Electrolysis of spent fuel pool water for hydrogen generation
OwnerDavid E. Fowlerinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for the electrolytic production of hydrogen where radiation excited water from a spent fuel pool of a nuclear power plant is delivered to one or more electrolysers where DC current is applied to pairs of electrodes in the electrolysers to form hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen is collected. The collection of hydrogen can be carried out in a grid energy storage system to produce large quantities of hydrogen during low grid demand for electricity with little or no hydrogen during high grid electricity demand,
Claims12
A method for the electrolytic production of hydrogen comprising:
- delivering radiation excited water from at least one spent fuel pool to at least one electrolyser;
- applying a DC electrical current to at least one pair of electrodes of each of said electrolysers wherein said hydrogen is produced;
- and
- collecting said hydrogen.
A method of providing grid energy storage for load leveling of a nuclear power plant by hydrogen and oxygen production comprising:
- providing electricity to at least one electrolyser during periods of low grid electricity demand from said nuclear power plant;
- electrolyzing radiation excited water from spent fuel pools in said at least one electrolyser to form hydrogen and oxygen;
- storing said hydrogen as a combustible source of energy;
- and
- partitioning electricity from said at least one electrolyser during periods of higher electricity demand of said grid, wherein said electrolysers produce a lesser quantity of said hydrogen and said oxygen during said periods of higher electricity demand.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.