and implementation of a high temperature steam electrolysis (HTSE) unit. Thermal energy produced by a nuclear power plant will be used to indirectly fire a closed-loop recompression Brayton cycle with supercritical carbon dioxide working fluid to produce the electricity needed for this process. Use of nuclear energy to produce clean hydrogen fuel provides a low-carbon alternative to traditional methane steam reforming. The proposed process would produce over 50,000 metric tons of high pressure hydrogen per year for use in fuel cells.