Process Simulation and Total System Efficiency Evaluation of Integrated VOYGRTM Plant and Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cell for Nuclear-Hydrogen Production

An integrated plant comprising a VOYGR TM plant and a solid oxide electrolysis cell facility was modeled using process simulation to determine the advantages and disadvantages of such an integrated plant.Three different process configurations for supplying heat to the solid oxide electrolysis cell facility from various sources in the VOYGR TM plant, that is, extraction steam from the steam turbine, main steam from the steam generator, and electric power from the generator, were studied and compared.The results indicated that the two steam supply cases had higher total system efficiencies than the all-electric case had.After comparing not only the total system efficiencies but also the plant engineering and operability of the two steam cases and identifying their relative advantages and disadvantages, this study concluded that the most preferrable configuration could not be determined intrinsically since it depended on the particular requirements of the project being considered.Furthermore, the study found that if the total system efficiency of the solid oxide electrolysis cell exceeded some threshold value, then the hydrogen production efficiency of an integrated plant could significantly exceed that of a VOYGR TM plant operating alone and the carbon-free hydrogen production of such an integrated plant could surpass the system efficiency of a conventional nuclear power plant.