System Integration of the Cu-Cl Cycle of Thermochemical Hydrogen Production

氢气是一种清洁能源载体，在大幅减少温室气体排放方面前景看好。然而，现有的主要制氢方法(即蒸汽-甲烷重整-SMR-和煤气化)是排放温室气体的碳基技术。制氢的热化学循环是传统制氢方法的有希望的替代方案，因为它们以水和热为原料，不会向环境排放任何外部物质。热能和水是主要的投入，电力的使用程度较小。热化学水分离过程有可能最大限度地减少与当前制氢方法相关的碳足迹，转而生产清洁和可持续的氢气，用于广泛的应用，包括脱碳运输、海洋和航空，以及家庭和工业应用的天然气管道绿化。拟议的研究项目建立在与加拿大核实验室十年来联合研发工作的成功和有效合作伙伴关系的基础上。该项目的目标是优化装置操作，形成一个完全集成的实验室规模回路，作为将其扩大到工业规模的中试示范以实现商业化的第一步。UOIT、纽芬兰纪念大学和加拿大核实验室之间将进行重大合作。CNL将协助这一技术商业化的整合进程，同时受益于该项目的研究成果。

Hydrogen is a clean energy carrier with a promising future to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, the predominant existing methods of hydrogen production (i.e., steam-methane reforming- SMR- and coal-gasification) are carbon-based technologies that emit greenhouse gases. Thermochemical cycles of hydrogen production are promising alternatives to traditional hydrogen production methods, as they use water and heat as a feedstock, with no external emissions to the environment. Thermal energy and water are the main inputs, with electricity used to a lesser extent. The thermochemical water splitting process has the potential to minimize the carbon footprint associated with the current methods of hydrogen production and instead produce clean and sustainable hydrogen for use in a wide range of applications including decarbonizing transportation, marine and aviation, as well as greening the Natural Gas pipelines for domestic and industrial applications.The proposed research project builds on the success and effective partnership with the Canadian Nuclear Laboratories over a decade of joint R&D work. The objective of this project is to optimize unit operations to form a fully integrated lab-scale loop as a first step to scale it up to a pilot-scale demonstration of the technology on an industrial scale for commercialization. There will be significant collaboration between UOIT, Memorial University of Newfoundland and the Canadian Nuclear Labs. CNL will assist in the integration process leading to the commercialization of this technology while benefiting from the research outcomes of this project.