Assessment of Natural Gas Splitting with a Concentrating Solar Reactor for Hydrogen Production. Technical Report

摘要

This analysis examined hydrogen production via thermal decomposition of methane using a solar reactor for two different applications: (1) for a fueling station and (2) for power production. For each application three different hydrogen production rates were examined by varying the size of the heliostat field. The fueling station application was examined as a stand-alone system. However, because storage limits the amount of hydrogen production and results in a substantial capital cost, the system was also examined as one that could supply hydrogen to a pipeline network. Based on the quality of the carbon produced at NREL's High-Flux Solar Furnace, the carbon was assumed to be sold in the carbon black market. For the power production scenario, the hydrogen is co-fired in a turbine at a natural gas combined-cycle plant. If the carbon cannot be sold then it can be used to produce additional power.